paraṁ bhagavatā sākaṁ sākṣāt-krīḍā-paramparāḥ |
sadānubhavituṁ tair hi vaikuṇṭho’pekṣyate kvacit ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.62)
“Vaikuṇṭha is sometimes desired by them [i.e., bhaktas sometimes desire to enter Vaikuṇṭha] only specifically to continuously and directly experience a succession of play with Bhagavān.”
nāradāham idaṁ manye tādṛśānāṁ yataḥ sthitiḥ |
bhavet sa eva vaikuṇṭho loko nātra vicāraṇā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.60)
“O Nārada, this I consider: wherever there is the presence of those who are such [i.e., who are bhaktas of Śrī Bhagavān as described earlier in BB 1.3.55–58], that itself shall be Vaikuṇṭha-loka. There is no [need of] deliberation in this regard [i.e., there is no doubt about it].”
jayati jayati vṛndāraṇyam etan murāreḥ
priyatamam ati-sādhu-svānta-vaikuṇṭha-vāsāt |
ramayati sa sadā gāḥ pālayan yatra gopīḥ
svarita-madhura-veṇur vardhayan prema rāse ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.1.5)
“This Vṛndāvana—
Which is dearmost to Murāri,
More so than the hearts of great sādhus
And [more so than even] residence in Vaikuṇṭha,
And in which he,
Tending the cows,
Sweetly playing the flute,
And increasing prema for rāsa,
Ever delights the gopīs—
Triumphs!
Triumphs!”
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-sudhā-pānād deha-daihika-vismṛteḥ |
teṣāṁ bhautika-dehe’pi sac-cid-ānanda-rūpatā ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.61)
“On account of non-remembrance of the body and the bodily as a result of drinking the nectar of bhakti to Kṛṣṇa, their having a form [constituted] of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss can come about even [when they are] in a body [made] of the [material] elements.”
saprema-bhakteḥ paramānukūlaṁ
dainyaṁ mahāpuṣṭi-karaṁ sadā vaḥ |
tasyāpi tat-prema-vibhāvane’laṁ
bhogākula-grāmya-vihāra-jātaṁ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.74)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] The humility (dainya) of you all is always highly favorable for, and greatly nourishing of, bhakti [endowed] with prema, and the profusion of sport resembling [that of] a villager absorbed in enjoyment even on his [i.e., Śrī Bhagavān’s] part is well capable in regard to manifesting prema for him.”
yal-līlānubhavenāyaṁ bhramaḥ syān mādṛśām api |
vaikuṇṭha-dvārakāyaṁ kiṁ martye vartāmahe’thavā ||
yuktaṁ tad ekā prabhu-pāda-padmayoḥ
sa-prema-bhaktir bhavatām apekṣitā |
bhakta-priyasyāsya ca bhakta-kāmita-
prapūraṇaṁ kevalam iṣṭam uttamam ||
vaikuṇṭha-vāsocitam īhitaṁ na vo
no martya-loka-sthiti-yogyam apy ataḥ |
aiśvarya-yogyaṁ na hi loka-bandhutā-
yuktaṁ ca tasyāpi bhaved apekṣitam ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.71–73)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] ‘Are we present in the Dvārakā in Vaikuṇṭha or [the Dvārakā] in the mortal world?’ That līlā by experience of which this confusion [that was just described] can occur even for those like myself is befitting [for Prabhu, that is, Śrī Bhagavān, and his bhaktas like you]. Only bhakti [endowed] with prema for the lotus feet of Prabhu is regarded by you all [i.e., by bhaktas such as yourself], and only completely fulfilling the desired ends of bhaktas is the ultimate desired object of [Prabhu,] he to whom bhaktas are dear. Thus, activity neither suited to residence in Vaikuṇṭha, nor suited to residence in the mortal plane, nor suited to aiśvarya, or nor suited to being a kinsman (bandhu) [of people] in the [mortal] world shall be regarded by you all or by him.”
aho alaṁ kautukam etad īkṣyate
yathaiṣa vikrīḍati martya-loka-gaḥ |
tathaiva vaikuṇṭha-padopari sthito
nija-priyānāṁ paritoṣa-hetave ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.70)
“[Śrī Nārada along with Uddhava to Gopa Kumāra:] Aho! This great delight is seen: as he [i.e., Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa] sports situated in the mortal plane [i.e., in the Dvārakā on Earth], so exactly does he [sport here in the Dvārakā] situated above the domain of Vaikuṇṭha for the sake of the complete satisfaction of his dear ones.”
cintāmaṇir loka-sukhaṁ surendraḥ svarga-saṁpadam |
prayacchati guruḥ prīto vaikuṇṭhaṁ yogi-durlabham ||
(Padma Purāṇa: Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 1.8)
“A thought-jewel [bestows] the pleasure of the world, the king of the suras [bestows] the wealth of Svarga, and the satisfied guru [by means of his teachings] bestows Vaikuṇṭha, which is difficult to attain [even] for yogīs.”
sarva-prapañcātītānāṁ teṣāṁ vaikuṇṭha-vāsinām |
tasya vaikuṇṭha-lokasya tasya tan-nāyakasya ca ||
tāni māhātmya-jātāni prapañcāntargataiḥ kila |
dṛṣṭāntair nopayujyante na śakyante ca bhāṣitum ||
tathāpi bhavato brahman prapañcāntargatasya hi |
prapañca-parivārāntardṛṣṭi-garbhita-cetasaḥ ||
tad-dṛṣṭānta-kulenaiva tat tat syād bodhitaṁ sukham |
tathety ucyeta yat kiñcit tad-āgaḥ kṣamatāṁ hariḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.4.40–43)
“The greatnesses of the residents of Vaikuṇṭha beyond the entire phenomenal world, of Vaikuṇṭhaloka, and of its master [i.e., Vaikuṇṭhanātha, who like Vaikuṇṭhaloka and its residents is so also beyond the entire phenomenal world] are certainly not fit, and not able, to be described with examples from within the phenomenal world. Still, O brāhmaṇa, for you who are within the phenomenal world and the inner vision [i.e., awareness] of whose mind is filled with the coverings of the phenomenal world, those [greatnesses] can be easily made known only through such examples [i.e., examples drawn from the phenomenal world]. ‘It may be said to be such.’ May Hari forgive the offense of whatever may be said as such [i.e., whatever may be said of those greatnesses by means of stating examples drawn from the phenomenal world, such as, ‘He [i.e., Bhagavān] is like an emperor’].”
