Padyāvalī

ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ sumahatām uccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasām

ākṛṣṭiḥ kṛta-cetasāṁ sumahatām uccāṭanaṁ cāṁhasām
ācaṇḍālam amūka-loka-sulabho vaśyaś ca mukti-śriyaḥ |
no dīkṣāṁ na ca dakṣiṇāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate
mantro’yaṁ rasanā-spṛg eva phalati śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmātmakaḥ ||
(Lakṣmīdhara; cited in Padyāvalī: 29; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.15.112)

“This mantra consisting of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s name attracts [even] the highly exalted of purified mind, dispels [even] extremely severe sins, is easily available to [all] people who are not mute, including [even] caṇḍālas, controls the fortune of mukti, does not consider dīkṣā, donations, or prepartory rites (puraścaryā) in the least, and bears fruit just by touching the tongue.”

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viṣṇor nāmaiva puṁsāḥ śamalam apaharat puṇyam utpādayac ca

viṣṇor nāmaiva puṁsāḥ śamalam apaharat puṇyam utpādayac ca
brahmādi-sthāna-bhogād viratim atha guroḥ śrī-pada-dvandva-bhaktim |
tattva-jñānaṁ ca viṣṇor iha mṛti-janana-bhrānti-bījaṁ ca dagdhvā
saṁpūrṇānanda-bodhe mahati ca puruṣaṁ sthāpayitvā nivṛttam ||
(Vyāsapāda; cited in Padyāvalī: 24)

“Only Viṣṇu’s name removes impurity and produces meritorious action, detachment from enjoyment of the positions of Brahmā and so forth, bhakti to the two beautiful feet of guru, and knowledge of the nature of Viṣṇu; [only Viṣṇu’s name] burns away the seed [i.e., cause] of revolving in birth and death here [in this world], establishes a person in deep awareness of complete bliss [in the service of Śrī Viṣṇu], and [finally, seeing its work complete,] retires [i.e., manifests in the form of its bearer, Viṣṇu].”

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kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ
krīyatāṁ yadi kuto’pi labhyate |
tatra laulyam api mūlyam ekalaṁ
janma-koṭi-sukṛtair na labhyate ||
(Unknown sounce; cited in Padyāvalī: 14; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.8.70; attributed by some to Rāmānanda Rāya)

“Purchase awareness imbued with Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa if it is attainable [anywhere] by any means at all. Hankering is verily the only price for it, but that [hankering] is not attainable even by ten million lives of meritorious deeds.”

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phullendīvara-kāntim indu-vadanaṁ barhāvataṁsa-priyaṁ

phullendīvara-kāntim indu-vadanaṁ barhāvataṁsa-priyaṁ
śrīvatsāṅkam udāra-kaustubha-dharaṁ pītāmbaraṁ sundaram |
gopīnāṃ nayanotpalārcita-tanuṁ go-gopa-saṅghāvṛtaṁ
govindaṁ kala-veṇu-vādana-paraṁ divyāṅgabhūṣaṁ bhaje||
(Śāradākāra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 1.3.114; Padyāvalī: 46; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 106; Gaura-govindārcana-paddhati: 142)

“Blossoming blue-lotus luster,

A moon face,
A dear peacock-feather crest [atop his crown],
Marked with the śrīvatsa,
Wearing the charming Kaustubha,
Clad in yellow garments,
Charming,
His figure worshipped by the water lilies of the gopīs’ eyes,
Surrounded by a drove of cows and cowherds,
Sublime softly playing the flute,
Replete divine body ornaments,
I meditate on Govinda [in this way].”

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kam prati kathayitum īśe samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu

kam prati kathayitum īśe samprati ko vā pratītim āyātu |
go-pati-tanayā-kuñje gopa-vadhūṭī-viṭaṁ brahma ||
(Raghupati Upādhyāya; cited in Padyāvalī: 98; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.19.98)

“Who can I tell, and who will now believe, that Brahman is a hunter of the wives of cowherd men in the groves along the Yamunā?”

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dadhi-mathana-ninādais tyakta-nidraḥ prabhāte

dadhi-mathana-ninādais tyakta-nidraḥ prabhāte
nibhṛta-padam agāraṁ ballavīnāṁ praviṣṭaḥ |
mukha-kamala-samīrair āśu nirvāpya dīpān
kavalita-navanītaḥ pātu māṁ bāla-kṛṣṇaḥ ||
(Padyāvalī: 143)

“Awakened at daybreak by the sounds of yoghurt-churning, he enters the homes of the gopīs on silent feet, quickly extinguishes the lamps with puffs of air from his lotus mouth, and devours their fresh butter. May child Kṛṣṇa protect me.”

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śrutam apy aupaniṣadaṁ dūre hari-kathāmṛtāt

śrutam apy aupaniṣadaṁ dūre hari-kathāmṛtāt |
yan na santi dravac-citta-kampāśru-pulakādayaḥ ||
(Unknown source; cited in Padyāvalī: 39; Bhakti Sandarbha: 69)

“Even that which I have heard in the Upaniṣads [about nirviśeṣa Brahman] is also far from the amṛta of Hari-kathā, as by [hearing] it no melting of the heart, trembling, tears, horripilation, and so forth occur.”

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na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye |
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi ||
(Śikṣāṣṭakam: 4; cited in Padyāvalī 94; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.29)

“O Master of the universe,
I desire neither wealth,
Nor men [i.e., assistants, followers, relatives, etc.],
Nor beautiful women [i.e., an excellent wife],
Nor erudition [i.e., intellectual prowess or recognition thereof],
Or otherwise [i.e., mukti].
In birth after birth, O Īśvara,
Let me have unconditional bhakti to you.”

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ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ

ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahādāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam |
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam ||
(Padyāvalī: 22; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.20.12)

“Cleansing the mirror of the mind,
Extinguishing the raging forest fire of material existence,
Shining moonlight on the evening lotus of good fortune,
The life of the wife of knowledge,
Expanding the ocean of bliss,
The taste of full nectar at every moment,
Bathing the entire self—
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is supremely triumphant!”

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nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro

nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā |
kintu prodyan nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdher
gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ ||
(Padyāvalī: 74; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.13.80)

“I am neither a brāhmaṇa, nor a kṣatriya, nor a vaiśya, nor a śūdra. I am neither a brahmacārī, nor a gṛhastha, nor a vānaprastha, nor a sannyāsī. Rather, I am an assisting servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of the gopīs’ Lord—the brimming ocean of nectar filled with complete, paramount bliss.”

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