Mādhurya Kādambinī – Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada

Commentaries by Śrī Rādhākuṇḍa’s Mahānta Paṇḍita Śrī Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja
Translation by Advaita das

atha saivāsaktiḥ paramapariṇāmaṁ prāptavatī ratyapara paryāyo bhāva ityākhyāṁ labhate. ya eva hi sac-cid-ānanda iti śakti-trikasya svarūpabhūtasya kantalībhāvaṁ bhajate. yam eva khalu bhakti-kalpa-vallyā utphullaṁ prasūnam ācakṣate. yasya ca bāhyaiva prabhā sarvaiḥ sudurlabhā ābhyantarī tu mokṣam api laghukaroti. yasya ca paramāṇur eka eva tamaḥ samastam unmūlayati. yasya parimalaiḥ prasṛmaraiḥ madhusūdanaṁ nimantryānīya tatra prakaṭīkartuṁ prabhūyate. kiṁ bahunā yair eva vāsitāś cittavṛtti-tilavitatayo dravībhāvamāsādya sadya eva bhagavad aṅgam akhilam eva snehayituṁ yogyataṁ dadhate. yaḥ khalvāvirbhavanneva svādhāraṁ śvapacam api brahmāder api namasyatvam āpādayati.

TRANSLATION:

āsakti in its extreme state of maturity is known as bhāva. This is the blossoming stage of three eternal potencies of the Lord sat, cit, and ānanda. bhāva is thus the blossoming flower of the desire creeper of bhakti. The outer luster of the bhāva flower is difficult to attain (sudurlabhā) and its inner luster makes liberation appear contemptible (mokṣa-laghutākṛt). Even a single particle of bhāva completely uproots ignorance. The fragrance of the bhāva flower profusely spreads in all directions, inviting the bee-like Madhusūdana, causing Him to appear. What’s more, the emotion of the heart melt like the oil of bunches of sesame seeds scented with the fragrance of bhāva, at once fit to affectionately anoint the Lord’s limbs. If such bhāva appears even in a caṇḍāla, then it makes him worthy of respect from Brahmā and others.

Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation – 

When āsakti ripens it is called bhāva. This is called rati. bhāva is the budding stage of the Lord’s three eternal śaktis namely sat, cit and ānanda or sandhinī, samvit, and hlādinī. Some consideration is offered on this. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī describes the characteristics of bhāva:

śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu sāmya-bhāk
rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyate

“When during sādhana bhakti, ruci softens the heart of a devotee, then it is called bhāva-bhakti. This bhāva-bhakti is the first ray of the rising sun of prema-bhakti, which consists of pure sattva.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.3.1) This bhāva or rati is the sprout of all kinds of sthāyi bhāvas (permanent feelings) like prema and its culminations, sneha, māna and praṇaya. From this bhāva emanate all other conditions, up to the highest one, mahābhāva. For this reason the intrinsic character of bhāva is called śuddha sattva viśeṣātmā a specific state of śuddha-sattva, or the self-manifesting transcendental state of svarūpa-śakti. śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā is the intrinsic characteristic of bhāva (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa). prema-sūryāṁśu śāmya-bhāk and rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛt are the marginal characteristics (taṭastha-lakṣaṇa) of bhāva.
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣa means a specific state of svarūpa-śakti where the combination of the essence of hlādinī (bliss potency) and samvit (cognisance potency), two of the Lord’s three items hlādinī, sandhinī and samvit, exists. vṛtti means existence or state. Here the essence of the entire hlādinī śakti and samvit śakti means the desire of the highest order to favorably serve Kṛṣṇa that eternally exists in His eternal associates such as Rādhā, Lalitā, Viśākhā, Rūpa-mañjarī, and others. Favorably serving Kṛṣṇa includes all kinds of loving services such as making garlands and betel. All such desires for favorably serving Kṛṣṇa exist only in such eternal associates. The essence of the aggregate of hlādinī and samvit śaktis is the very form of their aspiration; this is pure sattva. The soul of this pure sattva is called bhāva bhakti. In other words the specific pure sattva state of svarūpa-śakti is the very life of bhāva. As this śuddha-sattva exists in Kṛṣṇa’s eternal associates, this bhāva is also eternally perfect. nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema sādhya kabhu nay; śravaṇādi-suddha-citte karaye uday (C.C.) “Bhāva is a self manifesting state of svarūpa-śakti. It cannot be attained by devotional practices, but manifests by itself in the heart purified by such devotional practices as śravaṇa and kīrtana.” (Cai.-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22/207)
When this bhāva arises, it softens the heart through the channel of ruci. In the quoted verse from Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu the word rucibhiḥ is plural, which indicates that when bhāva bhakti appears the desire to attain Kṛṣṇa in the heart appears with it, along with the desire to serve Him favorably and to establish an affectionate relationship with Him. These three desires soften the heart.

The blessed author says that this bhāva or rati is like the blossoming flower of the wish-yielding vine of devotion. The outer luster of the blossoming flower of bhāva is sudurlabhā, rarely attained by anyone. One gets the rare wealth of bhāva only by the mercy of sādhu, guru, Śrī Hari, and by doing a lot of sādhana. The reddish inner luster of bhāva makes liberation, which is so ardently strived for by jñānīs and yogīs, appear contemptible. bhāva-bhakti thus has two characteristics: mokṣa-laghutākṛt and sudurlabhā. mokṣa-laghutākṛt is defined thus:

manāg eva prarūḍhāyāṁ hṛdaye bhagavad-ratau
puruṣārthas tu catvāras tṛṇāyante samantataḥ

