tad-eka-rasa-lokasya saṅge’bhivyaktatāṁ svataḥ |
prayāsyad api tad vastu gopanīyaṁ prayatnataḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.219)
“Even though that substance [i.e., that prema] will naturally become manifest in the association of a person whose only love is for that [prema], it should be kept hidden with effort.”
nidānaṁ tu paraṁ premṇaḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-karuṇā-bharaḥ |
kasyāpy udety akasmād vā kasyacit sādhana-kramāt ||
yathodārān milaty annaṁ pākvaṁ vā pāka-sādhanam |
sādhakasyocyate śāstra-gatyāyaṁ sādhana-kramaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.215–216)
“But the primary cause of [such] prema is an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace. That manifests for some without cause and for some through a course of sādhanas, just as either cooked food or the ingredients for cooking come [to someone] from a generous person. This course of sādhanas for a sādhaka [through which an abundance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace manifests] is [now going to be] described [by me] in accord with śāstra.”
ṛddhā siddhi-vraja-vijayitā satya-dharmā samādhir
brahmānando gurur api camatkārayaty eva tāvat |
yāvat premṇāṁ madhu-ripu-vaśīkāra-siddhauṣadhīnāṁ
gandho’py antaḥ-karaṇa-saraṇī-pānthatāṁ na prayāti ||
(Lalita-mādhava-nāṭaka: 5.2; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 19.165)
“The pre-eminence of flourishing siddhis, samādhi attained by means of the dharma of truthfulness [cleanliness, austerity, and so forth], and even the greatness of the bliss of Brahman cause amazement only so long as even the fragrance of prema—the proven herb for captivating the Enemy of Mura [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa]—does not become a traveller on the path of the antaḥkaraṇa [i.e., is not perceived by the mind].”
hariṁ vināṅga prīṇīhī3, idānīṁ duḥkham āpsyasi |
(Vṛtti on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 86)
“Well, try loving someone other than Hari! Now you will suffer.”
sarvathā dhvaṁsa-rahitaṁ saty api dhvaṁsa-kāraṇe |
yad bhāva-bandhanaṁ yūnoḥ sa premā parikīrtitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 14.63)
“The bond of bhāva between a youthful couple that remains undestroyed under all circumstances, even in the presence of a cause for destruction, is proclaimed prema.”
gaura-śyāma-rucojjvalābhir amalair akṣṇor vilāsotsavair
nṛtyantībhir aśeṣa-mādana-kalā-vaidagdhya-digdhātmabhiḥ
anyonya-priyatā-sudhā-parimala-stomonmadābhiḥ sadā
rādhā-mādhava-mādhurībhir abhitaś cittaṁ mamākrāmyatām
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 189)
“The brilliance of their fair and blackish lusters, their dancing amid a festival of pure delight in their eyes [as they gaze upon one another], their figures anointed with mastery in all the arts of amour, their inebriety brought about by the fragrances of the nectars of their love for one another—let my heart be continuously and completely overwhelmed by the [aforementioned] sweetnesses of Rādhā and Mādhava.”
kalpāgā amṛtāmbudher jhaṣa-varāḥ premāmbudheś cātakā
meghasyāmṛta-pāyino vara-vidhoḥ padmāni caṇḍa-tviṣaḥ |
bhṛṅgāḥ padma-vanasya nāka-sadanā viṣṇor mahānto hi te
bhaktā gaurahareḥ paraṁ mayi kṛpāṁ kurvantv ananya-gatau ||
(Sādhanāmṛta-candrikā: 2.16)
“O desire-trees along the ocean of nectar! O topmost fish in the ocean of prema! O cātakās of the cloud [of mādhurya]! O drinkers of nectar from the best of moons [of prema]! O lotuses under the hot sun [of saṅkīrtana]! O bees in the lotus cluster [of bhāva]! O [you who resemble] sky-abodes of Viṣṇu! O great ones! O bhaktas of Gaurahari! Please bestow your abundant grace upon me. I have no other shelter.”
api sphārāmode pratipada-sudhā-koṭi-madhure
purāṇa-grāmāntar-vahati tava līlā-rasa-jhare |
mano-vatsaḥ pātuṁ viṣaya-viṣa-garte viśati me
kṛpā-yaṣṭyā tūrṇaṁ damaya tam amuṁ tarṇaka-pate ||
(Stava-mālā: Nandotsavādi-carita, 11)
“Although the stream of your līlā-rasa, abundantly fragrant [i.e., imbued with the fine fragrance of your qualities and renown] and sweet at every step with the highest grade of nectar, flows through the old village [i.e., the Purāṇas led by Śrīmad Bhāgavatam], the calf of my mind enters a ditch to drink the poison of viṣaya. O calf-keeper [i.e., O Kṛṣṇa], please quickly restrain it with the stick of your grace [so that it drinks only your līlā-rasa and no more the poison of viṣaya].”
mat-tulyo nāsti pāpātmā nāparādhī ca kaścana |
parihāre’pi lajjā me kiṁ brūve puruṣottama ||
(Padma Purāṇa; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.154; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.1.190)
“No one is a sinner and a offender like me. O Puruṣottama! I am ashamed even to speak. What can I say?’
mantra-hīnaṁ kriyā-hīnaṁ bhakti-hīnaṁ janārdana |
yat pūjitaṁ mayā deva paripūrṇaṁ tad astu me ||
(Āgama-śāstra; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 8.427)
“[Although] Deficient in mantras, deficient in performance, and deficient in bhakti, O Janārdana, O Deva, may that by which you have been worshipped by me be fully complete [i.e., sufficient in satisfying you].”
