Sūkti Sudhākara

namo brāhmaṇa-rūpāya nija-bhakta-svarūpiṇe

namo brāhmaṇa-rūpāya nija-bhakta-svarūpiṇe |
namaḥ pippala-rūpāya go-rūpāya namo’stu te ||
nānā-tīrtha-svarūpāya namo nanda-kiśora he |
sarvadā loka-rakṣārtha-rūpa-pañcaka-dhāriṇe ||
(Kṛṣṇa-līlā-stava: 407–408 (105))

“Obeisance unto you in the form of the brāhmaṇa,
And unto you in the form of your own bhakta.
Obeisance unto you in the form of the sacred fig tree.
May my obeisance be [offered] unto you in the form of the cow.
Obeisance unto you in the form of various holy places.
O Adolescent Son of Nanda!
[Obeisance] Unto you who always assume these five forms
For the sake of protecting the world.”

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śrī-bhāgavata-nidhy-arthā ṭīkā-dṛṣṭir adāyi yaiḥ

śrī-bhāgavata-nidhy-arthā ṭīkā-dṛṣṭir adāyi yaiḥ |
śrīdhara-svāmipādāṁs tān vande bhakty-eka-rakṣakān ||
svāmi-pādair na yad vyaktaṁ yad vyaktaṁ cāsphuṭaṁ kvacit |
tatra tatra ca vijñeyaḥ sandarbhaḥ krama-nāmakaḥ ||
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.1)

“I offer obeisance unto him, Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda, the sole guardian of bhakti, by whom was given the vision of his commentary on the treasure Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. This sandarbha [i.e., treatise on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam] known as Krama [i.e., this Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā] is to be understood [to apply] in regard to what was not explained by Svāmīpāda and sometimes to what was explained unclearly [by him in his Bhāvārtha-dīpikā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam].”

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tulā-puruṣa-dānādyair aśvamedhādibhir makhaiḥ

tulā-puruṣa-dānādyair aśvamedhādibhir makhaiḥ |
vārāṇasī-prayāgādi-tīrtha-snānādibhiḥ priye ||
gayā-śrāddhādibhiḥ pitryair veda-pāṭhādibhir japaiḥ |
tapobhir ugrair niyamair yamair bhūta-dayādibhiḥ ||
guru-śuśrūṣaṇaiḥ satyair dharmair varṇāśramānvitaiḥ |
jñāna-dhyānādibhiḥ samyak-caritair janma-koṭibhiḥ ||
na yānti tat paraṁ śreyo viṣṇuṁ sarveśvareśvaram |
sarva-bhāvair anāśritya purāṇaṁ puruṣottamam ||
(Padma Purāṇa; Nārada Pañcarātra: 4.2.17–20; cited in the Dig-darśinī-ṭikā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.118)

“[Mahādeva to Parvatī:] O dear one, by means of crores of births of righteous conduct—[the giving of] charities such as that equal to the person [i.e., the charity of giving away an amount of gold equal to the weight of one’s body], [conducting] sacrifices like the horse-sacrifice, bathing and so on at tīrthas like Vārāṇasī and Prayāga, [performances of] rites for the forefathers like [an offering of] last rights at Gayā, recitation and so forth of Vedas, japas [i.e., performing japa of various mantras], severe austerities, regulations, restrictions, [showing] compassion and the like towards other living beings, [performing] services to the guru, [observing] noble duties based on one’s varṇa and āśrama, [acquiring] knowledge, [performing] meditation, and so on—one does not attain the supreme weal, Viṣṇu, the Īśvara of all īśvaras, without taking shelter in [him] the primeval Supreme Person with all of one’s manners of being [i.e., with the totality of one’s self].”

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subhāṣitaṁ hāri viśaty adho galān

subhāṣitaṁ hāri viśaty adho galān
na durjanasyārka-ripor ivāmṛtam |
tad eva dhatte hṛdayena saj-jano
harir mahāratnam ivātinirmalam ||
(Kādambarī: 7)

“A captivating subhāṣita [‘fine statement’] does not enter
Farther than the throat of a wicked person,
Just as ambrosia [does not enter
Farther than the throat] of Rāhu.
A wise person holds that specifically [i.e., a captivating subhāṣita] with the heart,
Just as Hari [holds with his heart] the supreme, exceedingly taintless jewel [i.e., the Kaustubha].”

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kaṭu kvaṇanto maladāyakāḥ khalās

kaṭu kvaṇanto maladāyakāḥ khalās
tudanty alaṁ bandhana-śṛṅkhalā iva |
manas tu sādhu-dhvanibhiḥ pade pade
haranti santo maṇi-nūpurā iva ||
(Kādambarī: 6)

“The wicked, like shackles,
Sound strident, wound severely, and leave marks.
On the contrary,
The good, like jeweled anklets,
At every step [alt., with every word],
Captivate the mind with excellent sounds [alt., implied meanings].”