“Even the slightest appearance of bhāva in the heart, makes dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa appear as insignificant as a blade of grass.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.33) Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī cites one verse from Śrī Nārada Pañcarātra in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.34): hari-bhakti mahādevyāḥ sarvāh muktādi siddhayah; bhuktayaś cādbhutās tasyāś cetikāvadānuvratāḥ “All types of liberation, perfections of mystic yoga, wonderful objects of sense enjoyments follow the supreme goddess of Bhakti with awe and reverence like maidservants.” sudurlabhā is explained thus:

sādhanaughair anāsaṅgair alabhyā sucirād api
hariṇā cāśv adeyeti dvidhā sa syāt sudurlabhā

“One is unable to attain prema-bhakti even by doing devotion without attachment for a long time. The Lord also does not give prema very easily.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.35) Hari-bhakti is thus sudurlabhā. “The Lord does not bestow prema-bhakti on the devotee until the longing to attain it becomes intense.” (yāvat phalabhūte bhaktiyoge gāḍhāsaktir na jāyate tāvan na dadātītyarthaḥ, Commentary of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.37 by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī) Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī has also written: nāyogye sahasā dātuṁ yogyeti yāvad ayogyatā tāvad bhagavatā na dīyata eva. yogyatā ca sarvānya svahita nirapekṣatvam eva “The Lord only easily gives prema to capable persons, not to incapable ones. Capability means understanding that only hari-bhakti can bestow auspiciousness. Capability also refers to one’s attachment only to bhakti and aloofness from all self-interested desires.” (Jīva Gosvāmī’s commentary of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.222)
Even a single particle of bhāva uproots the darkness of ignorance from the heart. The scent of the blossoming flower of bhāva extends up to the transcendental abode, inviting Bhagavān Madhusūdana to drink its nectar. Bees, maddened by the attractive scent of blossoming flowers, naturally come and drink their nectar with deep absorption. So too, the Lord is attracted by the blossoming flower of bhāva existing in the devotee’s heart. He Himself manifests in the devotee’s heart and becomes maddened by drinking the nectar of that bhāva-flower. Not only that, through bhāva the heart of the devotee softens in such a way that it is able to shower the Lord’s entire body with affection. This bhāva is such a pure thing that it does not at all depend on caste and makes even a dog-eater worshipable by Lord Brahmā.

udyotamāne ca asmin śyāmalimānaṁ vraja mahendra nandanasyāṅgānām eva āruṇyaṁ tadīyādhara netrāntāder eva dhavalimānaṁ tadīya vadana smita candrikāder eva pītimānaṁ tad ambara bhūṣaṇāder eva leḍhuṁ labdhāsanna samayam iva balitotkaṇṭhaṁ bhaktasya nayana dvandvam aśrubhir ajasram ātmānam abhisiñcet. gītaṁ tadīyaṁ muralyā eva śiñjitaṁ tadīya nūpurāder eva sausvaryaṁ tadīya kaṇṭhasyaiva nideśaṁ taccaraṇa paricaraṇasyaiva tat kṛtaṁ kamapi svasyāvataṁsīkartuṁ mṛgyād iva sthāne sthāne kṣaṇe kṣaṇe śravaṇa-dvayaṁ niścalībhavan unnamet. evam eva kīdṛśo vā tad ubhaya kara kiśalaya sparśa iti tadaiva tam anubhavad iva gātraṁ romāñcitaṁ bhavet. tat saurabhyaṁ labhyamānam iva viduṣyau nāse praphulle kṣaṇe kṣaṇe śvāsaṁ gṛhītvā paricicīṣetām. hanta sā phenā kiṁ me svādanīyā iti tadaiva tām upalabhamāneva rasanāpyullāsaṁ dadhānaivoṣṭhādharau lihyāt. kadāpi tadīya sphūrttau taṁ sākṣāt prāptavad iva ceto hṛṣyet tan mādhuryāsvada sampattyā mādyet tadaiva tat tirobhāve viṣīdet glāyed ityevaṁ sañcāribhāvair ātmānam alaṅkurvad iva śobheta.

TRANSLATION:

As bhāva appears, the devotee longs to relish the sweetness of Vrajendra-nandana such as the blackness of His limbs, the crimson glow of His lips and eye-rims, the white brilliance of the mild smile of His moon-like face and the yellow glow of His clothes and ornaments. His throat chokes up and he bathes himself with endless showers of tears flowing down from his eyes. He longs for his ears to be decorated with the ornaments of the song of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, the jingling of His ankle bells, and the sweet sound of His voice giving the order for the direct service of His lotus feet. Longing to relish directly the sweetness of these sounds, sometimes he runs here and there, and sometimes becomes still with his ears raised. Then he longs to relish the tender touch of the Lord’s lotus-hand, and his hairs stand erect as if directly realizing it. His nostrils open wide again and again as if, while inhaling, he is directly relishing the sweet fragrance of the Lord’s body. “Oh will I be fortunate enough to relish the nectar of the Lord’s lips?” Thus thinking, he licks his own lips with his tongue, being overjoyed as if tasting that nectar. Sometimes his heart fills with uncommon pleasure almost as if directly realizing the Lord and he becomes maddened by relishing the treasure of the Lord’s sweetness. On its disappearance, he feels deep sorrow and plunges into grief. He thus beautifies himself with the ornaments of different sañcārī-bhāvas, the transitory emotions.

Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation—

A jāta-rati-sādhaka, or a devotee who has attained rati, becomes decorated with different ornaments of ecstatic symptoms, as if directly realizing the sweetness of the Lord’s form, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Such a devotee experiences the sweetness of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, such as the blackness of His limbs, the crimson glow of His lips and eye-rims, the white brilliance of His mild smile and the yellow glow of His clothes and ornaments as if it is real. His throat chokes up and he bathes himself with endless showers of tears flowing down from his eyes, knowing that this compels Kṛṣṇa to appear. The jāta rati sādhaka pricks up his ears to hear the song of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, the jingling of His ankle bells, and the sweet sound of His voice giving orders for His direct service. When he relishes the tender, sweet touch of Kṛṣṇa’s hand his hairs stand erect as if directly realizing it, and he licks his own lips with his tongue being overjoyed with the desire to taste the nectar of His lips. He feels like: “I understand I am attaining Him now!”
The state of a jāta-rati-sādhaka is extremely blissful. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī says in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: ratir ānanda-rūpaiva. When the sādhaka with rati has attained the divine vision (sphūrti) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa he experiences boundless bliss- he goes mad with the vision of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which is a treasure of sweet relish. Then again, when the vision subsides he becomes very sad and wilts away. In this way he becomes beautiful by ornamenting himself with different sañcārī bhāvas like joy and sorrow. sañcārī-bhāvas are of thirty-three types: repentance, grief, humility, shame, fatigue, madness, pride, doubt, fear, excitement, perplexity of the heart, forgetfulness, disease, enchantment, the state preceding death, indolence, inactivity, shyness, concealment of emotions, remembrance, deliberation, thought, intelligence, steadiness, joy, eagerness, cruelty, impatience, envy, fickleness, sleep, dormancy, and knowledge. These transitory emotions accelerate the movements of bhāva. In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī explains the characteristic of each sañcārī-bhāva with examples.
In the stage of rati a devotee attains the status of sādhāka. The definition of a sādhaka bhakta is given as follows— utpanna ratayaḥ samyaṅ nairvighnyam anupāgatā kṛṣṇa sākṣāt kṛtau yogyāḥ sādhakāḥ parikīrtitāḥ “These devotees who have attained rati but are not completely free from obstacles are known as sādhakas.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.276) The following example is given (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.278): “Oh intelligent one! Do not worry that the blazing forest fire is still in your heart, though the tears arising out of the river of the Lord’s pastimes are pouring down on you. Your body hairs stand erect as if fishes are dancing. It seems that in the sky of your heart the Kṛṣṇa-cloud will soon appear, adorned with the mercy shower that even destroys the desire of drinking the sweetest nectar of this mundane world.” In other words, when tears are flowing on hearing the Lord’s pastimes, then do not worry about your material bondage. Very soon you will attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.” A devotee in the rati stage relishes hari-kathā as great nectar, while other desires are driven away from the heart. Uddhava says to Kṛṣṇa in the Bhāgavata (11.6.44):

tava vikṛīḍitaṁ kṛṣṇa nrṇāṁ parama-maṅgalam
karṇa-pīyūṣam āsvādya tyajānty anya-spṛhāṁ janāḥ

“The devotees give up all kinds of material desires by drinking the nectar of your divine pastimes, which bring supreme auspiciousness to the human being.”

buddhir apatantam evārtham avadhārayantī jāgrat svapna suṣuptiṣu tadīya smṛti vartmanyeva pānthatvam adhyavasyet. ahamtā ca prāpsyamāne sevopayogini siddhadehe praviśantīva sādhaka śarīraṁ prāyo jahātīva virājeta. mamatā ca taccaraṇāravinda makaranda eva madhukari bhavitum upakrameteti. sa ca bhaktaḥ prāptaṁ mahāratnaṁ kṛpaṇa iva janebhyo bhāvaṁ gopayann api kṣānti vairāgyādīnām āspadībhavan lasallalāṭam evāntardhanaṁ kathayatīti nyāyena tad vijña sādhu goṣṭhyāṁ vidito bhaved anyatra tu vikṣipta ityunmatta iti sajjata iti durlakṣatāṁ gacchet.

TRANSLATION:

His intelligence then unfailingly has this single purpose. The Lord remains on the path of his memory whether he sleeps, dreams or is awake. Then his self-conceit (ahantā, “I”) enters a perfected body (siddha-deha) suitable for his desired service to the Lord and is as if almost leaving the present sādhaka body. His sense of possessiveness (mamatā, “mine”) becomes like a bee ready to relish the nectar of the Lord’s lotus feet. In this stage, the devotee tries to conceal his mood (bhāva) like a miserly person hiding a precious jewel. There is a logic that a bright face tells of hidden wealth. So too, because he has such qualities as patience and renunciation, he is recognized by the realized devotees. But the common people are baffled by his activities, and think he just has a disturbed mind.

Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation—

At the stage of bhāva, the devotee constantly remembers the Lord, attaining the stage of dhruvānusmṛti. Lord Kapiladeva says that dhruvānusmṛti is the characteristic of nirguṇa-bhakti: mad-guṇa-śruti-mātreṇa mayi sarva-guhāśaye; mano-gatir avicchinā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso ‘mbudhau. lakṣaṇaṁ bhakti-yogasya nirguṇasya hy udāhṛtaṁ “As soon as one hears My qualities, the movement of one’s mind automatically becomes fixed on Me residing in everyone’s heart, just as the water of the Gaṅgā flows spontaneously towards the ocean. This is the character of nirguṇa-bhakti.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavata 3.29.11-12) A sādhaka at the rati stage never forgets Kṛṣṇa in wakefulness, dreams, or sound sleep. Generally in the state of wakefulness, the heart and mind of a common man enjoy such material objects as form and taste. The mind of a sādhaka in rati, however, is constantly absorbed in the Lord’s remembrance, instead of being absorbed in transient objects, which finally bring distress. Dreaming is just mental imagination. In the wakeful state, the outer senses such as the ears, eyes, and others are active and alert, all material objects like flavours and forms as well as all the mind’s wishes appear to be real. During the sleeping state the five outer senses are inactive, the brain then has a good chance to ponder over the world of thoughts. The mind, also being free from the outer attraction of gross material objects, wanders in the subtle kingdom. In this state the mind eagerly and attentively accepts the streams of thoughts coming in its domain. Dreaming is just a reflected shadow of such streams of thought. In the stage of rati the heart is freed from anarthas, and Śrī Hari’s form, qualities, and so on flow in the stream of thoughts instead of material topics. Thus it is natural that the jāta rati sādhaka can also see the Lord’s form and attributes.

