Śravaṇa – Page 5 – Anuśīlana.in

sudhānām cāndrīṇāṁ mādhurīmonmāda-damanī

sudhānām cāndrīṇāṁ mādhurīmonmāda-damanī
dadhānā rādhādi-praṇaya-ghana-sāraiḥ surabhitām |
samantāt santāpodgama-viṣama-saṁsāra-saraṇī-
praṇītāṁ te tṛṣṇāṁ haratu hari-līlā-śikhariṇī ||
(Vidagdha-mādhava: 1.1)

“Bearing the fragrance of the camphor of Rādhā and others’ love, may the śikhariṇī of Hari’s līlā, the subduer of the pride of the sweetness of the moon’s nectars, completely remove your thirst arising from [travelling along] the rugged, distressing path of saṁsāra [just as śikhariṇī subdues the mania produced by an excess of vāta and aches produced by an excess of pitta].”

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yat tūttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādaḥ

yat tūttamaḥ-śloka-guṇānuvādaḥ
saṅgīyate’bhīkṣṇam amaṅgala-ghnaḥ |
tam eva nityaṁ śṛṇuyād abhīkṣṇaṁ
kṛṣṇe’malāṁ bhaktim abhīpsamānaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.3.15)

“… Whereas one who is desirous of pure bhakti to Kṛṣṇa should always repeatedly hear only narration of the qualities of he of highest praise [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣnā], which is sung repeatedly and destroys all inauspiciousness.”

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vayaṁ dhanyatamā loke guro’pi kṣatra-bandhavaḥ

vayaṁ dhanyatamā loke guro’pi kṣatra-bandhavaḥ |
vayaṁ pibāmo muhus tvattaḥ puṇyaṁ kṛṣṇa-kathāmṛtam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.12.43)

[Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Śukadeva Gosvāmī:] “O guru, although we are [just] relatives of kṣatriyas [i.e., we are the lowest of kṣatriyas], we are the most fortunate in the world, for we are drinking repeatedly the pure nectar of Kṛṣṇa-kathā from you.”

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vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ

vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ
śraddhānvito’nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ |
bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ
hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.33.39)

“One endowed with śraddhā who shall hear about or describe this extraordinary play and so forth of Viṣṇu with the ladies of Vraja attains superlative bhakti to Bhagavān, quickly casts off the heart disease of kāma, and without delay becomes steadfast.”

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śruti-pramāṇo dharmo hi

śruti-pramāṇo dharmo hi vṛddhānām iti bhāṣitam |
sūkṣmā gatir hi dharmasya bahu-śākhā hy anantikā ||
(Mahābhārata: 3.200.2)

“The means of knowing (pramāṇa [of]) dharma is hearing [i.e., learning from those who understand it], and [in regard to dharma] there is a saying of the wise: ‘The course of dharma is subtle, many-branched, and without end.’”

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sad-guroḥ sakāśād

sad-guroḥ sakāśād vedāntādy-akhila-śāstrārtha-vicāra-śravaṇa-dvārā yadi sā āvaśyaka-parama-kartavyatvena jñāyate, punaś ca … yadi viparīta-bhāvanā-tyājakau manana-yogyatā-mananābhiniveśau syātāṁ, tataḥ śraddadhānaiś ca sā bhaktir upāsana-dvārā labhyate |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 7)

“If, through hearing deliberation upon the meaning of all the śāstras beginning with Vedānta from a sad-guru, that [i.e., bhakti] is understood to be the supreme necessary duty, and furthermore … if they [i.e., listeners] develop capability for contemplation, and absorption in contemplation, which dispel contradictory notions, then that, bhakti, is attainable through upāsana by those endowed with śraddhā.”

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pibanti ye bhagavata ātmanaḥ satāṁ

pibanti ye bhagavata ātmanaḥ satāṁ
kathāmṛtaṁ śravaṇa-puṭeṣu sambhṛtam |
punanti te viṣaya-vidūṣitāśayaṁ
vrajanti tac-caraṇa-saroruhāntikam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.37; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.441; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.3.124; Paramātma Sandarbha: 108; Bhakti Sandarbha: 30, 86)

“Those who drink, held in the cups of their ears, the nectar of kathā about Bhagavān, the Ātmā of the sādhus, purify their hearts contaminated by viṣaya and reach the presence of his lotus feet.”

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śrutaḥ saṅkīrtito dhyātaḥ

śrutaḥ saṅkīrtito dhyātaḥ pūjitaś cādṛto’pi vā |
nṛṇāṁ dhunoti bhagavān hṛt-stho janmāyatāśubham ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 12.3.46)

“When heard about, highly praised, meditated upon, worshipped, or even honored, Bhagavān, situated in the heart, removes ten-thousand births of human beings’ inauspiciousness.”

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yebā nāhi bujhe keha

yebā nāhi bujhe keha śunite śunite seha
ki adbhuta caitanya-carita |
kṛṣṇe upajibe prīti jānibe rasera rīti
śunilei baḍa haya hita ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.2.87)

“How wonderful! By continuously hearing about Caitanya’s līlā, even someone who does not understand it will develop prīti for Kṛṣṇa and understand the way of rasa. Simply by listening, such great benefit occurs!”

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gaura-kathā payorāśī

gaura-kathā payorāśī kṛṣṇa-dāsa tāhe bhāsi
āniyāche amṛtera dhāra |
sei kāvya-sudhā pāne vaiṣṇava śītala prāṇe
āra pite cāhe bāra bāra ||
(Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura)

“After floating out into the milk reservoir of discussion of Gaura, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa has brought back a stream of nectar. By drinking the nectar of this poetry, Vaiṣṇavas’ hearts are cooled, and they desire to drink more again and again.”

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