Described in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu - The Science of Devotional Service
The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, authored by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, is the "Ocean of the Nectar of Devotion." It serves as the primary textbook for the science of bhakti-yoga. Unlike vague sentimentalism, this work provides a rigorous analysis of the relationship between the atomic soul and the Infinite Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda, who presented this work to the world as The Nectar of Devotion, explains that it describes the specific symptoms, stages, and varieties of love that exist in the spiritual world.
The Primary Mellows of Love
The central theme of the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is the classification of rasas, or transcendental mellows. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that there are five primary relationships a devotee can have with Kṛṣṇa: śānta (neutrality), dāsya (servitude), sakhya (friendship), vātsalya (parenthood), and madhurya (conjugal love). Each relationship is distinct and possesses unique characteristics. For example, in sakhya-rati, the devotee feels equal to the Lord, while in vātsalya-rati, the devotee thinks of the Lord as a dependent child.
- In that part (of the western division of the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu) there is a description of devotional service in neutrality, further development in love and affection (called servitude), further development in fraternity.
- Vatsalya-rati is described in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.5.33). When a living entity is situated on the platform of vatsalya-rati, he thinks of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His childhood feature.
- Sakhya-rati is described in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (2.5.30). According to the opinion of advanced devotees and learned scholars, a devotee in sakhya-rati feels equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is a relationship in friendship.
The Secondary Mellows
Beyond the five primary relationships, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes seven secondary, or indirect, mellows. These are comedy (hāsya), wonder (adbhuta), chivalry (vīra), compassion (karuṇa), anger (raudra), dread (bhayānaka), and ghastliness (bībhatsa). Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that while these emotions are often negative in the material world, when applied to Kṛṣṇa, they become ecstatic. For instance, raudra-bhakti-rasa is devotion mixed with anger, as exhibited by Bhīma when he saw enemies of Kṛṣṇa.
- Raudra-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 4.5.1): When devotion is mixed with anger in the heart of the devotee, the taste is called raudra-bhakti-rasa.
- Vira-bhakti-rasa is described as follows (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 4.3.1): When attachment to Krsna mixes with the bellicose tendency, the charitable tendency or the merciful tendency in the heart of the devotee, such devotion is called vira-bhakti-rasa.
- Adbhuta-rasa is described in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (4.2.1): When one’s general attachment is fixed in wonder, it is called adbhuta-bhakti-rasa.
Symptoms of Ecstatic Love
When a devotee advances in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the body undergoes transformations known as sāttvika-bhāvas. The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu lists eight such symptoms, including becoming stunned (stambha), standing of hairs (pulaka), change of color (vaivarṇya), and shedding tears. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that these are not artificial displays but genuine reactions of the soul overwhelmed by spiritual emotion. He notes that while these symptoms are rare in the material world, they were perfectly visible in the person of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
- In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, eight kinds of transcendental changes taking place in the body are described. Stambha, being stunned, refers to the mind’s becoming transcendentally absorbed.
- Vaivarnya is described (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu) as a change in the bodily color. It is caused by a combination of moroseness, anger and fear. When these emotions are experienced, the complexion turns pale and the body becomes lean and thin.
- The ecstatic transformations of the body described in such exalted literatures as the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu are practically not seen in this material world. However, these symptoms were perfectly present in the body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Progression of Devotion
The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu is also a guidebook for the practitioner. It delineates the path from the initial stage of sādhana-bhakti (devotional service in practice) to bhāva-bhakti (devotional service in ecstasy) and finally to prema-bhakti (pure love of God). Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī describes the characteristics of a person who has achieved these stages, such as perseverance, detachment, and intense eagerness to serve.
- In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15-16), Srila Rupa Gosvami, a great authority in the devotional line, describes the different stages in coming to the point of love of Godhead.
- The Nectar of Devotion, a summary study of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, explains those symptoms (of bhava stage) and vividly describes other transcendental developments, both in steady and accelerating manifestations.
- Rupa Gosvami describes the characteristics of a person who has actually developed his ecstatic love for Krsna. The characteristics are as follows: (1) He is always anxious to utilize his time in the devotional service of the Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always, twenty-four hours a day, without deviation. (2) He is always reserved and perseverant. (3) He is always detached from all material attraction. (4) He does not long for any material respect in return for his activities. (5) He is always certain that Kṛṣṇa will bestow His mercy upon him. (6) He is always very eager to serve the Lord faithfully. (7) He is very much attached to the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. (8) He is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord. (9) He is very pleased to live in a place where the Lord's pastimes are performed, e.g., Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Dvārakā..
Conclusion
The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu stands as the most authoritative treatise on the science of devotion. By studying this work, one moves beyond theoretical knowledge into the realm of practical realization. As Śrīla Prabhupāda states, this text teaches us how to transform our mundane emotions into spiritual ecstasy, ultimately leading to the highest perfection of life: pure love for Kṛṣṇa.
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