Pārṣadas

ete na vaikuṇṭha-nivāsi-pārṣadā

ete na vaikuṇṭha-nivāsi-pārṣadā
no vānarās te na ca yādavā api |
goloka-lokā bhavad-eka-jīvanā
naśyanty aśakyā bhagavan mayāvitum ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.238)

“[Śrī Baladeva appeals to Śrī Kṛṣṇa as he remains bound within the coils of the serpent Kālīya:] These are neither associates residing in Vaikuṇṭha, nor the forest monkeys, nor even the Yādavas. The people of Goloka, they whose life is you alone, are dying, and are unable to be saved by me, O Bhagavān!”

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premodreka-parīpāka-mahimā kena varṇyatām

premodreka-parīpāka-mahimā kena varṇyatām |
yaḥ kuryāt parameśaṁ taṁ sad-bandhum iva laukikam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.75)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] By whom can be described the greatness of the complete maturation of an abundance of prema which can make him, the Supreme Īśa, [act] like an excellent kinsmen (bandhu) of the world?

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yal-līlānubhavenāyaṁ bhramaḥ syān mādṛśām api

yal-līlānubhavenāyaṁ bhramaḥ syān mādṛśām api |
vaikuṇṭha-dvārakāyaṁ kiṁ martye vartāmahe’thavā ||
yuktaṁ tad ekā prabhu-pāda-padmayoḥ
sa-prema-bhaktir bhavatām apekṣitā |
bhakta-priyasyāsya ca bhakta-kāmita-
prapūraṇaṁ kevalam iṣṭam uttamam ||
vaikuṇṭha-vāsocitam īhitaṁ na vo
no martya-loka-sthiti-yogyam apy ataḥ |
aiśvarya-yogyaṁ na hi loka-bandhutā-
yuktaṁ ca tasyāpi bhaved apekṣitam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.71–73)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] ‘Are we present in the Dvārakā in Vaikuṇṭha or [the Dvārakā] in the mortal world?’ That līlā by experience of which this confusion [that was just described] can occur even for those like myself is befitting [for Prabhu, that is, Śrī Bhagavān, and his bhaktas like you]. Only bhakti [endowed] with prema for the lotus feet of Prabhu is regarded by you all [i.e., by bhaktas such as yourself], and only completely fulfilling the desired ends of bhaktas is the ultimate desired object of [Prabhu,] he to whom bhaktas are dear. Thus, activity neither suited to residence in Vaikuṇṭha, nor suited to residence in the mortal plane, nor suited to aiśvarya, or nor suited to being a kinsman (bandhu) [of people] in the [mortal] world shall be regarded by you all or by him.”

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aho bhagavato līlā-mādhurya-mahimādbhutaḥ

aho bhagavato līlā-mādhurya-mahimādbhutaḥ |
tad-eka-niṣṭhā-gāmbhīryaṁ sevakānāṁ ca tādṛśam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.69)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Aho! The wonder of the greatness of the mādhurya of Bhagavān’s līlā! [And] The depth of the one-pointed fixity upon him of his servants is like that as well!”

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vraja-bhūmāv ayaṁ jātas tasyāṁ gopatvam ācarat

vraja-bhūmāv ayaṁ jātas tasyāṁ gopatvam ācarat |
gopālopāsanā-niṣṭho viśiṣṭo’sman mahāśayaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.62)

“[Śrī Uddhava along with Śrī Nārada to Gopa Kumāra:] He was born in the land of Vraja, he has engaged in cowherding (gopatva) there, and he has fixity in worship (upāsanā) of Gopāla. This great soul is superior to us.”

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etāvatālaṁ viśvātman sarva-sampat-samṛddhaye

etāvatālaṁ viśvātman sarva-sampat-samṛddhaye |
asmin loke’tha vāmuṣmin puṁsas tvat-toṣa-kāraṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.81.11)

“[Queen Rukmiṇī to Śrī Kṛṣṇa after he partook of the first handful of the rice brought by Sudāmā Vipra:] ‘There is no need of this much [i.e., of eating the second handful]. O you who are the Self of the universe, the means of your satisfaction leads to the increase of all types of fortune for a person in this world and the next.”

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padaṁ dūrataraṁ tad vai tat-sukhānubhavas tathā

padaṁ dūrataraṁ tad vai tat-sukhānubhavas tathā |
tat-sādhanam api prārthyam asmākam api durghaṭam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.61)

“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Indeed that very far off abode [i.e., Goloka], the experience of the bliss there, and even the means of attainment (sādhana) of that, is to be prayed for and [is] difficult to attain even for us.”

