Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta – Anuśīlana.in

jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo

jayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo
yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam |
sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ susmita-śrī-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.90.48; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 3.23; Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.154; Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.1; Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.5.430; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 63, 116, 136, 182; Prīti Sandarbha: 52; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.13.79; Ānanda-candrikā-ṭīkā on Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 15.185)

“He who is the abode of all beings [alt., he whose abode is all beings],
He whose birth is said to be from Devakī,
He whose retinue is the best of the Yadus,
He who destroys adharma with his own arms,
He who dispels the distress of the stationary and the moving—
Enkindling divine desire in the women of the abode of Vraja
With his beautiful, sweetly smiling face—
Triumphs!”

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vande nanda-vraja-strīṇāṁ pāda-reṇum abhīkṣṇaśaḥ

vande nanda-vraja-strīṇāṁ pāda-reṇum abhīkṣṇaśaḥ |
yāsāṁ hari-kathodgītaṁ punāti bhuvana-trayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.63; cited in Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.152; Prīti Sandarbha: 107)

“I offer obeisance constantly to the foot-dust of the ladies of Nanda’s Vraja, whose resounding singing of narrations of Hari purifies the three worlds.”

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rāmeṇa sārdhaṁ mathurāṁ praṇīte

rāmeṇa sārdhaṁ mathurāṁ praṇīte
śvāphalkinā mayy anurakta-cittāḥ |
vigāḍha-bhāvena na me viyoga-
tīvrādhayo’nyaṁ dadṛśuḥ sukhāya ||
tās tāḥ kṣapāḥ preṣṭha-tamena nītā
mayaiva vṛndāvana-gocareṇa |
kṣaṇārdha-vat tāḥ punar aṅga tāsāṁ
hīnā mayā kalpa-samā babhūvuḥ ||
tā nāvidan mayy anuṣaṅga-baddha-
dhiyaḥ svam ātmānam adas tathedam |
yathā samādhau munayo’bdhi-toye
nadyaḥ praviṣṭā iva nāma-rūpe ||
mat-kāmā ramaṇaṁ jāram asvarūpa-vido’balāḥ |
brahma māṁ paramaṁ prāpuḥ saṅgāc chata-sahasraśaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.12.10–13; cited in Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.143–46, Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 175–179; Bhakti Sandarbha: 242; Prīti Sandarbha: 92, 99, 423)

“When I was brought to Mathurā along with Rāma by Śvāphalki [i.e., Akrūra], they [viz., the gopīs] whose minds were deeply attached to me, and who were in anguish because of separation [from me] by virtue of their profound bhāva, did not look towards anyone other than me for the sake of pleasure [because looking at anyone other than me led them to feel sorrow rather than pleasure; alt., they did not look to anyone other than me as a cause of pleasure because everyone other than me was only a cause of sorrow for them in separation from me]. Those special nights spent with me specifically, [their] Dearmost, dwelling in Vṛndāvana, passed like half a moment [for them], yet those [nights], O dear one [i.e., O Uddhava], without me became like epochs for them. Their minds bound by deep attachment to me, they did not know own, self, that, or this [i.e., they had no awareness of objects of the sense of ‘mine,’ objects of the sense of ‘I,’ the next world, or this world] just as sages who have entered samādhi and rivers [that have entered] the water of the ocean [do not know] names and forms. [The bhāva of these gopīs is so deep that just] By association [with these gopīs], [even] hundreds and thousands of they devoid of strength [viz., Pulindīs (local girls from rural tribes) that had no caste, conduct, knowledge, bhakti, and so on] who were devoid of awareness of my true nature [i.e., who had not even seen my beauty and so on] became filled with desire for me and attained me, the Supreme Brahman, as a paramour lover.”

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tatra mat-parama-preṣṭhaṁ lapsyase sva-guruṁ punaḥ

tatra mat-parama-preṣṭhaṁ lapsyase sva-guruṁ punaḥ |
sarvaṁ tasyaiva kṛpayā nitarāṁ jñāsyasi svayam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.2.236)

“There you will meet again your own guru, he who is most dear to me. By his grace specifically, you will understand everything completely yourself.”

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kevalaṁ tat-padāmbhoja-sākṣād-īkṣāvaśiṣyate

kevalaṁ tat-padāmbhoja-sākṣād-īkṣāvaśiṣyate |
taj jape’rhati nāsaktiṁ kintu tan-nāma-kīrtane ||
śrīman-madana-gopāla-pādābjopāsanāt param |
nāma-saṅkīrtana-prāyād vāñchātīta-phala-pradāt ||
tal-līlā-sthala-pālīnāṁ śraddhā-sandarśanādaraiḥ |
sampādyamānān nitarāṁ kiñcin nāsty eva sādhanam ||
sañjāta-premakāc cāsmāc catur-varga-viḍambakāt |
tat-pādābja-vaśīkārād anyat sādhyaṁ na kiñcana ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.1.103–106)

“[Gopa Kumāra thinks:] Only direct vision of his [viz., Śrī Madana Gopāladeva’s] lotus feet remains [for this brāhmaṇa to attain]. Thus, he needs attachment not to japa but to kīrtana of his [viz., Śrī Madana Gopāla’s] names. There is certainly no means of accomplishment (sādhana) other than worship of Madana Gopāla’s beautiful lotus feet (1) in which saṅkīrtana of his names is abundant, (2) which is being practiced plentifully with conviction (śraddhā), direct observation (sandarśana), and adoration (ādara) of the places of their [i.e., those lotus feet’s] līlās, and (3) which is [thus] a complete bestower of results beyond [even one’s] desires. There is [also] no object to be accomplished (sādhya) other than this [viz., such worship of Madana Gopāla’s lotus feet], (1) by which prema becomes manifest in full, [since such worship is that] (2) which is a belittler of the catur-varga [viz., dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa], and [that] (3) which is a captivator of his lotus feet.”

