sā rādhikā bhagavatī kvacid īkṣyate cet
premā tadānubhavam ṛcchati mūrtimān saḥ |
śakyeta ced gaditum eṣa tayā tadaiva
śrūyeta tattvam iha ced bhavati sva-śaktiḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.233)
“If ever she, Bhagavatī Rādhikā, is seen, then one attains experience of the embodiment of prema, and if this [i.e., prema] can ever be described by her, only then the essential nature [of that prema] shall be heard about, if one’s ability for that remains.”
sāmānyataḥ kiñcid idaṁ mayoktaṁ
vaktuṁ viśeṣeṇa na śakyate tat |
premā tu kṛṣṇe vraja-yoṣitāṁ yas
tat-tattvam ākhyātum alaṁ kathaṁ syām ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.231)
“This much [about prema] is said by me in general. I am not able to describe that in depth. Indeed how would I be able to describe the essential nature of the prema for Kṛṣṇa of the ladies of Vraja?”
bhrātaḥ premṇaḥ svarūpaṁ yat tad dhi jānanti tad-vidaḥ |
yasya cittārdratā-jātaṁ bāhyaṁ kampādi-lakṣaṇam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.226)
“Brother, only the experiencers thereof know that which is the essential nature of prema and of which the external characteristics of trembling and so on are produced by meltedness of the heart.”
svasyoddhavasya te’py eṣa kṛtvāhaṁ śapathaṁ bruve |
duḥsādhyaṁ tat-padaṁ hy atra tat-sādhanam api druvam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.208)
“Taking this oath before myself, Uddhava, and yourself, I say that here that domain [i.e., Goloka] is difficult to attain, and the means of attaining (sādhana) that certainly is as well.”
kṣaṇārdhenāpi tulaye na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam |
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.57; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.285; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.14; Bhakti Sandarbha: 189, 247; Prīti Sandarbha: 30)
“[Bhagavān Śiva to the Pracetas:] I equate neither Svarga nor non-repetition of birth, much less the benedictions had by human beings, with even half a moment of association with those who are attached to Bhagavān.”
yadyapi śrī-nanda-yaśodādi-sadṛśa-bhāvenāpi śrī-goloko labhyate, tathāpi prāyo gopī-sadṛśa-bhāvenaiva tatra sarvathā manoratha-sampūrtyā phala-viśeṣaḥ sampadyata iti gopīnām utkarṣa-viśeṣo’tra varṇitaḥ |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.203)
“Although Śrī Goloka is attainable also by means of bhāva akin to that of blessed Nanda, Yaśodā, and others, still because of the fulfillment of desires in all respects there [i.e., in Śrī Goloka] only by means of bhāva akin to that of the gopīs, a special result is manifested [by bhāva akin to that of the gopīs specifically]. Thus, a special excellence of the gopīs is described here.”
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā |
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo’bhiṣekam ||
yatrottamaḥśloka-guṇānuvādaḥ
prastūyate grāmya-kathā-vighātaḥ |
niṣevyamāṇo’nudinaṁ mumukṣor
matiṁ satīṁ yacchati vāsudeve ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.12.12–13)
“[Jaḍa Bhārata:] O Rahūgaṇa, neither by austerity, nor by sacrifice, nor by giving, nor by household life, nor by the Vedas, nor by [worship of] water, fire, and the sun does one attain this without bathing in the foot-dust of the mahats, amongst whom is sung recounting of the qualities of he of highest praise [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān], on account of which termination of village talk occurs, and which upon being honored daily produces a seeker of mokṣa’s genuine inclination towards Vāsudeva.”
tasmai namo’stu nirupādhi-kṛpākulāya
śrī-gopa-rāja-tanayāya gurūttamāya |
yaḥ kārayan nija-janaṁ svayam eva bhaktiṁ
tasyātituṣyati yathā paramopakartuḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.157)
“May [my] obeisance be [offered] unto him,
The blessed Son of the cowherds’ king,
The most exalted of gurus,
Who, being overcome with unconditional compassion,
Entirely of his own accord
Causes persons who are his own
To engage in bhakti [to himself]
And becomes greatly satisfied with them
Just as [one does] with a paramount benefactor.”
svayaṁ pravartitaiḥ kṛtsnair mamaital-likhana-śramaiḥ |
śrīmac-caitanya-rūpo’sau bhagavān prīyatāṁ sadā ||
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.7.157)
“May he, Bhagavān,
Possessed of the form of blessed Caitanya,
Always be pleased
With the entirety of this writing effort of mine
Prompted by himself.”
A second translation in accord with the second intended meaning of the verse:
“May he,
Divine Rūpa [the dear servant] of blessed Caitanya,
Always be pleased
With the entirety of this writing effort of mine
Prompted by himself.”
kṛṣṇāṅghri-padma-makaranda-nipāna-lubdho
jānāti tad-rasa-lihāṁ paramaṁ mahattvam |
brahmaiva gokula-bhuvām ayam uddhavo’pi
gopī-gaṇasya yad imau lasataḥ sma tat tat ||
yeṣāṁ hi yad vastuni bhāti lobhas
te tadvatāṁ bhāgya-balaṁ vidanti |
gopyo mukundādhara-pāna-lubdhā
gāyanti saubhāgya-bharaṁ muralyāḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.157)
“One intensely desirous of drinking the nectar of the lotus of Kṛṣṇa’s feet knows the paramount greatness of those who taste that rasa; Brahmā certainly [knows that] of those born in Gokula and he, Uddhava, [knows that] of the gopīs, since they both long for those two [i.e., since Brahmā longs for the rasa relished by those born in Gokula and Uddhava longs for the rasa relished by the gopīs]. Those who have intense desire for an object speak of the strength of the fortune of those possessed of that [object]. Intensely desirous of drinking from the lips of Mukunda, the gopīs sing of the abundance of good fortune of the flute.”
