māthuraṁ ca dvidhā prāhur gokulaṁ puram eva ca ||
yat tu goloka-nāma syāt tac ca gokula-vaibhavam |
sa goloko yathā brahma-saṁhitāyām iha śruteḥ ||
tad-ātma-vaibhavatvaṁ ca tasya tan-mahimonnateḥ ||
aho madhupurī dhanyā vaikuṇṭhāc ca garīyasī |
dinam ekaṁ nivāsena harau bhaktiḥ prajāyate ||
ayodhyā mathurā māyā kāśī kāñcī avantikā |
purī dvāravatī caiva saptaitā mokṣa-dāyikāḥ ||
evaṁ sapta-purīṇāṁ tu sarvotkṛṣṭaṁ tu māthuram |
śrūyatāṁ mahimā devi vaikuṇṭha-bhuvanottamaḥ ||
iti dhāma-traye kṛṣṇo viharaty eva sarvadā ||
tatrāpi gokule tasya mādhurī sarvato’dhikā ||
(Laghu Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.497–498, 502–505, 519–520)
“‘Well, how can we consider Goloka a magnificence of Gokula?’ To this, the author speaks this verse (tad-ātma …, i.e., 502). Because of the elevation of Gokula’s greatness even in comparison to Goloka [Goloka is considered an expansion of Gokula]. This is the meaning. … By the word Vaikuṇṭha, the domain extending as far as [i.e., including] Goloka is to be understood because of its [i.e., Goloka’s] being its [i.e., Vaikuṇṭha’s] upper portion. [An objection is raised:] ‘Well, on account of the absence of it [i.e., Gokula] being above all, observance of return from there [i.e., rebirth after residing there], and seeing the suffering of old age and so forth in its present residents, it is not superior to Goloka.’ No, that is not so, (1) because of its [i.e., Gokula’s] being, like Hari [i.e., the Paramātmā], above all by virtue of inconceivable potency even while being situated in the midst of all, (2) because of the non-return [i.e., non-rebirth] from there of those who have performed sādhana and attained it, and (3) because of seeing suffering such as old age in its residents, like [seeing] the nature of a human boy in Hari, being a cause of fault. Furthermore, there is no deficiency [there], and, rather, there is certainly an express statement [i.e., the aforementioned verse cited from Padma Purāṇa] of superiority [i.e., of the superiority of Gokula above Goloka] that has also been cited by the revered author [i.e. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda].”
Read on →