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yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ

yat tāta tāsām api dhairya-moṣakaṁ
yā vai kula-strī-kula-pūjitāṅghrayaḥ |
rūpeṇa śīlena guṇena karmaṇā
śraiṣṭhyaṁ gatā hanta mahāśriyo’pi yāḥ ||
yad-darśane pakṣma-kṛtaṁ śapanti
vidhiṁ sahasrākṣam api stuvanti |
vañchanti dṛktvaṁ sakalendriyānāṁ
kāṁ kāṁ daśāṁ vā na bhajanti lokāḥ ||
kiṁ varṇyatāṁ vraja-bhuvo mahimā sa tasya
yatraiva tat sa bhagavān vitanoti rūpam |
yat tādṛśa-prakṛtināpy amunā sametā
nānyatrikā dadhati bhāvam ime’pi tadvat ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.109–111)

“O dear one, can that greatness of the land of Vraja be described, [that land of Vraja] alone wherein that Bhagavān [viz., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] manifests that [supremely astonishing] form [of himself] which is a stealer of the composure even of they [viz., the gopīs] whose feet are worshiped by women of noble families and who by virtue of [their] figure, character, qualities, and actions are possessed of superiority even to Mahāśrī [i.e., Mahālakṣmī]; [that form of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa found only in Vraja] by seeing which people curse the Creator, the maker of eyelids, praise even he of a thousand eyes [viz., Indra], desire that all [their] senses become eyes, and attain not what sort of state [i.e., attain all sorts of extraordinary states], since even they who are from elsewhere [e.g., the residents of Vaikuṇṭha and Dvārakā] even [when] together with he of such nature [viz., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Vraja] do not possess bhāva like them [i.e., the people of Vraja]?”

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vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair

vrajaḥ sa nandasya guṇaiḥ svakīyair
vilāsa-bhūr āsa mahāvibhūteḥ |
yasyāḥ kaṭākṣena jagad-vibhūtir
vaikuṇṭha-nāthasya gṛheśvarī yā ||
yasyaika-vṛkṣo’pi nijena kenacid
dravyena kāmāṁs tanute’rthino’khilān |
tathāpi tat tan na sadā prakāśayed
aiśvaryam īśaḥ sva-vihāra-vighnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.104–105)

“By virtue of its own qualities, that abode of Nanda—even one tree of which can produce with any aspect of itself all the desired objects of any seeker, and by the sidelong glance of which the magnificence of the world exists—has become the play-land of she of great magnificence [viz., Mahālakṣmī], the Mistress of the household of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha. Still, Īśa [viz., Śrī Kṛsṇa] shall not always manifest that particular splendor (aiśvarya) on account of obstruction to his own sporting [i.e., if he were to do so, and thus he doesn’t manifest it always but rather only when doing so is suitable].”

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tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam

tat tu laukika-sad-bandhu-buddhyā prema bhayādi-jam |
vighnaṁ nirasya tad-gopa-gopī-dāsyepsayārjayet ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.217)

“With the mentality of an excellent kinsmen of the world in relation to him [viz., Kṛṣṇa], one should overcome the obstruction [to prema for Kṛṣṇa] produced by fear and so forth, and with the desire to attain the servitude of those gopas and gopīs [who are so dear to Kṛṣṇa], one should verily acquire prema [for him].”

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gavāṁ keva kathā kṛṣṇa te te’pi bhavataḥ priyāḥ

gavāṁ keva kathā kṛṣṇa te te’pi bhavataḥ priyāḥ |
mṛgā vihaṅgā bhāṇḍīra-kadambādyāś ca pādapāḥ ||
latāni kuñja-puñjāni śādvalāny api jīvanam |
bhavaty evārpayāmāsuḥ kṣīṇāś ca sarito’drayaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.6.116–117)

“[Baladeva to Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā:] Why talk like this [only] of the cows, O Kṛṣṇa? The animals, birds, and trees like the bhāṇḍīras and kadambas—they all too are dear to you. The creepers, multitudes of bowers, and greenswards have all offered their lives to you alone. The rivers and hills too are emaciated [in your absence].”

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yathā ca tatra tat-kālaṁ bhakter yogyaṁ na sat-phalam

yathā ca tatra tat-kālaṁ bhakter yogyaṁ na sat-phalam |
sañjātam iti tac chuddha-bhaktimadbhir vinindyate ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.222)

“Furthermore, since the real result befitting of bhakti is not produced at that time in that case [i.e., in an instance of desirous (sakāma) bhakti], that is condemned by those endowed with pure bhakti.”

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