lokānugāpi sānyonyaṁ priyatātīta-laukikā |
madhurātyadbhutaiśvarya-laukikatva-vimiśritā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.84)
“Although following the [ways of] the world, that reciprocal fondness [of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣna and the Vraja-vāsīs] is beyond the worldly, sweet (madhurā), exceedingly astonishing, and specially mixed with worldliness and aiśvarya.”
tādṛg bhagavati premā pāramaiśvarya-dṛṣṭitaḥ |
sadā sampadyate naiva bhaya-gaurava-sambhavāt ||
kevalaṁ laukika-prāṇa-suhṛd-buddhyā sa sidhyati |
lokālokottaro yo’sāv atilokottaro’pi yaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.82–83)
“Prema of such nature for Bhagavān certainly cannot be attained by means of constant vision of [his] paramount aiśvarya because of the ensuance of fear and reverence [i.e., because fear, reverence, and other sentiments that obstruct the manifestation of that prema ensue from focus on Śrī Bhagavān’s paramount aiśvarya]. That [i.e., prema which follows the beautiful prema of the residents of Vraja, as described in BB 2.5.81] is attained only by means of the mentality of [Śrī Bhagavān’s being like] the friend of one’s prāṇa as in the world. It [i.e., such prema] is that which is beyond the lokas and non-lokas, and which is beyond even that which is above the lokas [i.e., beyond even Vaikuṇṭha].”
sa ca tad-vraja-lokānāṁ śrīmat-premānuvartinā |
kṛṣṇe śuddhatareṇaiva bhāvenaikena labhyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.81)
“And that [i.e., Goloka] is attained only through one-pointed, exceedingly pure bhāva for Kṛṣṇa which follows the beautiful prema of those residents of Vraja.”
śrī-govindaṁ vrajānanda-sandohāmanda-mandiram |
vande vṛndāvanānandaṁ śrī-rādhā-saṅga-nanditam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 1.1)
“I offer obeisance to Śrī Govinda,
He who is the abode filled
With the totality of the bliss of Vraja,
He whose bliss is in Vṛndāvana,
He who is blissful in the company of Śrī Rādhā.”
vaktrendoḥ smita-sampadā vraja-vidhos tad-vāk-sudhā-bindubhis
tat-saurabhya-vimiśra-dhūpa-visarais tat-tālavṛntānilaiḥ |
tac-chrī-sagdhy-amṛtābhiṣikta-madhurair bhojyaiś ca saṁlebhire
te pañcendriya-tṛptijām atitamāṁ sambhojanīyāṁ mudam ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 20.53)
“With the beauty of the smile of the moon-face
Of the Moon of Vraja,
With the drops of the nectar of his speech,
With the fresh air from the palm-leaf fans
Spreading incense combined with his [bodily] fragrance,
And with food sprinkled with the sweetness of the nectar
Of beautifully eating together with him,
They [i.e., Nanda Mahārāja along with his brothers and all of their family members] deeply felt the most elevated delight,
Produced by the satisfaction of the five senses,
During the convivial evening meal.”
tam aṅkam ārūḍham apāyayat stanaṁ
sneha-snutaṁ sa-smitam īkṣatī mukham |
atṛptam utsṛjya javena sā yayāv
utsicyamāne payasi tv adhiśrite ||
sa jāta-kopaḥ sphuritāruṇādharaṁ
sandaśya dadbhir dadhi-mantha-bhājanam |
bhittvā mṛṣāśrur dṛṣad-aśmanā raho
jaghāsa haiyaṅgavam antaraṁ gataḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.9.5–6)
“Raised in her lap, she [i.e., Yaśodā] had him [i.e., Kṛṣṇa] drink from her breast, flowing [with milk] out of affection, as she beheld his smiling face, but when the milk on the fireplace was beginning to boil over, she put him down [although he was] unsatiated, and quickly went over [to attend to the milk on the fireplace]. Angered [by this] and biting his quivering reddish lips with his teeth, he [then] broke with a grindstone the pot [that Yaśodā had been using] for churning yoghurt, went inside [the house] with false tears [alt., non-false tears, in his eyes], and in a concealed place devoured the fresh butter [that Yaśodā had just churned].”
yadi vo’sti mayi prītiḥ ślāghyo’haṁ bhavatāṁ yadi |
tadātma-bandhu-sadṛśī buddhir vaḥ kriyatāṁ mayi ||
nāhaṁ devo na gandharvo na yakṣo na ca dānavaḥ |
ahaṁ vo bāndhavo jāto nātaś cintyam ato’nyathā ||
(Viṣṇu Purāṇa: 5.13.11–12; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 325)
“If you all have love (prīti) for me, and if you all [also] consider I am praiseworthy [i.e., a worthy object of reverence], then you all should [give up your awe and reverence of me and] foster the attitude in regard me that I am like the kinsmen (bandhu) of your very self (ātmā) [i.e., that I am one of your fellow cowherds, alt., that I am like the dear friend (bandhu) of your heart (ātmā)]. I am neither a deva, nor a gandharva, nor a yakṣa, nor a dānava. I have been born as your kinsmen (bāndhava—bandhu), and thus from now on I am not to be thought of otherwise [i.e., as anyone other than one of your fellow cowherds and kinsmen; I should not be thought of as any sort of devatā].”
adatta-pūrva-svapadābja-sauhṛda-
pradāna-dīkṣocita-deśa-saṅgata |
sva-sevaka-brahma-sukhādhikotsava-
premākara krīḍana-kṛn namo’stu te ||
(Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava: 63)
“O you who are [now] situated in the land [of Vraja]
Suitable to your vow (dīkṣa)
Of granting love for your own lotus feet
That has not been given before!
O Bestower of prema
And joy greater than the bliss of Brahman
Upon your own servants!
O Performer of play!
May my obeisance be offered unto you.”
