Sūkti Sudhākara

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte praviśati kurute dohanānnāśanādyāṁ

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte praviśati kurute dohanānnāśanādyāṁ
prātaḥ sāyaṁ ca līlāṁ viharati sakhibhiḥ saṅgave cārayan gāḥ |
madhyāhne cātha naktaṁ vilasati vipine rādhayāddhāparāhne
goṣṭhaṁ yāti pradoṣe ramayati suhṛdo yaḥ sa kṛṣṇo’vatān naḥ ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 1.4)

“At the end of night, from the kuñja he enters his homestead. In the early morning and evening, he performs līlās of milking [cows], eating food, and so forth. In the forenoon, he sports with friends while herding the cows. At midday and [mid-] night, he plays in full directly with Rādhā in the forest. In the afternoon, he returns to his homestead. In the evening, he delights his well-wishers. May he, Kṛṣṇa, protect us.”

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śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-bandhoś caraṇa-kamalayoḥ keśa-śeṣādy-agamyā

śrī-rādhā-prāṇa-bandhoś caraṇa-kamalayoḥ keśa-śeṣādy-agamyā
yā sādhyā prema-sevā vraja-carita-parair gāḍha-laulyaika-labhyā |
sā syāt prāptā yayā tāṁ prathayitum adhunā mānasīm asya sevāṁ
bhāvyāṁ rāgādhva-pānthair vrajam anucaritaṁ naityikaṁ tasya naumi ||
(Govinda-līlāmṛta: 1.3)

“The attainment of prema-sevā to the lotus feet of Śrī Rādhā’s Prāṇa-bandhu [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], which is incomprehensible to Brahmā, Śiva, Śeṣa, and others, and attainable only through intense hankering by those who are devoted to the conduct of [the gopīs’ of] Vraja—to now expound mental sevā to him, [which is] to be meditated upon by the followers of the path of rāga, by which this [attainment of prema-sevā] can be attained, I offer obeisance to his daily activity in Vraja.”

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taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā

taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā |
ekānta-bhaktyā ko vāñchet pāda-mūlaṁ vinā bahiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.55; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)

“Having propitiated you [i.e., Bhagavān], who are difficult to propitiate, through one-pointed bhakti, which is difficult to attain even for sādhus [i.e., jñānīs], who would desire an external [i.e., any form of happiness, such as that found in Svarga] in lieu of the soles of your feet?”

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man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru |
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.34)

“Be of mind fixed on me, [be] my bhakta, and [be] my worshipper. Offer obeisance to me. You will come to me alone, having engaged your self [i.e., the body and mind] in this way [in me] as one whose shelter is in me.”

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aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte

aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ |
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.14)

“Hearing and recounting the qualities of Murāri produces destruction of suffering completely, so how much more does attachment (rati), attained of its own accord, to service to the pollen of his lotus feet [produce]?”

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prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ |
sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.20)

“[Kapiladeva:] The wise know that strong attachment is an imperishable snare for the ātmā [i.e., a severe entanglement within saṁsāra]. That itself [i.e., strong attachment] related to sādhus [however] is an opened door to mokṣa.”

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tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā

tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
caturdhā mādhurī tasya vraja eva virājate |
aiśvarya-krīḍayor veṇos tathā śrī-vigrahasya ca ||
tatra aiśvaryasya—
kutrāpy aśruta-pūrveṇa madhuraiśvarya-rāśinā |
sevyamāno haris tatra vihāraṁ kurute vraje ||
krīḍāyāḥ yathā pādme—
caritaṁ kṛṣṇa-devasya sarvam evādbhutaṁ bhavet |
gopāla-līlās tatrāpi sarvato’timanoharā ||
śrī-bṛhad-vāmane—
santi yadyapi me prājyā līlās tās tā manoharāḥ |
na hi jāne smṛte rāse mano me kīdṛśaṁ bhavet ||
veṇoḥ, yathā—
yāvatī nikhile loke nādānām asti mādhurī |
tāvatī vaṁśikā-nāda-paramāṇau nimajjati ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
mohanaḥ ko’pi mantro vā padārtho vādbhutaḥ paraḥ |
śruti-peyo’yam ity uktvā yatrāmuhyaś chivādayaḥ ||
cara-sthāvarayoḥ sāndra-paramānanda-magnayoḥ ||
bhaved dharma-viparyāso yasmin dhvanati mohane ||
śrī-vigrahasya, yathā—
asamānordhva-mādhurya-taraṅgāmṛta-vāridhiḥ |
jaṅgama-sthāvarollāsi-rūpo gopendra-nandanaḥ ||
yathā tantre—
kandarpa-koṭy-arbuda-rūpa-śobhā-
nīrājya-pādābja-nakhāñcalasya |
kutrāpy adṛṣṭa-śruta-ramya-kānter
dhyānaṁ paraṁ nanda-sutasya vakṣye ||
(Laghu-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.520, 526–526, 530–533, 538–539)

