ananya-mamatā viṣṇau mamatā prema-saṅgatā |
bhaktir ity ucyate bhīṣma-prahlādoddhava-nāradaiḥ ||
(Nārada Pañcarātra; cited Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.382; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.2; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.23.8)
“Bhakti dedicated to Viṣṇu that is filled with mamatā [for him] and free from any other mamatā [i.e., loving attachment, lit., ‘my-ness,’ for anyone or anything else] is called prema by Bhīṣma, Prahlāda, Uddhava, and Nārada.”
prayujyamāne mayi tāṁ śuddhāṁ bhāgavatīṁ tanum |
ārabdha-karma-nirvāṇo nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.6.29; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 11)
“[Nārada:] When that pure figure related to Bhagavān [i.e., the form of an associate (pārṣada) of Bhagavān] was being bestowed upon me, the body [made] of the five elements, the commenced (prārabdha) karma of which was exhausted, fell away.”
katamo’pi na venaḥ syāt pañcānāṁ puruṣaṁ prati |
tasmāt kenāpy upāyena manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.31)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] Veṇa did not have even one of these five [aforementioned bhāvas] for the Puruṣa. Therefore, one may absorb the mind in Kṛṣṇa by some particular means.”
gopyaḥ kāmād bhayāt kaṁso dveṣāc caidyādayo nṛpāḥ |
sambandhād vṛṣṇayaḥ snehād yūyaṁ bhaktyā vayaṁ vibho ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.30)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] O King, the gopis through amorous desire, Kaṁsa through fear, kings such as Caidya [i.e., Śiśupāla] through hatred, the Vṛṣṇis and Paṇḍavas through affection based on relationship, and we through bhakti [attained a destination related to Īśvara, as described in the previous verse].”
kāmād dveṣād bhayāt snehād yathā bhaktyeśvare manaḥ |
āveśya tad-aghaṁ hitvā bahavas tad-gatiṁ gatāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.29)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] Having absorbed the mind in Īśvara out of amorous desire (kāma), enmity, fear, or affection, and [thereby] given up their sin, many have attained a destination related to him [i.e., Īśvara] as [some do so] by means of bhakti.”
kīṭaḥ peśaskṛtā ruddhaḥ kuḍyāyāṁ tam anusmaran |
saṁrambha-bhaya-yogena vindate tat-svarūpatām ||
evaṁ kṛṣṇe bhagavati māyā-manuja īśvare |
vaireṇa pūta-pāpmānas tam āpur anucintayā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.27–28)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] An insect captured by a potter wasp in its nest, constantly thinking of it by means of fury and fear, [eventually by virtue of being so absorbed in thought of it] attains an identity of form with it. Similarly, those who have been purified of sin by continuously thinking out of enmity of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, [he who is] Īśvara manifest by means of [his] māyā as a human, attain him.”
yathā vairānubandhena martyas tan-mayatām iyāt |
na tathā bhakti-yogena iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.1.26)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] As a mortal being can attain absorption in him [i.e., Bhagavān] through constant enmity, not so [can one] through bhakti-yoga. This is my certain opinion.”
tasmād vairānubandhena nirvaireṇa bhayena vā |
snehāt kāmena vā yuñjyāt kathañcin nekṣate pṛthak ||
(Śrīmad Bhaṅavatam: 7.1.25)
“[Nārada Ṛṣi to Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja:] Therefore, by constant enmity, by non-enmity, by fear, by affection, or by amorous desire, one can connect [the mind to Bhagavān] such that one does not see [anything] apart [from Bhagavān] by any means.”
ity evam upakāro’dya bhavatākāri me mahān |
tat te’smi parama-prīto nijābhīṣṭān varān vṛṇu ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.131)
[Śrī Bhagavān to Nārada:] “Thus in this way today [i.e., by reminding me of the gopīs] you have greatly favored me. Therefore, I am supremely pleased with you. Please choose your desired benedictions.”
mat-prīty-utpādana-vyagra śrī-nārada suhṛt-tama |
hitam evākṛtātyantaṁ bhavān me rasikottama ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.124)
[Śrī Bhagavān:] “O Nārada, O you who are eager to bring me pleasure, [and are thus] my dearest friend! You have indeed benefitted me to the highest degree, O very best of rasikas!”
