Daśa-ślokī
The ten essential verses of Śrī Śrī Govinda-līlāmṛta
By Śrīmad Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmīpāda
Līlā
ye sarva-nairapekṣyena rādhā-dāsyecchavaḥ param
ye sarva-nairapekṣyena rādhā-dāsyecchavaḥ param |
saṅkīrtayanti tan-nāma tādṛśa-priyatā-mayāḥ ||
anyeṣām iva teṣāṁ ca prāpyaṁ ced hṛn na tṛpyati |
aho nanda-yaśodāder na sahe tādṛśīṁ gatim ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.21–22)
“If the attainment of those who, without regard for all of this [i.e., all the aforementioned sādhyas and sādhanas of karmīs, jñānīs, and other bhaktas], desire only servitude to Rādhā and engage in saṅkīrtana of his name [i.e., the name of Kṛṣṇa, the relisher of the rāsa dance], filled with such fondness [i.e., the extraordinary prema of the gopīs, the recipients of the very essence of Bhagavān’s grace], is like that of others [i.e., is the same as that of the Yādavas, Pāṇḍavas, and so forth], then my heart is not satisfied. Aho! I cannot tolerate such a destination [being that meant] for Nanda, Yaśodā, and others [i.e., for the people of Vraja led by Nanda and Yaśodā, since an equal result for those who are great and those who are lesser is not befitting].”
mahāprabhu nityānanda do̐hāra dāsera dāsa
mahāprabhu nityānanda do̐hāra dāsera dāsa |
yāre kṛpā kare, tāra ihāte viśvāsa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.19.109)
“One upon whom Mahāprabhu, Nityānanda, and a servant of their servants bestow grace can have faith in this [i.e., in the extraordinary līlā of Śrīman Mahāprabhu].”
yair etat paripīyate hṛdi lasat tṛṣṇātirekān muhur
yair etat paripīyate hṛdi lasat tṛṣṇātirekān muhur
brahmādyair api durgamaṁ vraja-vidhor līlāmṛtaṁ rādhayā |
vṛndāraṇya-vilāsinī-kumudinī-vṛndasya bandhur vraje
kāruṇyād acireṇa vāñchita-tamaṁ teṣāṁ tanotu svayam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 23.96)
[Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī confers a blessing upon readers of Govinda-līlāmṛta at the end of the text and thereby illustrates the ultimate aim and result of relishing the text:]
“May the Friend of the lilies
Of the charming women
In the forest of Vṛndā in Vraja
[viz., Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Beloved of the lily-like gopīs],
Out of compassion,
Personally,
And without delay,
Bestow that which is desired most [i.e., prema-sevā]
Upon those by whom this līlāmṛta
[i.e., this text Govinda-līlāmṛta,
And alt., this nectar of the līlā]
Of [himself] the Moon of Vraja with Rādhā
Is continuously imbibed in full
Out of an abundance of thirst
Rollicking in the heart
Although [such līlāmṛta is] inaccessible even to Brahmā and others.”
kṛṣṇasya vṛndā-vipine’tra rādhayā
kṛṣṇasya vṛndā-vipine’tra rādhayā
līlā anantā madhurāś cakāsati |
kṣaṇe kṣaṇe nūtana-nūtanāḥ śubhā
diṅ-mātram etan mayakā pradarśitam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 23.93)
“The līlā of Kṛṣṇa with Rādhā here in the forest of Vṛndā, endless and sweet, shines from moment to moment newer and newer in splendor. A mere indication of this has been shown by me.”
tatas te bhojayitvānyā vayasyā dāsikā api
tatas te bhojayitvānyā vayasyā dāsikā api |
sa-gaṇaiḥ saha saṁhṛṣṭaiḥ sveśā-śeṣānnam ādatuḥ ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.74)
“Thereafter, they [i.e., Tulasī and Rūpa Mañjarī] fed their contemporaries and servants and then with their companions delightedly ate their Īśā’s [i.e., Rādhā’s] remnants.”
ramaṇa-kavala-śiṣṭaṁ san-mṛṇālaṁ marālyaḥ
ramaṇa-kavala-śiṣṭaṁ san-mṛṇālaṁ marālyaḥ
kiśalaya-kulam eṇyaḥ śrī-marandaṁ bhramaryaḥ |
amṛtam iva cakroyaś caindavaṁ rādhikādyā
mumudur adhikam annaṁ prāsya kṛṣṇāvaśiṣṭam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.71)
“Rādhikā and her companions felt abundant delight eating the remnants of Kṛṣṇa’s food just as female swans do by eating morsels of the remnants of fine lotus stems left by their husbands, deer do by eating young shoots, bees do by eating bright flower nectar, and cakorīs do by drinking the moon’s nectar.”
praṇayi-jana-visṛṣṭaṁ śrī-harer bhukta-śiṣṭaṁ
praṇayi-jana-visṛṣṭaṁ śrī-harer bhukta-śiṣṭaṁ
tad-adhara-madhu-miṣṭaṁ tat-kareṇābhimṛṣṭam |
nija-nikhila-gaṇeṣṭaṁ rādhayā netra-dṛṣṭaṁ
mitam api ca tad āsīd akṣayaṁ vaṇṭane’nnam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.70)
“Although scant, as it was served, the food became [i.e., was felt to be] inexhaustible, since it was distributed by beloved friends [i.e., Tulasī and Kastūrī], it was the remnants of Śrī Hari, it was sweetened by the nectar from his lips, it was handled by his hand, it was desired by her [Rādhā’s] entire party, and it was glanced upon by Rādhā’s eyes.”
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)
“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”
tad dhi tat-tad-vraja-krīḍā
tad dhi tat-tad-vraja-krīḍā-dhyāna-gāna-pradhānayā |
bhaktyā sampadyate preṣṭha-nāma-saṅkīrtanojjvalam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.218)
“That [i.e., the prema that leads to attainment of the Beloved, one’s Iṣṭa-deva, in Goloka], bright with saṅkīrtana of the names of the Beloved, is certainly manifested through bhakti in which meditation on and singing of the [Beloved’s] various acts of play in Vraja are primary.”