anirvācyam anirbhinnam aparicchinnam avyayam |
brahmeva sujana-prema duḥkha-mūla-nikṛntanam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)
“Like Brahman, the prema of a virtuous person is indescribable, undivided [i.e., unbreakable], uninterrupted [i.e., everlasting], and imperishable, and it cuts out the [very] root of suffering.”
tad-eka-rasa-lokasya saṅge’bhivyaktatāṁ svataḥ |
prayāsyad api tad vastu gopanīyaṁ prayatnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.219)
“Even though that substance [i.e., that prema] will naturally become manifest in the association of a person whose only love is for that [prema], it should be kept hidden with effort.”
nidānaṁ tu paraṁ premṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇā-bharaḥ |
kasyāpy udety akasmād vā kasyacit sādhana-kramāt ||
yathodārān milaty annaṁ pākvaṁ vā pāka-sādhanam |
sādhakasyocyate śāstra-gatyāyaṁ sādhana-kramaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.215–216)
“But the primary cause of [such] prema is an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace. That manifests for some without cause and for some through a course of sādhanas, just as either cooked food or the ingredients for cooking come [to someone] from a generous person. This course of sādhanas for a sādhaka [through which an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace manifests] is [now going to be] described [by me] in accord with śāstra.”
ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir
brahmānando gurur api camatkārayaty eva tāvat |
yāvat premṇāṁ madhu-ripu-vaśīkāra-siddhauṣadhīnāṁ
gandho’py antaḥ-karaṇa-saraṇī-pānthatāṁ na prayāti ||
(Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka: 5.2; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 19.165)
“The pre-eminence of flourishing siddhis, samādhi attained by means of the dharma of truthfulness [cleanliness, austerity, and so forth], and even the greatness of the bliss of Brahman cause amazement only so long as even the fragrance of prema—the proven herb for captivating the Enemy of Mura [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]—does not become a traveller on the path of the antaḥkaraṇa [i.e., is not perceived by the mind].”
hariṁ vināṅga prīṇīhī3, idānīṁ duḥkham āpsyasi |
(Vṛtti on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 86)
“Well, try loving someone other than Hari! Now you will suffer.”
sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe |
yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ sa premā parikīrtitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.63)
“The bond of bhāva between a youthful couple that remains undestroyed under all circumstances, even in the presence of a cause for destruction, is proclaimed prema.”
yasya sphūrti-lavāṅkureṇa laghunāpy antar munīnāṁ manaḥ
spṛṣṭaṁ mokṣa-sukhād virajyati jhaṭity āsvādyamānād api |
premṇas tasya mukunda sāhasitayā śaknotu kaḥ prārthane
bhūyāj janmani janmani pracayinī kintu spṛhāpy atra me ||
(Stava-mālā: Aṣṭādaśa-cchanda, Vastra-haraṇa, 2)
“O Mukunda, who could have the capability to boldly pray for that prema upon being touched by even a tiny sprout of a minute manifestation of which the inner minds of sages immediately become disaffected from even the satisfaction of mokṣa they are relishing? [No one.] Birth after birth, however, let me just have [ever-] increasing desire for that [i.e., that prema].”
premā yo’sau rādhikā-kṛṣṇa-yugmaṁ
svānandena plāvayitvā sakhīś ca |
śaśvad viśvaṁ plāvayan suprasiddhaḥ
so’yaṁ buddhiṁ naḥ samiddhāṁ karotu ||
(Gopāla-campū: 15.10)
“That prema which has inundated the couple Rādhikā and Kṛṣṇa and the sakhīs with its own bliss and which continuously inundates the universe has become very well known. May this [prema] here inflame our mind.”
