prabalam-ananyäçrayéëä niñevétaù sahaja-rüpeëa |
agha-damano mathuräyaà sadä sanätana-tanur-jayati || 1 ||

prabalam – powerfully; ananya – exclusive; äçrayéëä – seeking refuge in; niñevétaù – served, worshipped; sahaja – inherent, natural, original; rüpeëa – with the form; agha – sin, or the Agha demon; damanaù – destroyer; mathuräyam – in the town of Mathurä; sadä – forever; sanätana-tanuù – the eternal form of Sanätana; jayati – be glorified.

– 1 –

Reading One: May the form of Sanätana Goswami be glorified – in whom alone I eagerly seek refuge, who I serve in my original form, and who destroys sin and always resides in Mathurä.

Reading Two: May the form of the Eternal Lord be glorified – in whom alone I eagerly seek refuge, who I serve in my original form, who is the killer of Aghäsura, and who always resides in Mathurä.

rasämåtäbdher-bhage ‘smin dvitéye dakñiëäbhidhe |
sämänya-bhagavad-bhakti-rasas-tävad-udéryate || 2 ||

rasa-amåta-abdheù-bhage asmin – this division of the Ambrosial Ocean; dvitéye – second; dakñiëa-abhidhe – called “Southern;” sämänya-bhagavad-bhakti-rasaù – overview of bhakti rasa; tävat – that topic; udéryate – I will discuss, bring up, present.

– 2 –

This second division of the Ambrosial Ocean of Devotion is the “Southern Ocean.” Here, I will present an overview of bhakti rasa.

Summary of the Division and It’s Topic

asya païca lahary yaù syur vibhäväkhyä ‘grimä matä |
dvitéyä tv anubhäväkhyä tåtéyä sättvikäbhidä || 3 ||

asya – in this (Southern Ocean); païca – five; lahari – waves; yaù – she; syuù – should be; vibhäva-akhyä – called “vibhäva” (“stimuli”); agrimä – the first; matä – in my opinion; dvitéyä – the second; tu – but; anubhava-akhyä – called “anubhäva” (“expressions”); tåtéyä – the third; sättvika-abhidä – called “sättvika” (“reflexive expressions”).

– 3 –

In this Southern Ocean are five waves. In my opinion, the first should be called “Stimuli” (Vibhäva), but the second should be called “Expressions” (Anubhäva), and the third called “Reflexive Expressions” (Sättvika-bhäva).

vyabhicäry abhidhä turyä sthäyi-saàjïä ca païcamé |
athäsyäù keçava-rater lakñitäyä nigadyate |
sämagré-paripoñeëa paramä rasa rüpatä || 4 ||

vyabhicäré abhidhä – called “vyabhicäré” (“counter-expressions”); turyä – the fourth; sthäyi-saàjïä – well known as “sthäyé-bhäva” (“foundational emotion”); ca – and; païcamé – the fifth; atha-asyäù – now, here; keçava-rateù – of affection for Keçava; lakñitäyä – the characteristics; nigadyate – I will describe; sämagré – completely, entirely; paripoñeëa – totally nourishing; paramä – paramount; rasa – bhakti rasa; rüpatä – the form or nature of.

– 4 –

The fourth should be called “Counter-Expressions” (Vyabhicäré-bhäva), and the fifth is well known as “Foundational Emotion” (Sthäyi-bhäva).

Now, I will describe how affection for Keçava can be completely and fully nourished to become paramount bhakti rasa.

vibhävair anubhävaiç ca sättvikair vyabhicäribhiù |
svädyatvaà hådi bhaktänäm änitä çravaëädibhiù |
eñä kåñëa-ratiù sthäyé bhävo bhakti-raso-bhavet || 5 ||

vibhävaiù – Vibhäva (“stimuli”); ca – and; anubhävaiù – Anubhäva (“expressions”); ca – and; sättvikaiù – Sättvika-bhäva (“reflexive expressions”); vyabhicäribhiù – Vyabhicäré-bhäva (“counter-expressions”); svädyatvam – tasted; hådi – in the heart; bhaktänäm – of the bhaktas, devotees; änitä – taken, brought near; çravaëädibhiù – hearing, etc.; eñä – this; kåñëa-ratiù – affection for Krishna; sthäyé bhävaù – Sthäyi-bhäva (“foundational emotion”); bhakti-rasaù – Bhakti Rasa; bhavet – if/becomes.

