bhajāmi rādhām aravinda-netrāṁ
smarāmi rādhāṁ madhura-smitāsyām |
vadāmi rādhāṁ karuṇā-bharārdrāṁ
tato mamānyāsti gatir na kāpi ||
(Stavāvalī: Viśākhānandābhidha-stotram, 131)
“I worship Rādhā of lotus eyes. I meditate on Rādhā of sweet smiling face. I speak of Rādhā, melted [at heart] with an abundance of compassion. I have no object other than her whatsoever.”
dhyāyaṁs taṁ śikhi-piccha-maulim aniśaṁ tan-nāma saṅkīrtayan
nityaṁ tac-caraṇāmbujaṁ paricaraṁs tan-mantra-varyaṁ japan |
śrī-rādhā-pada-dāsyam eva paramābhīṣṭaṁ hṛdā dhārayan
karhi syāṁ tad-anugraheṇa paramodbhutānurāgotsavaḥ ||
(Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi: 259)
“I meditate on he who wears a peacock feather tiara, incessantly chant his name, daily serve his lotus feet, and repeat his supreme mantra, holding at heart my supreme object of desire, the service of Śrī Rādhā’s lotus feet. When will the supremely wonderful festival of divine love arise [in my heart] by his grace?”
prema-bhaktau yadi śraddhā mat-prasādaṁ yadīcchasi |
tadā nārada bhāvena rādhāyārādhako bhava ||
(Bhaviṣyottara Purāṇa; cited in Gaura-govindārcana-smaraṇa-paddhati: 189)
[Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] “O Nārada, if you have śraddhā in prema-bhakti and you desire my grace, then with bhāva become a worshiper of Rādhā.”
hā devi kāku-bhara-gadgadayādya vācā
yāce nipatya bhuvi daṇḍavad udbhaṭārtiḥ |
asya prasādam abudhasya janasya kṛtvā
gāndharvike nija-gaṇe gaṇanāṁ vidhehi ||
(Stava-mālā: Gāndharvā-prārthanāṣṭakam, 2)
“Hā! O Devī! Today, filled with intense heartache, I fall prostrate in obeisance on the ground [before you] and pray [to you] with a faltering voice filled with sorrow: O Gāndharvikā! Please bestow your grace upon this foolish fellow and count him within your own retinue.”
apāra-karuṇā-pūra-pūritāntar-mano-hrade |
prasīdāsmin jane devi nija-dāsya-spṛhā-juṣi ||
(Stava-mālā: Cāṭu-puṣpāñjali, 17)
“O you the deep lake of whose inner heart is filled with a boundless flood of compassion! O Devī! Please be gracious to this person, who cherishes longing for your service.”
tvām asau yācate natvā viluṭhan yamunā-taṭe |
kākubhir vyākula-svānto jano vṛndāvaneśvari ||
kṛtāgaske’py ayogye’pi jane’smin kumatāv api |
dāsya-dāna-pradānasya lavam apy upapādaya ||
yuktas tvayā jano naiva duḥkhito’yam upekṣitum |
kṛpā-dyota-dravac-citta-navanītāsi yat sadā ||
(Stava-mālā: Prārthanā-paddhati, 5–7)
“Offering obeisance to you,
And rolling about on the bank of the Yamunā,
This person of agitated heart,
Begs with cries of sorrow,
O Vṛndāvaneśvarī!
Although a transgressor,
Although unfit,
And although foul-minded,
Please bestow upon this person
Just a tiny portion of the gift
Of a share of [your] service.
It is not proper for this sorrowful person
To be neglected by you,
For the fresh butter of your heart
Is always melting under the sunshine of your grace.”
tvāṁ natvā yācate dhṛtvā tṛṇaṁ dantair ayaṁ janaḥ |
sva-dāsyāmṛta-sekena jīvayāmuṁ suduḥkhitam ||
na muñcec charaṇāyātam api duṣṭaṁ dayāmayaḥ |
ato gāndharvike hā hā muñcainaṁ naiva tādṛśam ||
(Stavāvalī: Premambodha-maranda-stava-rāja, 10–11)
“Bowing to you, holding straw between his teeth, this person is begging: ‘By sprinkling the nectar of your own service, please give life to this most sorrowful one.’ One who is gracious should not reject even a depraved person who has sought shelter. Therefore, O Gāndharvikā! Hā! Hā! Please do not ever reject [even] someone such as this.”
bhavatīm abhivādya cāṭubhir
varam ūrjeśvari varyam arthaye |
bhavadīyatayā kṛpāṁ yathā
mayi kuryād adhikāṁ bakāntakaḥ ||
(Stava-mālā: Utkalikā-vallariḥ, 20)
“O Ūrjeśvarī [i.e., O Rādhā, presiding goddess over Kārtika], I salute you, and with endearing words I pray for this finest benediction: may Bakāntaka [i..e, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the killer of Bakāsura], bestow greater grace upon me on account of [my] being your own.”
āśā-bharair amṛta-sindhu-mayaiḥ kathañcit
kālo mayātigamitaḥ kila sāmprataṁ hi |
tvaṁ cet kṛpāṁ mayi vidhāsyasi naiva kiṁ me
prāṇair vrajena ca varoru bakāriṇāpi ||
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali: 102)
“Filled with an abundance of hope—an ocean of nectar, somehow or other I have passed the time. If you do not bestow your grace upon me now, then what is the use of my life, or Vraja, or even that Enemy of Baka?”
pādābjayos tava vinā vara-dāsyam eva
nānyat kadāpi samaye kila devi yāce |
sakhyāya te mama namo’stu namo’stu nityaṁ
dāsyāya te mama raso’stu raso’stu satyam ||
(Vilāpa-kusumāñjali: 16)
“O Devī! Certainly I never pray at any time for anything other than the finest servitude unto your lotus feet. May my obeisance be offered, may my obeisance be offered forever, unto to friendship with you, and may my loving attachment be, may my loving attachment forever be to servitude unto you. This is my vow.”