Sound sleep is the state where the gross senses and the subtle mind, intelligence, heart, and ego also undergo deep sleep and become inactive. There is thus no chance of any thought. Merging of all gross and subtle senses into their respective causes is known as suṣupti (sound sleep). The Māṇḍūkya-Śruti says: yatra supto na kañcana kāryaṁ kāmayate na kañcana svapnaṁ paśyati tat suṣuptam, “The state wherein a sleeping person does not desire, think, or even dream is known as suṣupti.” Even in this state, the soul of a jāta-rati-sādhaka remembers the Lord.
When the two states of ego, ahantā and mamatā, exist in relation to the body and bodily objects, one is materially bound. That is, the soul identifies with the gross material body and thinks that wife, children, land, wealth and so on belong to him. brahma-jñānīs are known as muktas (liberated) as they burn these two states in the fire of knowledge of Brahman. During sādhana-bhakti the pure state of a jīva soul is awakened, or he realizes his position as an eternal servant of the Lord. This is also known as siddha svarūpa. During initiation, Śrī Gurudeva introduces one to one’s spiritual form, or relationship with the Lord in a specific mood of service. Identifying himself with his spiritual form, a sādhaka performs bhajan-items like śravaṇa and kīrtana. In the Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya the spiritual form of a sādhaka is the maidservant (mañjarī) of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. “A sādhaka who has not yet attained rati mentally establishes self-identification with this siddha svarūpa and mentally serves the Lord (mānasī-sevā). The sādhaka who has attained rati spontaneously perceives this siddha svarūpa.” The identification of one’s spiritual form is so mature in the rati stage, that a sādhaka almost forgets his present gross body. His sense of possessiveness (mamatā) becomes like a bee absorbed in relishing the nectar of the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava.
A jāta-rati-sādhaka devotee, after attaining permanent attachment to the Lord, constantly conceals his stage of bhāva from the common people like a miserly person who has a precious jewel. When one sees an elated forehead one can surmise that the person has inner wealth; similarly the learned saints can recognise the characteristics of the birth of rati and guess who has it, because the person has rati’s specific qualities like tolerance and renunciation. The characteristics of bhāva are listed in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.25-26):

kṣāntir avyartha-kālatvaṁ virakti māna-śūnyatā
āśābandhaḥ samutkaṇṭhā nāma-gāne sadā suciḥ
āsaktis tad-guṇākhyāne prītis tad-vasati-sthale
ity ādayo’nubhāvāḥ syur jāta-bhāvāṅkure jane

“Nine symptoms manifest in devotees where the sprout of bhāva has awakened: forbearance, not wasting even a moment in anything unrelated to Kṛṣṇa, detachment from worldly enjoyments, pridelessness, firm hope, eagerness, constant taste for the holy name, attachment to the descriptions of the Lord’s qualities, and affection for the places where the Lord resides.” When one’s heart remains unagitated though there are causes for agitation, that state is known as kṣānti, forbearance. Spending all time absorbed in devotional practices aloof from material affairs is known as avyartha-kālatva. Natural distaste for sense objects such as material form, taste, smell, touch and sound is known as virakti. When one is prideless in spite of one’s excellence, that state is called māna-śūnyatā. Firm hope for attaining the Lord is called āśā-bandha. The ardent desire for attaining one’s desired supreme object is known as samutkaṇṭhā. Thirst arising out of affection for constantly chanting the holy name is known as nāma-gāne sadā ruci. One’s natural attachment to describing the Lord’s most sweet qualities, pastimes and so on is called āsakti tad-gunākhyāne. Desire to reside in the places of the Lord’s pastimes such as Vṛndāvana and others is called tad-vasati-sthale prīti. When the mere sprout of bhagavad rati has arisen these symptoms can be seen in a sādhaka. Although the other symptoms of bhāva such as shedding tears, standing of bodily hairs, and so on may be seen in someone, if these nine special symptoms do not appear, one should presume that such a person is not at the rati stage.

Softness of heart is the characteristic of rati. Sometimes symptoms of rati such as shedding tears and standing of bodily hairs apparently appear in karmīs and jñānīs desiring sense enjoyments and liberation. However, these should not be considered symptoms of rati. They are simply a reflection (ābhāsa) of rati. The superficial appearance of rati (ratyābhāsa) is of two kinds: pratibimba, reflected image, and chāyā, shadow. Symptoms such as tears and standing of hairs seen in persons desiring sense enjoyment or liberation are pratibimba-ratyābhāsa. Such symptoms seen in ignorant persons by their association with devotees are chāyā-ratyābhāsa. Sometimes while hearing the Lord’s pastimes, symptoms such as tears and so on are seen in some persons who are naturally slimy (picchila). A pretender sometimes practises symptoms such as shedding tears and horripilation to cheat ordinary men. Such symptoms, however, cannot even be considered ratyābhāsa.
On the other hand, external symptoms like goosebumps and tears may not be seen in some grave-hearted devotees in the rati stage. Therefore the nine symptoms like forbearance and others are the real characteristics of rati, but when the learned saints observe the symptoms in the jāta rati sādhaka, they become acquainted with genuine rati. But the common people are baffled by his activities, and think he is just disturbed in mind.