– 5 –

If activities like hearing about Krishna bring stimuli (Vibhäva), expressions (Anubhava), reflexive expressions (Sättvika-bhäva), and counter-expressions (Vyabhicäré-bhäva) into contact with one’s affection for Krishna, then one’s foundational emotion (Sthäyi-bhäva) becomes Bhakti Rasa, and is tasted in the heart of the devotees.

Bhakti Rasa, the transcendental experience of rapture in love of Godhead, has five components. The most basic component is the foundational emotion, “Sthäyi-bhäva,” which is the specific type of unique affection one has for Krishna. This basic emotional relationship with Krishna can be heightened into a rapturous experience (“Bhakti Rasa”) under certain circumstances. First it must be stimulated (“Vibhäva”). Hearing about Krishna, and similar activities, usually introduces the elements that create this stimulation. Once stimulated, one’s emotions for Krishna need to be experienced by being expressed through the senses (“Anubhäva”). For the experience to reach the state of divine rapture (“Bhakti Rasa”), the emotion must also be expressed reflexively, in ways such as shivering, becoming stunned, crying, perspiring, etc. (“Sättvika-bhäva”). Finally, counter-expressions (“Vyabhicäré-bhäva”) such as attempting to conceal one’s feelings heighten the experience further.

When one’s foundational emotion of attraction to Krishna is thus stimulated and expressed, it can be tasted within the heart as the divine state of bliss known as Bhakti Rasa.

präktanyädhuniké cästi yasya sad-bhakti-väsanä |
eña bhakti-rasäsvädastäsyaivä hådi jäyate || 6 ||

präktani – previously learned; ädhuniké – contemporarily; ca – and; asti – is; yasya – one who; sad-bhakti-väsanä – enveloped in eternal devotion; eña – this; bhakti-rasäsvädastä – the nature of tasting Bhakti Rasa;  asya  – in this; evä – certainly; hådi – in the heart; jäyate – is born.

– 6 –

The ability to taste Bhakti Rasa certainly develops in the heart of one who is enveloped in eternal devotion as a result of previous and contemporary studies.

Çloka 5 briefly explained what Bhakti Rasa is. Now, Çlokas 6-11 present the topic of who is qualified to experience it.

bhakti-nirdhüta-doñäëäà prasannojjvala-cetasäm |
çré-bhägavata-raktänäà rasikäsaìga-raìgiëäm || 7 ||

jévané-bhüta-govinda-päda-bhakti-sukha-çriyäm |
premäntaraìga-bhütäni kåtyäny evänutiñöhatäm || 8 ||

bhaktänäà hådi räjanté saàskära-yugalojjvalä |
ratir änanda-rüpaiva néyamänä tu rasyatäm || 9 ||

kåñëädibhir vibhävädyair gatair anubhavädhvani |
prauòhänandaç camatkära-käñöhäm äpadyate paräm || 10 ||

bhakti ­– Bhakti; nirdhüta-doñäëäm – purified of faults;  prasanna--ujjvala-cetasäm – happy, bright mind; çré-bhägavata-raktänäm – with taste for things related to Bhagavan, like Çrémad Bhägavatam, and devotees of Bhagavan; rasika-äsaìga-raìgiëäm – who take pleasure in associating with those who taste Bhakti Rasa.

jévané-bhüta – who has become the very life of; govinda-päda – the feet of Govinda; bhakti-sukha – the happiness of Bhakti; çriyäm – opulence; prema-antaraìga-bhütäni – which has become the internal aspect of Prema;  kåtyäni – activities; eva – certainly; anutiñöhatäm – those who express that station.

