tad vai tasya priya-krīḍā-vana-bhūmau sadā rahaḥ |
nivasaṁs tanuyād evaṁ sampadyetācirād dhruvam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.220)
“Always residing in seclusion in the land of his dear play forests, one should develop that [i.e., prema]. In this way, it certainly and without delay becomes manifest.”
jālena sarasi mīnā hiṁsrair eṇā vane ca vāgurayā |
saṁsāre bhūtasṛjā snehena narāś ca badhyante ||
(Kāvyālaṅkāra: 8.104)
“Fish are caught by cruel persons in a lake with a net as are deer in a forest with traps; men [are caught] by the emanator of living beings in saṁsāra with affection.”
āruhya paramāṁ kāṣṭhāṁ premā cid-dīpa-dīpanaḥ |
hṛdayaṁ drāvayann eṣa sneha ity abhidhīyate |
atrodite bhavej jātu na tṛptir darśanādiṣu ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.79)
“Prema which reaches its ultimate limit, illuminates the lamp of perception [i.e., produces perception of the object of prema—Kṛṣṇa], and melts the heart is called sneha. When it arises, no satiation can ever come about by darśana and so forth [i.e., by hearing of Kṛṣṇa, remembering Him, etc.; when sneha manifests, desire for Kṛṣṇa becomes insatiable even by direct interaction with him, much less seeing him, thinking of him, and so on].”
sāndraś citta-dravaṁ kurvan premā sneha itīryate |
kṣaṇikasyāpi neha syād viśleṣasya sahiṣṇutā ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 3.3.84)
“Intense prema melting the heart (citta) is called sneha. Within it, tolerance for even a moment of separation [from Kṛṣṇa] is not possible.”
tri-bhuvana-vibhava-hetave’py akuṇṭha-
smṛtir ajitātma-surādibhir vimṛgyāt |
na calati bhagavat-padāravindāl
lava-nimiṣārdham api yaḥ sa vaiṣṇavāgryaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.53; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 10.53; Bhakti Sandarbha: 14, 196, 198, 278)
“One of unchecked remembrance who does not even for the sake of dominion over the three worlds diverge for even half a blink of an eye or half of a sixth of that from Bhagavān’s lotus feet, which are to be sought after [even] by the suras and others whose self is Ajita [i.e., the Unconquerable One, viz., Bhagavān], is the foremost Vaiṣṇava.”
ekasminn apy atikrānte muhūrte dhyāna-varjito |
dasyubhir mūṣitenaiva yuktam ākrandituṁ bhṛśam ||
(Garuḍa Purāṇa, cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 277)
“It is befitting to weep intensely like someone who has been robbed by bandits for even one moment that has passed devoid of meditation [on Śrī Hari].”
alabdhe vā vinaṣṭe vā bhakṣyācchādana-sādhane |
aviklava-matir bhūtvā harim eva dhiyā smaret ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.114)
“Whether food and clothing are attained, not attained, or lost, one should remain undisturbed in mind and with understanding remember Hari alone.”
īkṣeta cintāmayam enam īśvaraṁ
yāvan mano dhāraṇayāvatiṣṭhate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.2.12)
“Behold [i.e., meditate on] this Īśvara consisting of thought [i.e., manifest through meditation] as long as the mind remains steady with concentration.”
sunūpurā-rañjita-pāda-padma-
kṣarat-sudhā-bhṛtya-sukha-pradāya |
vicitra-ratnaugha-vibhūṣitāya
premānam evādya harau videhi ||
(Śrī Kṛṣṇa-caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.8.17)
“[Obeisance] Unto you who a bestower joy
Upon the servitors of your nectar exuding lotus feet
Which are illumined by fine ankle bells,
Unto you who are adorned with a multitude of variegated jewels.
May you now bestow [upon me] only prema for Hari.
vṛndāvanāvani-pate jaya soma soma-
maule sanandana-sanātana-nāradeḍya |
gopīśvara vraja-vilāsa-yugāṅghri-padme
prītiṁ prayaccha nitarāṁ nirupādhikam me ||
(Saṅkalpa-kalpadruma: 103)
“O protector of the land of Vṛndāvana! Glory to you! O husband of Umā! O you whose crown is the moon! O you are worshipped by Sananda, Sanātana, and Nārada! O guardian of the gopīs! Please bestow upon me firm, unconditional prīti for the lotus feet of the Playful Couple of Vraja.”