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śāstrera nā jāne marma adhyāpanā kare

śāstrera nā jāne marma adhyāpanā kare |
gardabhera prāya yena śāstra vahi mare ||
paḍhiyā śuniñā loka gela chārakhāre |
kṛṣṇa mahāmahotsave vañcila tāhāre ||
(Caitanya-bhāgavata: 2.1.158–159)

“One who does not know the purport of the śāstra yet teaches [śāstra to others only] bears the śāstra and languishes like a donkey [i.e., as a beast of burden suffers from bearing a load without ever experiencing the benefit the goods it carries can provide, such as the fragrance that can be released from a load of sandalwood it carries, so someone who teaches the śāstra but does not understand its purport only undergoes the trouble of studying and teaching without experiencing the benefit that the knowledge meant to be conveyed by the śāstra can produce, that is, the superlative joy of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti].[Even] After hearing and studying [the śāstra], the person [who teaches the śāstra without understanding its purport] is laid to waste. Kṛṣṇa deprives them of the ultimate grand festival [i.e., the superlative joy of discussion, realization, and so forth of himself].”

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kṛṣṇa sei satya kare, yei māge bhṛtya

kṛṣṇa sei satya kare, yei māge bhṛtya |
bhṛtya-vāñchā-pūrti-vinu nāhi anya kṛtya ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.168)

“Kṛṣṇa manifests that which [his] servants ask for. He has no task other than fulfilling [his] servants’ desires.”

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manaḥ-saṁharaṇaṁ śaucaṁ maunaṁ mantrārtha-cintanam

manaḥ-saṁharaṇaṁ śaucaṁ maunaṁ mantrārtha-cintanam |
avyagratvam anirvedo japa-sampatti-hetavaḥ ||
(Mantrārṇava; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 17.129)

“Retraction of the mind [from objects of the senses], purity, silence, contemplation of the mantra’s meaning, non-agitation [i.e., steadiness], and non-dejection [i.e., perseverance, sustained enthusiasm] are causes of success in japa.”

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mano-madhye sthito mantro mantra-madhye sthitaṁ manaḥ

mano-madhye sthito mantro mantra-madhye sthitaṁ manaḥ |
mano-mantraṁ samāyuktam etad dhi japa-lakṣaṇam ||
(Dhyānacandra Gosvāmī’s Gaura-Govindārcana-smaraṇa-paddhatiḥ: 64)

“The mantra is fixed in the mind.
The mind is fixed in the mantra.
The mind and mantra aptly united—
This indeed is the characteristic of [successful] japa.”

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āraṇya-veśo vicalat-kadamba

āraṇya-veśo vicalat-kadamba-
mālāvataṁsāmbara-bārha-mauliḥ |
saurabhya-saṁvāsita-dik-taṭānto
līlā-smita-śrī-vikasan-mukhābjaḥ ||
kṛpāvalokollasad-īkṣaṇāmbujo
vicitra-saundarya-bharaika-bhūṣaṇaḥ |
go-dhūlikālaṅkṛta-cañcalālaka-
śreṇy-āvṛti-vyagra-karāmbujāṅguliḥ ||
dharā-tala-śrī-bhara-dāna-hetunā
bhūmi-spṛśor nṛtya-vilāsa-gāminoḥ |
sujātayoḥ śrī-pada-padmayor javad-
uccālanollāsa-bharair manoharaḥ ||
kaiśora-mādhurya-bharollasac-chrī-
gātrābhra-kānty-ujjvalitākhilāśaḥ |
tatratya-nitya-priya-loka-citta-
grāhyādbhutāneka-mahattva-sindhuḥ ||
sva-dīna-loka-priyatā-niyantrito
balād athotplutya samīpam āgataḥ |
tad-īkṣaṇa-prema-vimohitaṁ hi māṁ
gale gṛhitvā sahasāpatad bhuvi ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.56–60)

“With forest garb,
Kadamba garland, earrings, and peacock feather crest swaying,
The extremes of the directions
Fully scented with his fragrance,
Lotus face blossoming
With the splendor of a mild, playful smile,
Lotus eyes beaming with a glance of grace,
An abundance of variegated beauty
As his preeminent ornament,
The fingers of his lotus hand eagerly engaged
In retaining his locks
That had become decorated
With the dust raised by the cows,
Captivating the heart
With abundances of elation—
The high steps of his superb, blessed lotus feet
Moving with the joviality of dance
And touching the earth
For the sake of granting an abundance of blessedness
Upon the earth’s surface—
All directions illuminated
By the cloud-like luster of his blessed figure
Shining with an abundance of the sweetness of adolescence,
An ocean of numerous, astonishing greatnesses
Constantly perceptible to the minds
Of his dear ones present there [i.e., in Goloka],
And controlled by his fondness [i.e., prema]
For this humble person of his own [i.e., me (Gopa Kumāra)],
He then,
Forcibly jumping,
Came near me—
I who was overwhelmed with prema
Just by the sight of him—
Grabbed hold of my neck,
And suddenly [i.e., unintentionally] fell to the ground.”

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