sa ca bhāvo rāga bhaktyuttho vaidha bhaktyuttha iti dvividhaḥ. ādyo jāti pramāṇābhyām ādhikyena mahima jñānānādarena bhagavati sāmānyādhikyācca sāndraḥ. dvitīyaḥ tābhyāṁ prathamataḥ kiñcin nyūnatvena aiśvarya jñāna viddha mamatāvat tvāccāsāndraḥ. prāyo dvividha evāyaṁ bhāvo dvividhānāṁ bhaktānāṁ dvividha cid vāsanā sanātheṣu hṛdayesu sphuraṇ dvividhāsvādyatvaṁ bhajate. ghanarasa iva rasāla panasekṣu drākṣādiṣu praviṣṭah pṛthak pṛthaṅ mādhuryavattvaṁ bhajate. te ca bhaktāḥ śānta dāsa sakhi pitṛ preyasībhāvavantaḥ pañcavidhāḥ syuḥ. tatra śānteṣu śāntir iti dāseṣu prītir iti sakhiṣu sakhyam iti pitṛ bhāvavatsu vātsalyam iti preyasībhāvavatsu priyateti nāmatedam api.

TRANSLATION:

This bhāva is of two types: arising from spontaneous devotion and arising from devotion under scriptural injunctions. The first one is very intense due to its higher quality and quantity. Knowledge of the Lord’s power and majesty is absent in devotees having the first type of bhāva. They think themselves to be equal or superior to the Lord. The second type of bhāva is not so intense due to its lesser quality and quantity. Devotees having this rati have affection to the Lord mixed with the knowledge of His power and majesty as the almighty Lord. These two types of bhāva are relished in two different ways by the two types of devotees having two different transcendental desires. As the juice of mango, jackfruit, sugarcane, and grapes differ in density, so the sweetness differs in different bhāvas. The devotees relishing different moods are of five types: śānta (neutral), dāsya (servants), sakhya (friends) vātsalya (parents), and mādhurya (amorous lovers). The names of the ratis thus differ in them: śānta-bhaktas have śānti-rati (neutral mood), dāsya-bhaktas have prīti-rati (affectionately serving mood), sakhya-bhaktas have sakhya-rati (fraternal love), fathers and mothers have vātsalya-rati (parental love) and preyasī-bhāva-bhaktas have priyatā-rati (amorous love).

Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation—

bhāva is of two types: one arising from spontaneous devotion (rāgānugā bhakti) and arising from devotion under scriptural injunctions (vaidhī bhakti). Therefore the feelings are also twofold – feelings arising from rāga bhakti and feelings arising from vidhi bhakti. The feelings arising from rāga bhakti are greater than those arising from vidhi bhakti, both in quality and quantity, because in vaidhi bhakti the Lord is approached with feelings of awe and reverence as the Supreme Lord. Thus the relish is not uninterrupted. Their affection for the Lord is mixed with knowledge of His power and majesty. Those in rāga-bhakti lack such awe and reverence, or knowledge of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s power and majesty. Their relationship with the Lord as their son or beloved is spontaneous and they thus uninterruptedly relish His sweetness. This is called laukika sad bandhu bhāva — mora putra mora sakhā mora prāṇapati (“He is my son, my pal or my lover”, CC). In this way each kind of devotee in which such transcendental feelings have arisen, relishes the Lord’s sweetness according to their feelings of either vidhi bhakti or rāga bhakti.
Again, just as mango, jackfruit, cane sugar and grapes are each sweeter and more relishable than their predecessor, similarly the five kinds of devotional moods śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and mādhurya bhāvas are successively relishable. Śrīman Mahāprabhu taught Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī:

śāntera svabhāva–kṛṣṇe mamatā gandha hīna;
paraṁ brahma paramātmā-jñāna pravīṇa
kevala `svarūpa jñāna’ haya śāntā-rase;
‘pūrṇaiśvarya-prabhu-jñāna’ adhika haya dāsye
īśvara-jñāna sambhrama-gaurava pracura;
`sevā kari’ kṛṣṇa sukha dena nirantara
śāntera guṇa dāsye ache, adhika-‘sevāna’;
ataeva dāsya-rasera ei dui guṇa
śāntera guṇa dāsyera sevana sākhye dui hoy;
dāsyera sambhrama gaurava-sevā sakhye viśvāsamoy
kāndhe caḍe, kāndhe caḍāya, kare kṛīda-raṇa;
kṛṣṇa seve, kṛṣṇa karāya āpana-sevana
viśrambha-pradhāna sakhyagaurava sambhramahīna;
ataeva sakhyarasera tin guṇa cina
mamatā adhika, kṛṣṇe ātmā-sama jñāna;
ataeva sakhya-rasera vaśa bhagavān
vātsalye śāntera guṇa, dāsyera sevāna;
sei sei sevānera ihāṅ nāma-pālana
sakhyera guṇa–`asaṅkoca agaurava’ sāra;
mamatādhikaye tāḍana-bhartsana-vyavahāra
āpanāke `pālaka’ jñāna, kṛṣṇe ‘pālya’-jñāna;
cāri rasera guṇe vātsalya amṛta-samāna
……………………….
madhura-rase-kṛṣṇa niṣṭhā, sevā atiśaya;
sakhyera asaṇkoca, lālana-mamatādhikya hoy
kānta-bhāve nijāṅga diyā karena sevana;
ataeva mādhura-rasera haya `pañca’ guṇa
ākāśādira guṇa yena para para bhūte;
eka-dui-tina-cāri krame pañca pṛthivīte
ei-mata madhure saba bhāva-samāhāra;
ataeva asvādādhikye kare camatkāra

