kuraṅga-mātaṅga-pataṅga-bhṛṅga-
mīnāḥ hatāḥ pañcabhir eva pañca |
ekaṁ pramādī sa kathaṁ na hanyate
yaḥ sevate pañcabhir eva pañca ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa: 1.115.21)
“The deer, elephant, moth, bee, and fish—these five are destroyed by the five [respective objects of the senses]. One is bewildering [i.e., just one sense object is greatly bewildering]. [Thus,] how is someone who partakes of all five not [sure to be] ruined by these five?”
viṣṇur eva hi yasyaiṣa devatā vaiṣṇavaḥ smṛtaḥ ||
(Liṅga Purāṇa; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.4)
“One whose devatā [i.e., cherished object of worship] is specifically Viṣṇu is known as a Vaiṣṇava [i.e., a bhakta of Viṣṇu].”
nirupādhi-prīti-parā sadṛśī sukha-duḥkhayoḥ |
vayasya-bhāvād anyonyaṁ hṛdaya-jñā sakhī bhavet ||
(Alaṅkāra-kaustubha: 5.157 (121))
“One who is endowed with unconditional prīti [for the nāyikā, her yūtheśvarī], is correlated in happiness and sorrow [with her yūtheśvarī], and, because of being a contemporary, has a mutual awareness of heart [with her yūtheśvarī] is a sakhī.”
prema-līlā-vihārāṇāṁ samyag vistārikā sakhī |
viśrambha-ratna-peṭī ca tataḥ suṣṭhu vivicyate ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 8.1)
“One who fully expands [i.e., makes known and enhances] the sport, play, and prema [of the nāyikā and nāyaka], and is a casket of the jewel of intimate confidence is [called] a sakhī. Thus, sakhīs will now be aptly described.”
siddha-rūpeṇa antaś-cintitābhīṣṭa-tat-sevopayogi-dehena … |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.295)
“The siddha-rūpa [i.e., siddha-deha] is an internally conceived body suitable for service to one’s desired object [i.e., Iṣṭa-devatā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa].”
vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ |
svādyatvaṁ hṛdi bhaktānām ānītā śravaṇādibhiḥ |
eṣā kṛṣṇa-ratiḥ sthāyī bhāvo bhakti-raso bhavet ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.5)
“This rati for Kṛṣṇa, the sthāyi-bhāva, brought into the state of taste-ability in the heart of bhaktas by vibhāvas, anubhāvas, sāttvikas [i.e., sāttvika-bhāvas], and vyabhicāris [i.e., vyabhicāri-bhāvas] through hearing and so forth, shall become bhakti-rasa.”
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ |
mahāśano mahāpāpmā viddhy enam iha vairiṇam ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 3.37)
“[In response to the question, ‘What causes a person to commit sin even against one’s will?’ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:] It is kāma, of raja-guṇa in origin, voracious, and greatly harmful, and it is [kāma’s transformation upon obstruction] anger. Know this [i.e., kāma] to be the enemy here [i.e., on the path to mokṣa].”
mitho harer mṛgākṣyāś ca sambhogasyādi-kāraṇam |
madhurāpara-paryāyā priyatākhyoditā ratiḥ |
asyāṁ kaṭākṣa-bhrū-kṣepa-priya-vāṇī-smitādayaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.5.36–37)
“The rati [of doe-eyed women, i.e., beautiful young women] that is the primary cause of mutual enjoyment [i.e., of the eight types of enjoyment beginning with mutual remembrance and sight] between Hari and doe-eyed women, wherein side-long glances, arching of the eyebrows, endearing speech, mild smiling, and so forth occur, is called priyatā [i.e., the rati of dearness, on account of it being the rati of priyās, that is, ladyloves—those who regard Hari with amorous dearness] and [is] synonymous with madhurā [i.e., sweetness; it is also known as madhurā-rati].”
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.”
satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ |
bhajaneṣu spṛhā bhaktir anarthāpagamas tataḥ ||
niṣṭhā rucir athāsaktī ratiḥ premātha darśanam |
harer mādhuryānubhava ity arthāḥ syuś caturdaśe ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.21)
“There are fourteen steps [mentioned in SB 1.2.16–21 to describe how a jīva in saṁsāra reaches the highest attainment]: (1) the grace of sādhus, (2) service to a great person, (3) śraddhā, (4) taking shelter at the feet of a guru, (5) desire for [engagement in] practices of bhakti (bhajana), (6) bhakti [i.e., engagement in sādhana-bhakti], (7) disappearance of anarthas, (8) niṣṭhā [i.e., fixity in the practice of bhakti], (9) ruci (taste), (10) āsakti (affinity), (11) rati [i.e., bhāva-bhakti], (12) prema (divine love), (13) darśana [i.e., direct perception of Bhagavān], and then (14) experience of his mādhurya (mellifluousness).”