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uddhavāyam aho gopa-putro govardhanodbhavaḥ

uddhavāyam aho gopa-putro govardhanodbhavaḥ |
mādṛśāṁ tvādṛśānāṁ ca mṛgyan vastu sudurlabham ||
itas tato bhraman vyagraḥ kadācid api kutracit |
nātikramati cittāntarlagnaṁ taṁ śokam ārtidam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.58–59)

“[Śrī Nārada of Gopa Kumāra:] Aho! Uddhava! This son of a cowherd born in Govardhana, restless and wandering here and there searching for an object most difficult to attain [i.e., completely unattainable] for those like me [i.e., bhaktas of Śrī Bhagavān] and those like you [i.e., friends of Śrī Bhagavān], never anywhere overcomes that sorrow fixed in his heart that causes it to ache.”

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atha parikarāṇām api bhāveṣu tāratamyaṁ vivecanīyaṁ

atha parikarāṇām api bhāveṣu tāratamyaṁ vivecanīyaṁ, yeṣāṁ bhagavattaivopajīvyā | tatra bhagavattā tāvat sāmānyato dvividhaiva—paramaiśvarya-rūpā parama-mādhurya-rūpā ceti | aiśvaryaṁ prabhutā | mādhuryaṁ nāma ca śīla-guṇa-rūpa-vayo-līlānāṁ sambandha-viśeṣāṇāṁ ca manoharatvaṁ, paramatvaṁ ca cāsamordhvatvam | atha bhaktādi-catur-vidhāḥ parikarāpi dvividhāḥ | paramaiśvaryānubhava-pradhānāḥ parama-mādhuryānubhava-pradhānāś ca | tatraiśvarya-mātrasya sādhvasa-sambhrama-gaurava-buddhi-janakatvaṁ mādhurya-mātrasya prīti-janakatvam iti sarvānubhava-siddham eva | tatas tatraiśvarya-mādhuryayoḥ paramatvam iti tābhyāṁ yathāsaṅkhyaṁ sādhvasādīnāṁ prīteś ca paramatvam eva syāt |
(Excerpt from Prīti Sandarbha: 97)

“Now, the gradation among the bhāvas of even the parikaras (associates) [of Śrī Bhagavān], whose sole sustenance is Bhagavattā [i.e., the Bhagavān aspect of Bhagavān—the myriad of characteristics what constitute the essential nature of Bhagavān, as opposed to the Brahman aspect (Brahmatva) of Bhagavān], is to be deliberated upon. In that regard, Bhagavattā is in general only of two types: that the form of which is paramount aiśvarya (paramaiśvarya) and that the form of which is paramount mādhurya (parama-mādhurya). Aiśvarya refers to powerfulness (prabhutā), and mādhurya refers to charmingness [lit., ‘being captivating to the mind’] of disposition, qualities, figure, age, and līlā, as well as of specific relations [i.e., of forms of relationship]. [The aforementioned] ‘Paramountness’ (paramatva) [of the aiśvarya and the mādhurya of Bhagavān’s Bhagavattā], furthermore, refers to [their] being unequaled and unsurpassed (asamordhvatva) [by any other feature of Śrī Bhagavān, much less by any feature of any other entity subordinate to him].
“Now, parikaras too, who are of four types beginning with bhaktas [i.e., those whose principal rati is dāsya and so forth], are also of two [general] types: those in whom experience of paramount aiśvarya is predominant (paramaiśvaryānubhava-pradhāna) and those in whom experience of paramount mādhurya is predominant (mādhuryānubhava-pradhāna). In this regard, only aiśvarya’s being productive of alarm (sādhavasa), reverential excitement (sambhrama), and a sense of superiority (gaurava-buddhi), and only mādhurya’s being productive of prīti, is certainly established by the experience of everyone. Thus, there is the paramountness (paramatva) of the aiśvarya and the mādhurya [of Śrī Bhagavān’s Bhagavattā] in this regard [i.e., such paramountness is also to be considered present in the nature of Śrī Bhagavān], and the definitive paramountness of alarm and so forth and of prīti [that bhaktas experience in response to Śrī Bhagavān’s Bhagavattā] shall come about respectively because of these two [i.e., because of the paramount aiśvarya and the paramount mādhurya in Śrī Bhagavān’s Bhagavattā].”

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