“The nature of śānta-rasa is that not even a trace of affection for Kṛṣṇa exists. Rather, knowledge of the Lord as the Supreme Brahman and Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is predominant. In śānta-rasa one only realizes the Lord’s philosophical existence (svarūpa jñāna). One in dāsya-rasa, however, realizes the Lord’s form full of majesty. Knowledge of the Lord’s supremacy with awe and reverence is prominent in this stage. The devotees in dāsya-rasa constantly give pleasure to Kṛṣṇa by serving Him. In dāsya-rasa, all the characteristics of śānta-rasa are also present, but the serving mood is added. Thus dāsya-rasa has the characteristics of both śānta and dāsya. The qualities of śānta and the serving mood of dāsya are both present in sakhya-rasa. In sakhya-rasa, the serving mood of dāsya-rasa is felt with confidence and affection instead of awe and reverence. Sometimes during mock fighting, Kṛṣṇa climbs on the shoulders of the cowherd boys and sometimes Kṛṣṇa carries them on His shoulders. Sometimes they serve Kṛṣṇa and sometimes they make Kṛṣṇa serve them. In fraternity, awe and reverence is absent and intimacy is predominant. sakhya-rasa, therefore, has the qualities of śānta, dāsya and sakhya rasas. In sakhya-rasa, affection for Kṛṣṇa is intense and cowherd friends consider themselves equal to Him. The Lord is thus under the control of His friends. vātsalya-rasa has the qualities of śānta-rasa and the serving mood of dāsya-rasa, but the service in this rasa is known as pālana, maintenance. Due to the intense affection of vātsalya-rasa and its lack of awe and reverence, the devotees in vātsalya-rasa sometimes chastise and rebuke Kṛṣṇa. Devotees in vātsalya-rasa consider themselves as Kṛṣṇa’s maintainer and Kṛṣṇa as the object of maintenance. vātsalya-rasa is like nectar because it has the qualities of four rasas: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, and vātsalya. In mādhurya-rasa, the qualities of steadiness in Kṛṣṇa of śānta-rasa, abundant service of dāsya-rasa, lack of awe and reverence of sakhya-rasa, maintenance of Kṛṣṇa due to intense affection of vātsalya-rasa are all present. In addition to all these, the special quality of mādhurya-rasa is that the devotees serve Kṛṣṇa by intimately offering their bodies in His service. mādhurya-rasa thus has the qualities of all five rasas. As sound, the quality of sky, is also present in the other four material elements, air, fire, water, and earth, similarly the qualities increase one after another successively in each element. Earth thus has all five qualities, sound, touch, form, taste, and smell. Similarly, mādhurya-rasa is also an accumulation of all five types of rasas. The intense taste is very astonishing.” (Cai.-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19/218-234)

One may say that when taste increases in rasas starting from śānta-rasa, then all devotees should have intention to relish the amorous rasa which is superior to all other rasas. Other rasas should appear insignificant to them, because everyone desires the object of superior quality. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2/5/38) thus says:

yathottaramasau svāda-viśeṣollāsamayyapi
ratir vāsanayā svādvī bhāsate kāpi kasyacit

“Taste increases gradually in śānta-rati, dāsya-rati, sakhya-rati, vātsalya-rati, and madhura-rati. Depending on the previous desires of devotees, taste for a specific rati differs in them.” For instance, due to one’s previous habits, one has a taste for any one of the six tastes such as sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and so on. Similarly, due to previous desires, one attains a taste for a specific rati out of the five ratis. The taste for ratis, such as dāsya, sakhya, and so on, also depends on the mood of the mahat (exalted devotee) from whom one is attaining mercy in this birth.
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmīpāda writes in the commentary of this śloka, “The ratis starting with śānta are always more tasty than their predecessors, still each person engages in the rati that he has taste for. There may be a question now who will ascertain the superiority and inferiority of these five ratis? Persons having no taste (nirvāsana) or having a single taste (eka-vāsana) cannot ascertain this since they have no experience of other rasas. One who has a taste for more than one rati (bahu vāsana) is unable to distinguish the difference of tastes. Only one who is immersed in a single rasa can detect the difference in ratis. Though he does not have the taste for other rasas, he can understand the characteristics of another rasa by comparing it with the rasa for which he has the taste. He thus infers the conclusion by seeing which factors nourish or pollute that particular rasa. For instance, with Śrī Uddhava, though a mixture of fraternity is present along with a servitude mood, still he is known as a dāsya-bhakta because of the predominance of servitude (dāsya) in his rasa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata explains that he inferred the superiority of the amorous rasa present in the Vraja gopīs by seeing the most astonishing overflow of amorous love in them. Though he himself was a dāsya-bhakta, he was still able to realize the excellency of amorous rasa. He thus prayed for birth as a grass or creeper in Vṛndāvana, desiring to attain the dust of the feet of gopīs.

In the śānta bhakta there is śānti rati, in the dāsa bhakta there is prīti rati, in the friend there is sakhya, in the mother and father there is vātsalya and in the madhura bhāva there is priyatā rati — these are the names under which these ratis are known.

punaś cāyaṁ svaśaktair āvirbhāvitair vibhāvānubhāva vyabhicāribhir ātmeva rājeva vā prakṛtibhir udbhūtaiśvaryaḥ sthāyīti nāmnā vaiśiṣṭyaṁ gacchan tair militaḥ śānta iti dāsyam iti sakhyam iti vātsalyam iti ujjvala iti labdha vibhedo raso bhavati. yo hi raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hyevāyaṁ labdhānandībhavatīti śrutyābhidhīyate ayam anyatrāvatāre’vatāriṇi va sambhavannapi svayaṁ sampūrtimānaṁ tatra tatrālabhamāno vrajendranandana eva svakāṣṭhāṁ labhate. nada nadī taḍāgādiṣu sambhavann api yathā samudra eva jalanidhitvam. yo hi bhāvasya prathama pariṇatāveva utpadyamāna eva premṇi mūrta eva rasaḥ sākṣād eva tadvatā bhaktenānubhūyata iti.
iti mahāmahopadhyāya śrīmad viśvanātha cakravarti viracitāyāṁ mādhurya kādambinyāṁ paramānanda niṣyandināmā saptamyamṛta vṛṣṭiḥ (7)