bhaktänäm – devotees; hådi – in the heart; räjanté – existing; saàskära-yugala – together with the impressions of previous experiences; ujjvalä – brilliant; ratiù – affection;  änanda-rüpa – the form of bliss; eva – certainly; néyamänä – being brought; tu – but; rasyatäm – to the stage of Rasa.

kåñëa-adibhiù – by Krishna, etc.; vibhäva-adyaiù – by Stimuli (“Vibhäva”), etc.; gataiù – attained; anubhava-ädhvani – expressing itself tangibly (“audibly”), prauòha-änandaù – mature bliss; camatkära-käñöhäm – the platform of wonder; äpadyate – arrives at; paräm – paramount.

– 7, 8, 9, 10 –

Those who are purified of faults, happy and bright-minded, who are inclined to Çrémad Bhägavatam, who enjoy associating with those who taste Bhakti Rasa, for whom the feet of Govinda is their very life, who are opulent with the happiness of Bhakti, and whose activities express the internal realization of Prema – When Bhakti exists in the hearts of such devotees, together with the brilliant impressions of previous experiences, then affection for Krishna is brought to the blissful stage of Rasa when excited by Stimuli, etc. (such as Krishna, etc.). When it expresses itself tangibly, it arrives at the paramount platform of wonder and mature bliss.

Persons who have attained the stage of Prema Bhakti, and who thus have the qualities described in Çlokas 7 and 8, are qualified to experience Bhakti Rasa when they encounter the appropriate stimulus for their love.

kià tu premä vibhävädyeù svalpairnéto ‘py aëéyasém |
vibhävanädy avasthäm tu sadya äsvädyataà vrajet || 11 ||

– 11 –

But what to speak of the Prema that quickly attains the state of tasty Rasa by even a little needlepoint of stimulation.

As described in Çlokas 7-10, persons who have newly attained Prema Bhakti, and who thus still have an external body, can experience Bhakti Rasa under the appropriate circumstances. Those who have further developed their Prema, however, experience Bhakti Rasa very easily, under almost any circumstance, and at the slightest provocation.

ye kåñëa-bhakti-muralénädädyä hetavo rateù |
käryabhütäù smitädyäç ca tathä ‘ñöau stabdhatä ‘dayaù || 12 ||

nirvedädyäù sahäyäç ca te jïeyä rasa-bhävane |
vibhävä anubhäväç ca sättvikä vyabhicäréëaù || 13 ||

ye – that; kåñëa-bhakti – Krishna Bhakti; muralé-näda – music of the flute; ädyäù – beginning with, “etc.”; hetavaù – the cause; rateù – affection, Rati; käri – doing, making; abhütäù – becoming what it was not before; smita – smiling; ädyäù – beginning with, “etc.”; ca – and; tathä – thereupon; añöau – eight; stabdhatä – paralysis, becoming stunned; ädayaù – beginning with, “etc.”

nirveda – apathy; ädyäù – beginning with, “etc.”; sahäyäù – together; ca – and; te – they; jïeyäù – are to be known; rasa-bhävane – the components of Rasa; vibhäväù – Stimuli (Vibhävä); anubhäväù – Expressions (Anubhävä); ca – and; sättvikäù – Reflexive Expressions (Sättvika-bhäva); vyabhicäréëaù – Counter Expressions (Vyabhicäré-bhäva).

– 12, 13 –

Things like the music of the flute cause one’s affection for Krishna to transform into expressions like smiling, becoming stunned, and feigning apathy. Know these to be known as the components of Rasa called Stimuli (Vibhäva), Expressions (Anubhäva), Reflexive Expressions (Sättvika-bhäva), and Counter Expressions (Vyabhicäré-bhäva).

Here Rupa Goswami gives an example for four of the five components of Rasa. An example of Stimuli (Vibhäva) is the music of the flute. An example of Expression (Anubhäva) is smiling. Becoming stunned is an example of Reflexive Expressions (Sättvika-bhäva). Feigned apathy is an example of Counter-Expressions (Vyabhicäré-bhäva).