Kāvya

tāvad gīti-sugadya-padya-racanāḥ kartuṁ spṛhā jāyate

tāvad gīti-sugadya-padya-racanāḥ kartuṁ spṛhā jāyate
garvas tāvad aho ahaṁ kavir iti prāyeṇa kharvo na hi |
śrīmad-rūpa-sanātanānukathanaṁ śrī-jīva-gosvāminaḥ
śrī-govinda-kaver vicitra-kavitā yāvan na karṇaṁ vrajet ||
(Ghanaśyāma Dāsa’s Govinda-rati-mañjarī: 1.9)

“The desire arises to compose
Songs and fine prose and poetry,
And aho!
The pride, ‘I am a poet (kavi)’
Seldom ever becomes crushed,
So long as the discourse of Śrīmad Rūpa and Sanātana
And the extraordinary poetry
Of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī Govinda Kavi
Shall not enter the ear!”

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autsukya-mātram avasāyayati pratiṣṭhā​

autsukya-mātram avasāyayati pratiṣṭhā​
kliśnāti labdha-paripālana-vṛttir eva​ |
nātiśramāpanayanāya na ca śramāya​
rājyaṁ sva-hasta-dhṛta-daṇḍam ivātapatram​ ||
(Abhijñāna-śākuntalam: 5.6)​

“[Mahārāja Duṣyanta:] Position (pratiṣṭhā) reduces only eagerness [i.e., the longing to attain it], and the task of maintaining the acquired [position] causes only distress. Kingship, like an umbrella the pole of which is held in one’s own hand, leads neither to hardship nor to any great removal of hardship.”

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nṛṣu tava māyayā bhramam amīṣv avagatya bhṛśaṁ

nṛṣu tava māyayā bhramam amīṣv avagatya bhṛśaṁ
tvayi sudhiyo’bhave dadhati bhāvam anuprabhavam |
katham anuvartatāṁ bhava-bhayaṁ tava yad bhrū-kuṭiḥ
sṛjati muhus trinemir abhavac-charaṇeṣu bhayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.32)

[Translated according to Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda’s commentary:] “Understanding the ignorance as a consequence of your māyā among these human beings wherefrom repeated birth ensues, the wise foster bhāva [i.e., render service] profusely for you, Non-existence [i.e., you who are the cause of liberation from material existence]. How could your followers have any distress on account of [material] existence, since the furrowing of your brows—time (trinemi)—creates distress perpetually for those who are not in your shelter?”

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yathā śrutaṁ vedavidāṁ vara tvayā

yathā śrutaṁ vedavidāṁ vara tvayā
jano’yam uccaiḥ pada-laṅghanotsukaḥ |
tapaḥ kiledaṁ tad-avāpti-sādhanaṁ
manorathānām agatir na vidyate ||
(Kumāra-sambhava: 5.64)

[Parvatī speaking to a sādhu:] “O knower of the Veda, what you have heard is correct. This person [i.e., I] is intent upon attaining a high position [i.e., that of the wife of Lord Śiva], and this austerity [I am performing] is indeed the means of attaining that. [Since it is such that] Desires have no unapproachable object.”

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upamīyate yena tad upamānam, yat tūpamīyate tad upameyam

upamīyate yena tad upamānam, yat tūpamīyate tad upameyam |
(Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1314)

“That with which comparing occurs [i.e., to which something is compared] is [called] the upamāna [i.e., the object of comparison], and that which is compared [to the upamāna] is [called] the upameya [i.e., the subject of comparison, e.g., in the phrase ‘lotus feet,’ the lotus is the upamāna and feet are the upameya].”

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rase sāraś camatkāraḥ sarvatrāpy anubhūyate

rase sāraś camatkāraḥ sarvatrāpy anubhūyate |
tac camatkāra-sāratve sarvatrāpy adbhuto rasaḥ ||
(Sāhitya-darpaṇa 3.3; cited in Prīti Sandarbha: 110)

“In rasa, astonishment is perceived to be the essence indeed in all cases. Therefore, because of the essence being astonishment, rasa is adbhuta [i.e., wonder] indeed in all cases.”

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athāṅga-rājād avatārya cakṣur yāhīti janyām avadat kumārī

athāṅga-rājād avatārya cakṣur yāhīti janyām avadat kumārī |
nāsau na kāmyo na ca veda samyag-draṣṭuṁ na sā bhinna-rucir hi lokaḥ ||
(Raghu-vaṁśa: 6.30)

“Then, lowering her eyes from King Aṅga, the girl said to her mother’s friend, ‘Please go.’ It was not that he was not desirable, and it was not that she did not know how to see properly; people are just of varied taste.”

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yadyapi pūrvānusāreṇa candrādayas tasya dṛṣṭāntatā-leśam api nārhanti

yadyapi pūrvānusāreṇa candrādayas tasya dṛṣṭāntatā-leśam api nārhanti, tathāpi sādhāraṇa-lokānāṁ tad-dvārā tan-mahima-praveśārtham eva te dṛṣṭāntitāḥ | yatra tu tad-antaraṅga-parikarair api tādṛśaṁ varṇyate, tatra sākṣād bhagavad-vibhūti-rūpa-tal-līlā-parikarā eva candrādayo dṛṣṭāntitā iti sarvatra jñeyam |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.46)

“Although, in accord with the former [comment made earlier on this subject in regard to BRS 1.1.1], the moon and so forth are not fit even in the least to be objects of comparison with him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], still they are cited as objects of comparison [with him] for the purpose of common people’s entering into his greatness thereby. Where, however, such [objects of comparison] are described even by his intimate retinue, there only the moon and so forth that are directly [part of] the retinue in his līlā in the form of Bhagavān’s splendors (vibhūtis) are cited as objects of comparison [with him]. This is to be understood in all cases.”

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