Vraja-līlā

vaktrendoḥ smita-sampadā vraja-vidhos tad-vāk-sudhā-bindubhis

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.”

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tam aṅkam ārūḍham apāyayat stanaṁ

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].”

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yadi vo’sti mayi prītiḥ ślāghyo’haṁ bhavatāṁ yadi

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].”

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adatta-pūrva-svapadābja-sauhṛda

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.”

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ātmārāmān madhura-caritair bhakti-yoge vidhāsyam

ātmārāmān madhura-caritair bhakti-yoge vidhāsyam
nānā-līlā-rasa-racanayā nandayiṣyan sva-bhaktān |
daityānīkair bhuvam atibharāṁ vīta-bhārāṁ kariṣyan
mūrtānando vraja-pati-gṛhe jātavat prādurāsīt ||
(Ānanda-vṛndāvana-campū: 2.9)

“To direct ātmārāmas to bhakti-yoga

With his sweet acts,

To delight his own bhaktas

With a production of the rasa of various līlās,

And to unburden the earth

From the excessive burden of the armies of the daityas,

Embodied Bliss [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]

Appeared in the home of Vraja’s king

Like a newborn.”

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vidagdha-gopāla-vilāsinīnāṁ

vidagdha-gopāla-vilāsinīnāṁ
sambhoga-cihnāṅkita-sarva-gātram |
pavitram āmnāya-girām agamyaṁ
brahma prapadye navanīta-cauram ||
(Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta: 2.51 (Southern recension); cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 3.25)

“His entire body

Marked with the signs of enjoyment

With artful gopī lovers,

Pure,

And unattainable by the words of Vedas—

I take shelter in Brahman,

The thief of fresh butter.”

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kiṁ bahunā sarvatraiva sahṛdayaiḥ sarva evāvagantavyaḥ

kiṁ bahunā, sarvatraiva sahṛdayaiḥ sarva evāvagantavyaḥ |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 158)

“What is the use of more [illustrations of the excellence of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s manifestations and līlās in Śrī Vṛndāvana]? Verily in all cases, everything is to be [alt., can be] understood by sahṛdayas [i.e., rasikas, lit., ‘those with heart’].”

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jayati nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇo

jayati nija-padābja-prema-dānāvatīrṇo
vividha-madhurimābdhiḥ ko’pi kaiśora-gandhiḥ |
gata-parama-daśāntaṁ yasya caitanya-rūpād
anubhava-padam āptaṁ prema gopīṣu nityam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.1)

“Someone—

Who descended to bestow prema

For his own lotus feet,

Who is an ocean

Of various sweetnesses,

Who is fragrant with adolescence,

And whose everlasting prema for the gopīs,

Having attained the ultimate limit

Of the highest state,

Has reached the position of experience [for others]

Because of his form of Caitanya—
Triumphs!”

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