TRANSLATION:

Again, these five bhāvas by their own power take vibhāva, anubhāva, and vyabhicārī as their subjects and become sthāyi-bhāvas, permanent attachments, like independent kings fully endowed with opulences. When these kings, sthāyi-bhāvas, unite with all the above subordinates, they transform into śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and ujjvala rasas. Each rasa has its own excellency. Śrutis say that the Original Personality of Godhead is the embodiment of rasa and the jīva attains spiritual bliss by attaining Him in this capacity. Though lakes, rivers, and ponds all contain water, only the ocean is known as the ultimate reservoir of water. So too, though rasa is present in all manifestations of the Lord and the original avatāra or avatārī, it does not reach its paramount in them. Rasa only attains its climax in Vrajendra-nandana. When bhāva matures and ripens into prema, then Vrajendra-nandana is realized as rasa personified by the rasika devotees.

Pīyūṣa kaṇā explanation—

Now it is described how śrī kṛṣṇa-rati turns into rasa. The aforementioned śānti rati, prīti rati, sakhya, vātsalya and priyatā ratis by their own power take vibhāva, anubhāva, and vyabhicārī as their subjects and become sthāyi-bhāvas, permanent attachments, like independent kings fully endowed with opulences. When these kings, sthāyi-bhāvas, unite with all the above subordinates, they transform into śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and ujjvala rasas. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2/5/1-2) says:

aviruddhān viruddhāṇś ca bhāvān yo vaśatāṁ nayan
surājeva virājetā sa sthāyi-bhāva ucyate
sthāyi-bhāvo’tra sa proktaḥ śrī kṛṣṇa viṣayā ratiḥ

“When sthāyi-bhāva exists like a powerful king controlling over the secondary harmonious and opposing bhāvas, such as laughter and anger respectively, then it is known as sthāyi-bhāva, permanent attachment. In the devotional scriptures, permanent attachment to Kṛṣṇa is known as sthāyi-bhāva.”

vibhāvarair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ
svādyatvaṁ hṛdi bhaktānām ānitā śravaṇādibhiḥ
eṣā kṛṣṇa-ratiḥ sthāyi-bhāvo bhakti-raso bhavet

“The sthāyi-bhāva of śrī kṛṣṇa rati, combined with vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika, and vyabhicārī attains its relishable form known as bhakti-rasa. This is relished by the devotees within their hearts by hearing and other devotional practices.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.5) Gradually maturing, rati successively attains the names prema, sneha, māna, prānaya, rāga, anurāga, and mahābhāva. All these stages are also known as the sthāyi-bhāva of śrī kṛṣṇa bhakti-rasa, the flavours of devotion to Kṛṣṇa. When this sthāyi bhāva meets with rasa ingredients like vibhāva (cause of an emotion) it reaches an astonishing status of relish and is called bhakti rasa. Śrīman Mahāprabhu taught Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī:

sādhana-bhakti haite haya ratira udaya;
rati gāḍha haile tāra prema nāma kaya
prema vṛddhi-krama nāma-sneha, māna, praṇoy;
rāga, anurāga, bhāva, mahābhāva hoy
yaiche bīja, ikṣu, rasa, guḍa khaṇḍa-sāra;
śarkarā, sitā, miśrī, uttama-miśri āra
ei saba kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasera sthāyi-bhāva;
sthāyi-bhāva mile yadi vibhāva, anubhāva
sāttvika, vyabhicāri, bhāvera milane;
kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa haya amṛta āsvādane
yaiche dadhi, sitā, ghṛta, marica, karpūra;
milane rasālā haya amṛta madhura

“By the process of sādhana-bhakti, rati, or permanent attachment, gradually appears. When rati intensifies it is known by the name prema, or divine love. When prema gradually matures, it is successively known by the names sneha (affection), māna (anger out of love), praṇaya (deep love), rāga (attachment), anurāga (intense attachment), bhāva (highest limit of anurāga), and mahābhāva (extreme state of bhāva). These can be compared with the gradually increasing sweetness of the seed of the sugarcane, sugarcane, juice, liquid molasses, dry molasses, candy, rock candy, and excellent candy. All these stages are called sthāyi-bhāva in kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa. This sthāyi-bhāva becomes kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa when vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika and vyabhicārī bhāvas combine with it. It becomes as relishable as the combination of yogurt, rock candy, ghī, black pepper and camphor known as rasālā, which is a drink as sweet as nectar.”
(Cai.-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19/177-182)

