jayati taraṇi-putrī dharma-rāja-svasā yā
kalayati mathurāyāḥ sakhyam atyeti gaṅgām |
murahara-dayitā tat-pāda-padma-prasūtaṁ
vahati ca makarandaṁ nīra-pūra-cchalena ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.6)
“The daughter of Sūrya—
The sister of Dharmarāja,
Who fosters friendship with Mathurā,
Surpasses the Gaṅgā,
Is beloved to Murahara,
And carries the nectar
Emanating from his lotus feet
In the guise of a stream of water—
Triumphs!”
jayati mathurā-devī śreṣṭhā purīṣu manoramā
parama-dayitā kaṁsārāter jani-sthiti-rañjitā |
durita-haraṇān mukter bhakter api pratipādanāj
jagati mahitā tat-tat-krīḍā-kathās tu vidūrataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.4)
“Mathurā Devī—
The best among cities,
Delighting to the mind,
Supremely beloved to Kaṁsa’s Foe,
Illumined by his birth and [eternal] presence,
And honored throughout the world
For removing sins
And bestowing mukti and bhakti—
Triumphs!
Let narration of those particular sports [of his in Mathurā],
However,
Remain aside.”
bhuktiṁ muktiṁ harir dadyād arcito’nyatra sevinām |
bhaktiṁ tu na dadāty eva yato vaśyakarī hareḥ ||
sā tv añjasā harer bhaktir labhyate kārttike naraiḥ |
mathurāyāṁ sakṛd api śrī-dāmodara-sevanāt ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.222–223)
“Hari shall bestow enjoyment (bhukti) or liberation (mukti) upon his servants when worshipped elsewhere [i.e., outside of Mathurā], but he does not bestow bhakti [upon them] because it is captivating of Hari. That bhakti to Hari, however, is easily attained by people as a result of service to Śrī Dāmodara even once in Mathurā during Kārtika.”
sā go-pradhāna-deśatvāt sarvā śrī-mathurocyate |
goloka iti gūḍho’pi vikhyātaḥ sa hi sarvataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.80)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Śrī Mathurā—that [region] in entirety [i.e., including the whole of the land of Vraja]—is called Goloka because of [its] being a region wherein cows (go) are pre-eminent. Although confidential, it is certainly renowned everywhere.”
