Lakṣmī – Anuśīlana.in

a-kāraś cāpy u-kāraś ca ma-kāraś ca tataḥ param

a-kāraś cāpy u-kāraś ca ma-kāraś ca tataḥ param |
veda-trayātmakaṁ proktaṁ praṇavaṁ brahmaṇaḥ padam ||
a-kāreṇocyate viṣṇuḥ śrīr u-kāreṇa cocyate |
ma-kāras tu tayor dāsaḥ pañcaviṁśaḥ prakīrtitaḥ ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.227.22-23; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 178)

“The letter a along with the letter u and the letter m after that—praṇava [i.e., the word Aum]—is declared to be the basis of the three Vedas and the word for [alt., dwelling place] of Brahman. Viṣṇu is referred to by the letter a, and Śrī is referred to by the letter u. The servant of the two [i.e., of Viṣṇu and Śrī], the twenty-fifth [element in the universe, viz., the jīva], is declared to indeed be the letter m.”

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yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ

yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ
yā vai kula-strī-kula-pūjitāṅghrayaḥ |
rūpeṇa śīlena guṇena karmaṇā
śraiṣṭhyaṁ gatā hanta mahāśriyo’pi yāḥ ||
yad-darśane pakṣma-kṛtaṁ śapanti
vidhiṁ sahasrākṣam api stuvanti |
vañchanti dṛktvaṁ sakalendriyānāṁ
kāṁ kāṁ daśāṁ vā na bhajanti lokāḥ ||
kiṁ varṇyatāṁ vraja-bhuvo mahimā sa tasya
yatraiva tat sa bhagavān vitanoti rūpam |
yat tādṛśa-prakṛtināpy amunā sametā
nānyatrikā dadhati bhāvam ime’pi tadvat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.109–111)

“O dear one, can that greatness of the land of Vraja be described, [that land of Vraja] alone wherein that Bhagavān [viz., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] manifests that [supremely astonishing] form [of himself] which is a stealer of the composure even of they [viz., the gopīs] whose feet are worshiped by women of noble families and who by virtue of [their] figure, character, qualities, and actions are possessed of superiority even to Mahāśrī [i.e., Mahālakṣmī]; [that form of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa found only in Vraja] by seeing which people curse the Creator, the maker of eyelids, praise even he of a thousand eyes [viz., Indra], desire that all [their] senses become eyes, and attain not what sort of state [i.e., attain all sorts of extraordinary states], since even they who are from elsewhere [e.g., the residents of Vaikuṇṭha and Dvārakā] even [when] together with he of such nature [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Vraja] do not possess bhāva like them [i.e., the people of Vraja]?”

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vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair

vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair
vilāsa-bhūr āsa mahāvibhūteḥ |
yasyāḥ kaṭākṣena jagad-vibhūtir
vaikuṇṭha-nāthasya gṛheśvarī yā ||
yasyaika-vṛkṣo’pi nijena kenacid
dravyena kāmāṁs tanute’rthino’khilān |
tathāpi tat tan na sadā prakāśayed
aiśvaryam īśaḥ sva-vihāra-vighnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.104–105)

“By virtue of its own qualities, that abode of Nanda—even one tree of which can produce with any aspect of itself all the desired objects of any seeker, and by the sidelong glance of which the magnificence of the world exists—has become the play-land of she of great magnificence [viz., Mahālakṣmī], the Mistress of the household of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Still, Īśa [viz., Śrī Kṛsṇa] shall not always manifest that particular splendor (aiśvarya) on account of obstruction to his own sporting [i.e., if he were to do so, and thus he doesn’t manifest it always but rather only when doing so is suitable].”

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mūrkhā yatra na pūjyate dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam

mūrkhā yatra na pūjyante dhānyaṁ yatra susañcitam |
dāmpatyo kalahaṁ nāsti tatra śrīḥ svayam āgataḥ ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti: 3.12)

“Where fools are not worshiped [i.e., given power, regarded as role-models, etc.],
Where grain is well-stored,
And where there is no quarrel in marital relationships,
There Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī, prosperity] comes of her own accord.”

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tadīya-nāmehita-gāna-tatparā

tadīya-nāmehita-gāna-tatparā
vicitra-veśāmbara-kānti-bhūṣitāḥ |
ramātisaubhagya-mada-prahārikā
javena kṛṣṇā-taṭam āśrayanta tāḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.53)

“Absorbed in singing his names and of his acts,
Adorned with extraordinary ornaments, garments, and embellishments,
And demolishing Ramā’s pride in her great beauty,
They swiftly converged on the bank of the Yamunā.”

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yadā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ vaktā lakṣmīś ca śravaṇe ratā

yadā viṣṇuḥ svayaṁ vaktā lakṣmīś ca śravaṇe ratā |
tadā bhāgavata-śrāvo māsenaiva punaḥ punaḥ ||
yadā lakṣmīḥ svayaṁ vaktrī viṣṇuś ca śravaṇe rataḥ |
māsa-dvayaṁ rasāsvādas tadātīva suśobhate ||
adhikāre sthito viṣṇur lakṣmīr niścinta-mānasā |
tena bhāgavatāsvādas tasyā bhūri prakāśate ||
(Skanda Purāṇa: Vaiṣṇava-khaṇḍa, Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 3.35‒37)

“When Viṣṇu himself is the speaker [in a recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] and Lakṣmī is engaged in listening, then the hearing of the Bhāgavata is repeatedly only for one month [i.e., every time Viṣṇu does the series of daily readings, it always ends up taking one month to complete the full recitation of the text]. When Lakṣmī herself is the speaker and Viṣṇu is engaged in listening, then it [i.e., the recitation] is two months [in duration] and the relish of the rasa is exceedingly splendid. Viṣṇu is engaged in administration. Lakṣmī is worry-free in mind. Thus, her relish of the Bhāgavata manifests most abundantly.”

