सामान्यतः किञ्चिदिदं मयोक्तं
वक्तुं विशेषेण न शक्यते तत् ।
प्रेमा तु कृष्णे व्रजयोषितां य-
स्तत्तत्त्वमाख्यातुमलं कथं स्याम् ॥
sāmānyataḥ kiñcid idaṁ mayoktaṁ
vaktuṁ viśeṣeṇa na śakyate tat |
premā tu kṛṣṇe vraja-yoṣitāṁ yas
tat-tattvam ākhyātum alaṁ kathaṁ syām ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 2.5.231)
“This much [about prema] is said by me in general. I am not able to describe that in depth. Indeed how would I be able to describe the essential nature of the prema for Kṛṣṇa of the ladies of Vraja?”
Commentary
idaṁ tu śrī-bhagavataḥ kasmiṁścid avatāre śrī-vaikuṇṭha-nāthe’pi vā bhaktānāṁ sādhāraṇyena jāyamānasya premṇo lakṣaṇam uktam | śrī-nanda-nandane śrī-rādhikādīnām asādhāraṇo’sau premā tu katham api na nirdeṣṭuṁ śakyate? ity āha—sāmānyata iti | tat prema tal-lakṣaṇaṁ vā tasya premṇas tattvaṁ svarūpaṁ katham ākhyātuṁ nirūpayitum alaṁ samarthaḥ syām, api tu katham api na bhavāmīty arthaḥ |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“‘“This” (idam), that is, the characteristics of the generally manifest prema of bhaktas for some avatāra of Śrī Bhagavān or even for the blessed Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, is stated [by me], but I am not able whatsoever to describe the extraordinary prema of Śrī Rādhikā and so on for the blessed Son of Nanda.’ Thus, he says sāmānyataḥ … [i.e., he speaks this verse]. ‘How would I be able (alam) to describe (ākhyātum) the essential nature (tattvam) of that prema, or, the characteristics thereof? Rather, I am not [able to] whatsoever.’ This is the meaning.”