“Even therein [i.e., even in regard to the three abodes—Gokula, Mathurā, and Dvārakā], his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] sweetness in Gokula is superior to all [i.e., to his sweetness in Mathurā and Dvārakā]. … Only in Vraja [i.e., Gokula] shines the fourfold sweetness of his power, play, flute, and beautiful figure. Regarding [his] power therein: ‘Being served by multitude of sweet powers unheard of before anywhere else, Hari sports there in Vraja.’ Regarding [his] play, as in Padma Purāṇa: ‘All of Kṛṣṇadeva’s activities can certainly be astonishing. Even among them, [however,] his līlās with the gopas and gopīs are the most charming of all [i.e., are more charming than his līlās as a king in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’ In Śrī Bṛhad Vāmana Purāna: ‘[Bhagavān:] Although I have many well-known charming līlās [e.g., the līlā of being tied around the belly by Yaśodā], when I remember the rāsa-līlā, I do not know what becomes of my mind.’ Regarding [his] flute, as follows: ‘All the sweetness of the sounds that exist throughout the entire world become engulfed in an atom of the sound of the flute. A reversal of the nature (dharma) of [all] mobile and stationary beings, who become absorbed in intense, paramount bliss, can occur when the enchanting flute resounds [i.e., mobile beings can become stationary, and stationary beings can become mobile].’ … Regarding [his] beautiful figure, as follows: ‘An ocean of nectar filled with waves of incomparable sweetness, the figure of the Son of the gopa’s king delights [all] mobile and stationary beings.’ As in the Tantra, ‘I will describe the supreme meditation on the Son of Nanda, the tips of the toenails of whose lotus feet are worthy of lustration by the beauty of the figures of crores and crores of Kandarpas [i.e., Kāmadevas], and whose pleasing luster is unseen and unheard of anywhere [else, i.e., including even in Mathurā and Dvārakā].’”

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māthuraṁ ca dvidhā prāhur gokulaṁ puram eva ca

māthuraṁ ca dvidhā prāhur gokulaṁ puram eva ca ||
yat tu goloka-nāma syāt tac ca gokula-vaibhavam |
sa goloko yathā brahma-saṁhitāyām iha śruteḥ ||
tad-ātma-vaibhavatvaṁ ca tasya tan-mahimonnateḥ ||
aho madhupurī dhanyā vaikuṇṭhāc ca garīyasī |
dinam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktiḥ prajāyate ||
ayodhyā mathurā māyā kāśī kāñcī avantikā |
purī dvāravatī caiva saptaitā mokṣa-dāyikāḥ ||
evaṁ sapta-purīṇāṁ tu sarvotkṛṣṭaṁ tu māthuram |
śrūyatāṁ mahimā devi vaikuṇṭha-bhuvanottamaḥ ||
iti dhāma-traye kṛṣṇo viharaty eva sarvadā ||
tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
(Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.497–498, 502–505, 519–520)

“‘Well, how can we consider Goloka a magnificence of Gokula?’ To this, the author speaks this verse (tad-ātma …, i.e., 502). Because of the elevation of Gokula’s greatness even in comparison to Goloka [Goloka is considered an expansion of Gokula]. This is the meaning. … By the word Vaikuṇṭha, the domain extending as far as [i.e., including] Goloka is to be understood because of its [i.e., Goloka’s] being its [i.e., Vaikuṇṭha’s] upper portion. [An objection is raised:] ‘Well, on account of the absence of it [i.e., Gokula] being above all, observance of return from there [i.e., rebirth after residing there], and seeing the suffering of old age and so forth in its present residents, it is not superior to Goloka.’ No, that is not so, (1) because of its [i.e., Gokula’s] being, like Hari [i.e., the Paramātmā], above all by virtue of inconceivable potency even while being situated in the midst of all, (2) because of the non-return [i.e., non-rebirth] from there of those who have performed sādhana and attained it, and (3) because of seeing suffering such as old age in its residents, like [seeing] the nature of a human boy in Hari, being a cause of fault. Furthermore, there is no deficiency [there], and, rather, there is certainly an express statement [i.e., the aforementioned verse cited from Padma Purāṇa] of superiority [i.e., of the superiority of Gokula above Goloka] that has also been cited by the revered author [i.e. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda].”

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tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ

tad evaṁ tasyāḥ śravaṇādi-rūpāyāḥ sākṣād-bhakteḥ sarva-vighna-nivāraṇa-pūrvaka-sākṣād-bhagavat-prema-phaladatve sthite parama-durlabhatve ca saty anya-kāmanayā ca nābhidheyatvam | … tan-mātra-kāmanāyāṁ ca bhakter evākiñcanatvam akāmatvaṁ ca saṁjñāpitam | … tatheyam evaikāntitety ucyate … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)

“Thus, when, in this way, direct (sākṣāt) bhakti in the form of hearing and so forth is established as first a remover of all obstacles and [then] a bestower of the goal of prema for Bhagavān himself, and as being supremely difficult [alt., rare] to attain, its not being the abhidheya [i.e., the means to attain the highest good enjoined by the śāstra for all beings] with another desire [i.e., when it is performed with a desire for anything other than prema for Bhagavān] is also [established]. … When [performed] out of desire only for that [i.e., for bhakti itself], bhakti is known as being akiñcanā [lit., ‘without anything’] and akāmā [lit., ‘without desire’]. … Similarly, it is called ekāntitā [lit., ‘one-pointed’].”

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