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Uddhava-gītā

Uddhava-gītā

Six verses in praise of the Vraja-gopīs expressed by Śrī Uddhava after delivering Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s messages from Mathurā.

Excerpted from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.47.58–63.

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ka utsaheta santyaktum uttamaḥśloka-saṁvidam

ka utsaheta santyaktum uttamaḥśloka-saṁvidam |
anicchato’pi yasya śrīr aṅgān na cyavate kvacit ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.48)

“[The gopīs to Uddhava:] Who could completely give up perception of [alt., private conversations with] he of highest praise, from whose chest Śrī never strays even when he is nonchalant?”

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ādi-purāṇe ca śrīmad-arjuna-vākyaṁ

ādi-purāṇe ca śrīmad-arjuna-vākyaṁ—
trailokye bhagavad-bhaktāḥ ke tvāṁ jānanti marmaṇi |
keṣu vā tvaṁ sadā tuṣṭaḥ keṣu prema tavātulam ||
śrī-bhagavad-vākyaṁ—
na tathā me priyatamo brahmā rudraś ca pārthiva |
na ca lakṣmīr na cātmā ca yathā gopī-jano mama ||
bhaktā mamānuraktāś ca kati santi na bhū-tale |
kintu gopī-janaḥ prāṇādhika-priyatamo mama ||
na māṁ jānanti munayo yoginaś ca parantapa |
na ca rudrādayo devā yathā gopyo vidanti mām ||
na tapobhir na vedaiś ca nācārair na ca vidyayā |
vaśo’smi kevalaṁ premṇā pramāṇaṁ tatra gopikāḥ ||
man-māhātmyaṁ mat-saparyāṁ mac-chraddhāṁ man-manogatam |
jānanti gopikāḥ pārtha nānye jānanti marmaṇi ||
nijāṅgam api yā gopyo mameti samupāsate |
tābhyaḥ paraṁ na me pārtha nigūḍha-prema-bhājanam ||
(Ādi Purāṇa; cited in Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.34–40; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.4.184, 213)

“Also a statement of Śrīmad Arjuna [to Śrī Kṛṣṇa] in Ādi Purāṇa: ‘Which bhaktas of Bhagavān throughout the three worlds know you in truth? With whom are you always pleased? For whom do you have unparalleled prema? The reply of Śrī Bhagavān: ‘O royal, neither Brahmā, nor Rudra, nor Lakṣmī, nor myself are so beloved to me as the gopīs. How many devoted bhaktas do I have on the surface of the earth? [So many.] The gopīs, however, are beloved to me more so than [even] my life [so, it goes without saying they are more dear to me than all my other bhaktas]. The sages and yogīs do not know me, O tormenter of enemies. Not even Rudra or any of the other devas know me as the gopīs do. I am not captivated by austerities, by [study of] the Vedas, by observances of conduct, or by knowledge. [Rather, I am captivated] Only by prema. The gopīs are the evidence (pramāṇa) of this. The gopīs know my greatness, my service, my desire, and my intent. O Pārtha, no one else knows [these] in truth. O Pārtha, there are no greater vessels of highly confidential prema for me than the gopīs, who care even for their own bodies as my own [i.e., they care for their own bodies only because they consider them instruments for my service].”

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ṣaṣṭhi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi

śrī-bṛhad-vāmane ca bhṛgv-ādīn prati śrī-brahma-vākyaṁ—
ṣaṣṭhi-varṣa-sahasrāṇi mayā taptaṁ tapaḥ purā |
nanda-gopa-vraja-strīṇāṁ pāda-reṇūpalabdhaye |
tathāpi na mayā prāptās tāsāṁ vai pāda-reṇavaḥ ||
bhṛgv-ādi-vākyaṁ—
vaiṣṇavānāṁ pāda-rajo gṛhyate tvad-vidhair api |
santi te bahavo loke vaiṣṇavā nāradādayaḥ ||
teṣāṁ vihāya gopīnāṁ pāda-reṇus tvayāpi yat |
gṛhyate saṁśayo me’tra ko hetus tad vada prabho ||
śrī-brahma-vākyaṁ—
na striyo vraja-sundaryaḥ putrāḥ śreṣṭhāḥ śriyo’pi tāḥ |
nāhaṁ śivaś ca śeṣaś ca śrīś ca tābhiḥ samāḥ kvacit ||
(Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa; cited in Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.31–33)

“A statement of Śrī Brahmā to Bhṛgu and others in Śrī Bṛhad-vāmana Purāṇa: ‘Austerity was practiced by me for 60,000 years to attain the foot-dust of the women of Nanda’s cowherd pasturelands. Still, their foot-dust was not attained by me.’ The reply of Bhṛgu and so forth: ‘[If] The foot-dust of Vaiṣṇavas is honored even by those like yourself, [then] there are many Vaiṣṇavas in the world such as Nārada [whose foot-dust you could honor]. [Still,] Avoiding theirs [i.e., their foot-dust], the foot-dust of the gopīs is honored even by you. I have a doubt about this. Please say, O Prabhu, what is the reason for that?’ The reply of Śrī Brahmā: ‘O sons! The beauties of Vraja are not women. They are superior even to Śrī [i.e., Lakṣmī]. Neither I, nor Śiva, nor Śeṣa, nor Śrī are ever equal to them.”

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