Texts

grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe

grāmya-kathā nā śunibe, grāmya-vārtā nā kahibe |
bhāla nā khāibe, āra bhāla nā paribe ||
amānī mānada kṛṣṇa-nāma sadā labe |
vraje rādhā-kṛṣṇa-sevā mānase karibe ||
(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta: Antya-līlā, 6.236–7)

“Do not listen to village talk, and do not speak of village matters. Do not eat fancy food, and do not wear fancy clothes. [Remaining] Undesirous of honor and respectful [to others], always take Kṛṣṇa’s name and within your heart engage in service to Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in Vraja.”

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ekā bhūr ubhayor aikyam

ekā bhūr ubhayor aikyam ubhayor dala-kāṇḍayoḥ |
śāliśyāmākayor bhedaḥ phalena paricīyate ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha; Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra)

“Both have the same soil, and both have identical shoots and stalks. The difference between rice and millet is known by the result.”

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phalena phala-kāraṇam anumīyate

phalena phala-kāraṇam anumīyate |
(Gopāla-campū: Uttara-campū, 6.21; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 149; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 3.1.91)

“The cause of an effect is inferred from the effect.”

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sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula

sthira hañā ghare yāha, nā hao vātula |
krame krame pāya loka bhava-sindhu-kūla ||
markaṭa-vairāgya nā kara loka dekhāiyā |
yathā-yogya viṣaya bhuñja anāsakta haiyā ||
antara-niṣṭhā kara, bāhye loka-vyavahāra |
acirāte kṛṣṇa tomāya karibe uddhāra ||
vṛndāvana dekhi yabe āsi nīlācale |
tabe tumi āmā-pāśa āsiha kona-chale ||
se-kāle se chala kṛṣṇa sphurābe tomāre |
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā yāre, tāre ke rākhite pāre ? ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.16.238–242)

“Be steady and go home. Do not be crazy. Gradually a person reaches the shore of the ocean of material existence. Do not engage in monkey renunciation and make a show to the public. [Rather,] Make use of material things as appropriate, remaining detached. Internally be fixed but externally observe social conduct. Soon Kṛṣṇa will deliver you. When I return to Nīlācala after visiting Vṛndāvana, then on some pretext come to my side. Kṛṣṇa will reveal this pretext to you at that time. Who can detain one who has received Kṛṣṇa’s grace?”

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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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ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanaṁ

ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas tad-dhāma vṛndāvanaṁ
ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā |
śāstraṁ bhāgavataṁ pramāṇam amalaṁ premā pumārtho mahān
itthaṁ gaura-mahāprabhor matam atas tatrādaro naḥ paraḥ ||
(Caitanya-mata-mañjuṣā: 1.1)

“‘The object of worship is Bhagavān, the Son of Vraja’s king. His abode is Vṛndāvana. The lovely worship [that is to be performed] is that which is performed by the ladies of Vraja. The flawless pramāṇa [i.e., means of knowing these conclusions] is the śāstra [Śrīmad] Bhāgavatam, and the [rightful ultimate] aim of a human being is prema.’ This is the view of Gaura Mahāprabhu, and thus we have the highest regard for it.”

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hṛd-vapre nava-bhakti-śasya-vitateḥ sañjīvanī svāgamā

hṛd-vapre nava-bhakti-śasya-vitateḥ sañjīvanī svāgamā-
rambhe kāma-tapa-rtu-dāha-damanī viśvāpagollāsinī |
dūrān me maru-śākhino’pi sarasī-bhāvāya bhūyāt prabhu-
śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-niraṅkuśa-mahā-mādhurya-kādambinī ||
(Mādhurya-kādambinī: 1.1)

“The revitalizer of the grains of young bhakti in the field of the heart, the subduer from its outset of the burning of the hot season of kāma, the delighter of the rivers of the world—may that great, unrestrained cloud bank (kādambinī) of the mellifluousness (mādhurya) of Prabhu Śrī Caitanya’s grace from afar fill even me, a [dry] tree in the desert, with rasa [i.e., water, alt., bhakti-rasa].”

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antar-dhvāntacayaṁ samasta-jagatām unmūlayantī haṭhāt

antar-dhvāntacayaṁ samasta-jagatām unmūlayantī haṭhāt
premānanda-rasāmbudhiṁ niravadhiṁ prodvelayantī balāt |
viśvaṁ śītalayanty atīva vikalaṁ tāpa-trayeṇāniśaṁ
yuṣmākaṁ hṛdaye cakāstu satataṁ caitanya-candra-cchaṭā ||
(Caitanya-candrāmṛta: 17)

“May Caitanyacandra’s radiance, which forcibly uproots all darkness from the heart of the entire world, powerfully swells the boundless ocean of the rasa of prema’s bliss, and greatly soothes the world constantly dismayed by the three miseries, shine within your heart forever.”

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heloddhūnita-khedayā viśadayā pronmīlad-āmodayā

heloddhūnita-khedayā viśadayā pronmīlad-āmodayā
śāmyac-chāstra-vivādayā rasa-dayā citārpitonmādayā |
śaśvad-bhakti-vinodayā samadayā mādhurya-maryādayā
śrī-caitanya dayā-nidhe tava dayā bhūyād amandodayā ||
(Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭakam: 8.14; cited in Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.10.119)

“O ocean of grace, Śrī Caitanya! May your grace arising in abundance with the limit of mādhurya—[mādhurya] by which lamentation is easily cast away, which is brilliant [i.e., pure], which fully expands delight, which resolves dispute over śāstra, which bestows rasa, by which unmāda [i.e., madness] is cast into the mind, which manifests eternal delight in bhakti, and which is endowed with mada [i.e., jubilation]—be [bestowed upon me].”

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