śāstreṣv iyān eva suniścito nṛṇāṁ
kṣemasya sadhryag-vimṛśeṣu hetuḥ |
asaṅga ātma-vyatirikta ātmani
dṛḍhā ratir brahmaṇi nirguṇe ca yā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.22.21)
“In the śāstras of united deliberation the means to well-being for human beings has been fully determined exactly to this extent: non-attachment to all that is not the Ātmā which is also [of the nature of] firm attachment to the unqualified, absolute Ātmā.”
teṣāṁ tu śokārti-bharaṁ kadāpi taṁ
paraiḥ prakārair anivartyam āptataḥ |
janāt sa vikhyāpya janeṣu sarvato
vrajaṁ priya-prema-vaśo’cirād gataḥ ||
vidagdha-mūrdhanya-maṇiḥ kṛpākulo
vraja-sthitānāṁ sa dadat sapady asūn |
tathā samaṁ tair vijahāra te yathā
visasmarur duḥkham adaḥ samūlakam ||
yadi ca ko’pi kadācid anusmared
vadati tarhi mayā śvapatā bata |
kim api duṣṭam ananvayam īkṣitaṁ
saruditaṁ ca bhayād bahu śocati ||
cireṇa gopāla-vihāra-mādhurī-
bharaiḥ samākṛṣṭa-vimohitendriyāḥ |
na sasmaruḥ kiñcid atītam eṣyad apy
amī vidur na vraja-vāsino janāḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.348–351)
“Making known among the people [i.e., the Yadus and others] everywhere through a credible person [such as Uddhava] that that [i.e., the ineffable] profusion of their [i.e., the people of Vraja‘s] sorrow and distress was inexorable by other means [i.e., by any means other than his returning to Vraja], he [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] without delay went to Vraja, being captivated by the prema of his dear ones [there]. He, the crest-jewel of the artful, overcome with compassion, immediately gave vital airs to the residents of Vraja [who had been as though without them in his absence]. He enjoyed with them such that they forgot that [i.e., the suffering of separation from him] along with its root [i.e., Akrūra’s coming to Vraja, his going to Mathurā, and so on]. And if ever anyone would remember [that separation from him or its suffering], then [in confusion or distress] one would say, ‘Bata! What sort of inauspicious inanity has been seen by me as I was dreaming [since Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s ever leaving Vraja is utterly impossible]!’ and grieve profusely with lamentation out of fear [thus demonstrating the manifest presence of the Vraja-vāsīs’ special, paramount prema verily in every respect]. These people residing in Vraja soon did not remember anything of the past [i.e., they soon lost all awareness of Kṛṣṇa’s ever having left Vraja] and did not think of the future [i.e., they never thought that he would leave again], their senses being fully attracted and engrossed by the profusion of sweetness of Gopāla’s play [there in Vraja with them].”
tathaiva kāliya-damaḥ punaḥ punas
tathaiva govardhana-dharaṇaṁ muhuḥ |
parāpi līlā vividhādbhutāsakṛt
pravartate bhakta-manoharā prabhoḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.356)
“So indeed the subduing of Kāliya occurs again and again. So indeed the lifting of Govardhana occurs repeatedly. Various other astonishing līlās of Prabhu captivating of the minds of bhaktas too take place repeatedly.”
yuvatīnāṁ yathā yūni yūnāṁ ca yuvatau yathā |
mano’bhiramate tadvan mano’bhiramatāṁ tvayi ||
(Padma Purāṇa: 6.128.258; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.437; Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.153; Bhakti Sandarbha: 217)
“As the minds of young ladies delight in a young man, and the minds of young men delight in a young lady, so may my mind delight in you.”
tat-tad-viśeṣo nirvācyo’nanta-śaktyāpi nāparaḥ |
mahārti-janake tasmin ko vā dhīmān pravartate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.6.191)
“Further detail about all of that is not effable even with Ananta’s [alt., endless] śakti. And what intelligent person pursues that which is a cause of great heartache?”
tava kṛṣṇa keli-muralī
hitam ahitaṁ ca sphuṭaṁ vimohayati |
ekaṁ sudhormi-suhṛdā
viṣa-viṣameṇāparaṁ dhvaninā ||
(Stava-mālā: Govinda-virudāvalī: 38)
“O Kṛṣṇa!
Your play-flute vividly bewilders
The well-disposed and the ill-disposed,
One [i.e., the well-disposed] with a sound
That is friendly like a wave of nectar [and causes one to faint out of bliss],
And the other [i.e., the ill-disposed] with a sound
That is dreadful like poison [and causes one to faint out of fear].”
sambhrāntaiḥ saṣaḍ-aṅga-pātam abhito vedair mudā vanditā
sīmantopari gauravād upaniṣad-devībhir apy arpitā |
ānamraṁ praṇavena ca praṇayato hṛṣṭātmanābhiṣṭutā
mṛdvī te muralī-rutir mura-ripo śarmāṇi nirmātu naḥ ||
(Stava-mālā: Govinda-virudāvalī: 37)
“Bowed to on all sides by the reverent Vedas
Accompanied by [their] six limbs,
Placed out of veneration atop the part [in the hair]
Even by the devīs of the Upaniṣads,
And highly praised out of admiration
By bowing praṇava [i.e., the syllable Om] with a rejoicing mind—
O Enemy of Mura—
May the gentle sound of your flute
Create delights for us.”
raṇati hare tava veṇau
nāryo danujāś ca kampitāḥ khinnāḥ |
vanam anapekṣita-dayitāḥ
karabālān projjhya dhāvanti ||
(Stava-mālā: Govinda-virudāvalī: 20)
“O Hari!
When your flute resounds,
Women [i.e., the gopīs] begin trembling and perspiring [out of love (rati)],
Become unaware of their husbands,
Drop the hair in their hands [they were braiding],
And run to the forest [to meet you];
Asuras also begin trembling and perspiring [out of fear of death],
Become unaware of their wives,
Drop the swords in their hands,
And run to the forest [to hide from you].”
buddhīnāṁ parimohanaḥ kila hriyām uccāṭanaḥ stambhano
dharmodagra-bhiyāṁ manaḥ-karaṭināṁ vaśyatva-niṣpādanaḥ |
kālindī-kalahaṁsa hanta vapuṣām ākarṣaṇaḥ subhruvāṁ
jīyād vaiṇava-pañcama-dhvanimayo mantrādhirājas tava ||
(Stava-mālā: Govinda-virudāvalī: 12)
“O Swan [i.e., O Frolicker] on the Kālindī!
Beguiling the thoughts,
Causing the abandonment of the shyness,
Paralyzing the mighty fear on account of dharma,
Accomplishing the subjugation of the elephant-like minds,
And drawing near the bodies
Of they of fine brows [i.e., the gopīs],
May the emperor of mantras
Constituted of the fifth note of your flute
Triumph!”
tava muralī-dhvanir amarī-
kāmāmbudhi-vṛddhi-śubhrāṁśuḥ |
acaṭula-gokula-kulajā-
dhariyāmbudhi-pāna-kumbhajo jayati ||
(Stava-mālā: Govinda-virudāvalī: 4)
“The sound of your flute—
The bright-rayed moon
For swelling the ocean
Of the ladies of Svarga’s desire,
The Agastya for drinking the ocean
Of the composure of the unwavering noble ladies of Gokula—
Triumphs!”