nanu nirupādhi-premāspadasya prītau parikaratvābhimāna upādhiḥ syāt | tato jñānātmikāṁ sāmānyāṁ ca prītim apekṣya tad-abhimāni-prītayo gauṇya eva syuḥ | kiṁ ca mamatāyāḥ prīti-hetutve jñāte ca yasyātmanaḥ sambandhāt prītir bhavet tasminn eva tad-ādhikyaṁ syāt | naivaṁ | śrī-bhagavato yena svabhāvenaivānubhūtenābhimāna-viśeṣaṁ vināpi teṣāṁ prītir udayate tenāpi parikarāṇām udayate | tathā nija-svabhāva-siddho vā tātkāliko vā yo’bhimāna-viśeṣas tenāpy udayate | samuccaye ko virodhaḥ | pratyutollāsa eva |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 92)
“[An objection is raised:] ’Well, in the case of prīti for an object of upādhi-free prema [i.e., in the case of prīti for Śrī Bhagavān, who is the object of prema that is free from upādhis, that is, adjuncts, meaning, conditions], the identity (abhimāna) of being a parikara [i.e., an associate of Bhagavān] shall [itself] be an upādhi. Thus, the prītis of bearers of identity (abhimāna) in relation to him [i.e., the identity of being a parikara of Bhagavān] shall definitively be secondary [i.e., inferior] in comparison to jñāna-constituted and generic prīti [i.e., to jñānātmikā-prīti and sāmānya-prīti]. Moreover, when my-ness’s (mamatā’s) being the cause of prīti is also understood [i.e., when my-ness in relation to Bhagavān is considered the cause of prīti for Bhagavān], [then] an exceedance of prīti shall occur specifically for the self (ātmā) on the basis of a relation with which prīti [for Bhagavān] shall occur [i.e., if prīti for Bhagavān is caused by my-ness, that is, a sense of something belonging to and being dear to oneself, then prīti for one’s self is the basis of prīti for Bhagavān and will also always be greater than any prīti for Bhagavān that one may have].’
“[In response, it should be said:] No, that is not so. Prīti is manifested in parikaras by the same perceived nature (svabhāva) of Śrī Bhagavān by which prīti is manifest in them [i.e., those possessed of jñānātmikā-prīti and sāmānya-prīti] even without a particular identity (abhimāna) [in relation to Śrī Bhagavān]. It is also similarly manifest by a particular identity (abhimāna), be it one established in one’s own nature (svabhāva) or existent [only] for a particular time [i.e., temporarily present in the mind of a parikara]. What contradiction is there in the aggregation [of these? Meaning, there is no contradiction in saying that prīti is manifested both by perception of Bhagavān’s nature (svabhāva) and manifested by a particular identity (abhimāna) in relation to Bhagavān because these two things are not mutually exclusive but rather mutually complementary and of the same nature since both are manifestations of Śrī Bhagavān’s own svarūpa-śakti]. Rather, there is simply elation (ullāsa) [i.e., the elation of prīti, alt., there is simply increase (ullāsa), meaning, prīti simply manifests to a greater degree when Bhagavān’s nature (svabhāva) is perceived by one who also has a sense of identity (abhimāna) in relation to Bhagavān that is also manifested by Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti].”
yadyapi śrī-kṛṣṇasya tādṛśa-bhāva-janakatvaṁ svabhāva eva tathāpy ādhāra-guṇam apy apekṣate svāty-ambuno muktādi-janakatvam iva |
(Prīti Sandarbha: 92)
“Although Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nature (svabhāva) itself is productive of such bhāva [i.e., mahābhāva], still it is dependent on the quality of the vessel [i.e., the Vraja-gopīs] as well like the water of Svāti’s productiveness of pearls and so forth [i.e., as water that falls during the presence the Svāti nakṣatra is said to have the power to produce pearls and other jewels yet such water requires that it fall upon and be held by an oyster or other specially qualified recipients to do so, so Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s nature as the power to produce mahābhāva yet it only does so when it is perceived by the gopīs of Vraja, that is, they alone in whom the qualities necessary for mahābhāva to manifest are present].”