The causes that make one relish rati are called vibhāvas. They are two types: ālambana (basis) and uddīpana (stimulus that awakens permanent attachment). ālambana is of two types: viṣayālambana (basic object of prema) and āśrayālambana (basic subject of prema). In kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa, Kṛṣṇa is known as viṣayālambana because bhakti is stimulated within the heart of a devotee making Kṛṣṇa its aim or object. Devotees are āśrayālambana because they are the support or base of bhakti, since bhakti resides within their hearts. When Kṛṣṇa loves His devotees, then He Himself becomes āśrayālambana, or basic subject of bhakti rati. He loves His devotees because of the bhakti residing in their hearts. Then the devotees become viṣayālambana, the basic object. The flute’s call, clouds and peacock feathers are uddīpana-vibhāva, or stimuli in awakening kṛṣṇa-rati, or sthāyi-bhāva. Dancing, rolling on the ground, singing, crying loudly, symptoms that indicate the awakening of ecstasy within the heart appearing externally as bodily transformations are known as anubhāvas. Shedding tears, standing of bodily hairs, trembling and so on are known as sāttvika-bhāvas. As they are also included in anubhāvas, the author has not separately referred to sāttvika-bhāvas by name. Still, the authors of rasa-śāstra have given the separate name sāttvika, because anubhāvas like dancing and rolling around appear intentionally, unlike tears and goosebumps. When the heart is struck with bhāva these latter symptoms spontaneously appear from the heart. tataś ca nṛtyādīnāṁ satyapi sattvotpannatve buddhi pūrvikā pravṛttiḥ stambhādīnām tu svata eva pravṛttir ityasya lakṣaṇasya nṛtyādiṣu nātivyāptiḥ (ṭīkā Śrīmat Jīva Gosvāmī, Bhakti Rasāmṛta sindhu, 2.3.2) “The bhāvas that are solely arising from sattva are called sāttvika bhāvas. Hence although symptoms like dancing arise from sattva they are not performed deliberately; rather symptoms like paralysis appear spontaneously and are not ativyāpti (surpassing the natural characteristic) in dancing and so. Joy, distress, and so on are thirty-three types of sañcārī, or vyabhicārī-bhāvas, transitory emotions. They stir and excite the movement of sthāyi-bhāva, and are thus known as sañcārī-bhāva. They appear like waves from the ocean of sthāyi-bhāva, swelling up and again merging within it. These sañcārī-bhāvas are also known as transitory emotions. When the sthāyibhāva of kṛṣṇa rati meet with all these rasa-ingredients it becomes rasa.
It does not mean that just after attaining rati, one can relish rasa. The ability to relish devotional nectar depends on one’s previous desires. prāktanyādhūnikī cāsti yasya sadbhakti-vāsanā; eṣa bhakti rasāsvādas tasyaiva hṛdī jāyate, “One can only relish the divine rasa if one has had spiritual desire for bhakti in both this and the previous birth.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 2.1.6) In his commentary on this verse Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda has written: prāktani vāsanā tu ratyāsvāde’vaśyam apekṣitā ataeva ekasminn janmani daivān niraparādhair guru pādāśrayaṇādibhir janais tasminn eva janmani ratau jātāyām api tasyāḥ āsvādaḥ kintu janmāntara iti bodhyam “Though the existence of rati clearly indicates the presence of the desire for bhakti in this life and its maturing into a rasa-form, the ability to relish its rasa form depends on one’s previous desires. If some offenseless person practises bhajana by taking shelter of gurudeva and attains rati in this life, still he will have to wait for the next life to relish its rasa form.” In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.7-10) Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmī explains the procedure for the appearance of rasa, the criteria that help in the appearance of rasa, and the manner rati transforms into its rasa form.

bhakti-nirdhūta-doṣānāṁ prasannojjvala cetasām
śrī-bhāgavata raktānāṁ rasikāsaṅga raṅgiṇām
jīvanībhūtā govinda-pāda-bhakti-sukha-śriyām
premāntaraṅga bhūtāni kṛtyānyevānutiṣṭhatām
bhaktānāṁ hṛdi rājanti saṁskāra yugalojjvalā
ratir ānandarūpaiva nīyamānā tu rasyatām
kṛṣṇādibhir vibhāvādyair gatair anubhavādhvani
praūḍhānanda camatkāra kāṣṭhāmāpadyate paraṁ

“For persons who have all material contamination washed away by the effect of bhakti, their hearts thus becoming blissful or suitable for the manifestation of viśuddha-sattva, who are brightly enlightened, or full of all transcendental knowledge, who are highly attached to the exalted devotees, who feel overjoyed by the constant association of rasika devotees, who consider the wealth of bliss of devotion to Govinda’s lotus feet as their very life, who are constantly engaged in the innermost devotional practices like hearing, chanting, recollecting and so on for attaining prema, and whose hearts are brightened due to the presence of previous and present desires of devotion, blissful rati combines with vibhāva, anubhāva and other Kṛṣṇa-conscious experiences, attaining the climax of highly matured bliss and astonishment.”

Introducing the transcendental form of the Lord, the śrutis say, raso vai saḥ “He is rasa personified.” prajñānānandaṁ brahma “He is the absolute truth with complete spiritual knowledge and He is completely blissful.” ānando brahmeti vyajanāt “The Absolute truth is blissful.” The śrutis thus declare that His form is rasa itself. Similarly by saying, rasaṁ hyevāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati “One can attain bliss by attaining the Lord, personified rasa,” the śrutis also encourage souls who crave for transcendental ecstasy to relish that ecstasy. Though all the transcendental forms of the Lord are rasamayī, full of rasa, only in Kṛṣṇa, the Original Personality of Godhead, are all rasas simultaneously present. In some avatāras, the partial manifestation of a rasa is seen, but Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the embodiment of all rasas. All rasas fully manifest or culminate in Him. The rasika devotees realize Him as the embodiment of rasas. Just as there may be water in ponds and lakes, but the shelter and vessel of all water is the ocean, similarly all forms of the Lord may have rasa, but the root vessel of rasa is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He is the embodiment of rasa. rasika bhaktas experience Him as the embodiment of rasa. Whatever rasa one may be relishing in relation to Him, one realizes Him as the embodiment of that rasa. For instance, Śrī Jayadeva, a devotee in mādhurya-rasa, writes, śṛṅgāra rasa mūrtimān, “O sakhi! See personified amorous love in the form of Kṛṣṇa.” Bilvamaṅgala says, śṛṅgāra rasa sarvasvam “He Himself is whole and sole amorous love.”