etan mahākhyāna-varaṁ mahāhareḥ
kāruṇya-sārālaya-niścayārthakam |
yaḥ śraddhayā saṁśrayate kathañcana
prāpnoti tat-prema tathaiva so’py aram ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.160)
“Even one who somehow
Aptly honors with śraddhā
This excellent epic—
The aim of which is determination
Of the vessel of the essence
Of the grace of Great Hari—
Swiftly attains prema for him
Just so.”
tāsāṁ nāthaṁ ballavīnāṁ sametaṁ
tābhiḥ premṇā saṁśrayantī yathoktam |
mātaḥ satyaṁ tat-prasādān mahattvaṁ
tāsāṁ jñātuṁ śakṣyasi tvaṁ ca kiñcit ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.159)
“By taking full shelter with prema [i.e., by becoming fully absorbed in sevā with prema] of the gopīs and their Nātha together with them as described [i.e., without transgressing the rules regarding upāsanā described in śāstra], I promise that you too will be able to understand something of their [i.e., the gopīs’] greatness by their [i.e., the gopīs’ and their Nātha’s] grace [i.e., even though their greatness is indescribable].”
aho kṛṣṇa-rasāviṣṭaḥ sadā nāmāni kīrtayet |
kṛṣṇasya tat-priyāṇāñ ca bhaiṣmyādīnāṁ gurur mama ||
gopīnāṁ vitatādbhuta-sphuṭatara-premānalārciśchaṭā-
dagdhānāṁ kila nāma-kīrtana-kṛtāt tāsāṁ viśeṣāt smṛteḥ |
tat-tīkṣṇa-jvalanocchikhāgra-kaṇikāsparśena sadyo mahā-
vaikalyaṁ sa bhajan kadāpi na mukhe nāmāni kartuṁ prabhuḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.157–158)
“Aho! My guru [i.e., Śukadeva Gosvāmī], absorbed in Kṛṣṇa-rasa, can continuously chant the names of Kṛṣṇa and his dear ones beginning with Rukmiṇī. [My] Prabhu [however] can never pronounce with his mouth the names of the gopīs, who are burned by the myriad of flames of the fire of their profuse, astonishing, full-blown prema because he immediately becomes greatly overwhelmed by the touch of the sparks from the tips of the high flames of that searing fire by performing kīrtan of their names and thus remembering them in particular.”
tvadīyās tāḥ krīḍāḥ sakṛd api bhuvo vāpi vacasā
hṛdā śrutyāṅgair vā spṛśati kṛta-dhīḥ kaścid api yaḥ |
sa nityaṁ śrī-gopī-kuca-kalasa-kāśmīra-vilasat-
tvadīyāṅghri-dvandve kalayatutarāṁ prema-bhajanam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.144)
“May anyone of made up mind
Who by speech, mind, hearing, or limbs
Touches those plays or even places of yours even once
Daily attain in profusion
Worship with prema
Of your two feet shining with saffron
From the urns of the blessed gopīs’ breasts.”
gopīnāṁ mahimā kaścit tāsām eko’pi śakyate |
na mayā svamukhe kartuṁ merur makṣikayā yathā ||
(Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.156)
“[Śrī Parīkṣit Mahārāja to his mother Uttarā:]
Even a little of the greatness of those gopīs
Is not able to be uttered by me with my own mouth,
Just as [even a little of the greatness] of [Mount] Meru
[Is not able to be swallowed] by a fly [with its own mouth].”
te’pi tan-mukhataḥ sarvaṁ śrutvā tat-tan-mahādbhutam |
sāra-saṅgrāhiṇo’śeṣam anyat sarvaṁ jahur dṛḍham ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.152)
“Being full graspers of the essence
After hearing from his mouth
All of those various profound wonders,
They too resolutely and completely
Gave up everything else.”
kevalaṁ paramaṁ dainyam avalambyāsya śikṣayā |
śrīman-madana-gopāla-caraṇābjam upāsata ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.153)
“Taking to profound humility exclusively
In accord with his teaching,
They worshiped the lotus feet
Of Śrīman Madana Gopāla.”
mātar gopa-kiśoraṁ taṁ tvañ ca rāsa-rasāmbudhim |
tat-prema-mohitābhiḥ śrī-gopībhir abhito vṛtam ||
amūṣāṁ dāsyam icchantī tādṛśa-prema-bhaṅgibhiḥ |
nityaṁ bhajasva tan-nāma-saṅkīrtana-parāyaṇā ||
(Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.154–5)
“The Adolescent Cowherd,
The Ocean of the rasa of rāsa,
Surrounded on all sides by beautiful gopīs
Enchanted by prema for him—
O Mother,
You too should always worship him
With means of prema akin to theirs,
Being desirous servitude to them
And being absorbed in saṅkīrtana of his names.”
pāyaṁ pāyaṁ vraja-jana-gaṇa-prema-vāpī-marāla
śrīman-nāmāmṛtam avirataṁ gokulābdhy-utthitaṁ te |
tat-tad-veśācarita-nikarojjṛmbhitaṁ miṣṭa-miṣṭaṁ
sarvāṁl lokān jagati ramayan matta-ceṣṭo bhramāṇi ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.143)
“[Śrī Nārada prays for a boon at Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s request:]
O you who are a swan in the waters
Of the prema of the people of Vraja!
Continuously drinking and drinking
The nectar of your blessed names,
Which have arisen from the ocean of Gokula,
Are manifested from the multitudes
Of those particular adornments and activities,
And are the sweet of the sweet,
May I become of maddened behavior and roam about
Delighting all people throughout the world.”
sva-dānātṛpta vṛtto’ham idānīṁ saphala-śramaḥ |
tvan-mahākaruṇā-pātra-jana-vijñānam āptavān ||
ayam eva varaḥ prāpto’nugrahaś cottamo mataḥ |
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.7.141–142)
“[Śrī Nārada to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa:]
O you who are unsatiated by your own giving
[Alt., O you who are unsatiated even by giving your own self]!
I have now become successful in my effort:
I have acquired in-depth knowledge
Of the recipients of your paramount grace.
This attained boon itself attained
Is accepted [by me] as [your] favor
And as most excellent.”
