20211027 Qualities and Characteristics of Śānta-Rasa, Dāsya-Rasa, Sakhya-Rasa and Vātsalya-Rasa Are Amalgamated in Madhura-Rasa

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on October 27th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Qualities and Characteristics of Śānta-Rasa, Dāsya-Rasa, Sakhya-Rasa and Vātsalya-Rasa Are Amalgamated in Madhura-Rasa

Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.211

śānta-rasera guṇa-o svarūpa:—

śānta-rase—‘svarūpa-buddhye kṛṣṇaika-niṣṭhatā’
“śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ” iti śrī-mukha-gāthā

Transalation: “When one is fully attached to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, one attains the śamatā stage. The word ‘śamatā’ is derived from the word ‘śama’; therefore śānta-rasa, the position of neutrality, means being fully attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. This is the verdict from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. This state is called self-realization.

Purport: The corresponding verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.1.47) follows.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.212

Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (3.1.47)—

śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddher
iti śrī-bhagavad-vacaḥ
tan-niṣṭhā durghaṭā buddher
etāṁ śānta-ratiṁ vinā

Translation: “‘These are the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: “When one’s intelligence is fully attached to My lotus feet but one does not render practical service, one has attained the stage called śānta-rati, or śama.” Without śānta-rati, attachment to Kṛṣṇa is very difficult to achieve.’

Jayapatākā Swami: So, attachment to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet without doing service is śānta rāsa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.213

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (11.19.33) —

śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddher
dama indriya-saṁyamaḥ
titikṣā duḥkha-sammarṣo
jihvopastha-jayo dhṛtiḥ

Translation: “‘The word “śama” or “śānta-rasa” indicates that one is attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. “Dama” means controlling the senses and not being deviated from the Lord’s service. endurance of unhappiness is “titikṣā,” and “dhṛti” means controlling the tongue and the genitals.’

Purport His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: This verse is from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.19.36). The conditioned soul under the clutches of māyā, the material energy, is very much agitated by the urges of the tongue and the genitals. Control of the urges of the tongue, the belly and the genitals (which are situated in a straight line) is called dhṛti. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says, tāra madhye jihvā ati, lobhamaya sudurmati. Among the senses, the tongue is the most formidable enemy of the conditioned soul. Urged by the tongue, one commits many sinful activities. Although Kṛṣṇa has given human beings nice food, people still commit sins by killing poor animals for the satisfaction of the tongue. Not being able to control the tongue, the conditioned soul eats more than he needs. Of course, everyone must eat to keep the body fit for the Lord’s service, but when one cannot control the senses, he falls victim to the dictations of the tongue and the belly. Naturally, genital agitation follows, and one seeks illicit sex. However, if one is fixed at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can control the tongue. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura further states, kṛṣṇa baḍa dayāmaya, karibāre jihvā jaya, sva-prasāda-anna dilā bhāi: in order to conquer the tongue, Kṛṣṇa has been very merciful and has given us nice food that has been offered to Him. When a person is attached to Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, he does not eat anything not offered to Kṛṣṇa. Sei annāmṛta khāo, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-guṇa gāo, preme ḍāka caitanya-nitāi. Since a devotee eats only prasādam, he conquers the dictations of the tongue, belly and genitals. One can control the dictates of the senses when situated in the position of śānta-rasa. Then one’s advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is assured.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the śānta-rasa is the first stage of devotional service or bhakti yoga. One controls the senses by engaging them in Kṛṣṇa’s service, rather than being a go-dāsa, servant of the urges of the senses, a Gosvāmī is the controller of senses, go meaning senses.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.214

kṛṣṇa vinā tṛṣṇā-tyāga—tāra kārya māni
ataeva ‘śānta’ kṛṣṇa-bhakta eka jāni

Translation: “Giving up all desires not connected with Kṛṣṇa is the business of one who is in śānta-rasa. Only a devotee of Kṛṣṇa can be situated on that platform. He is thus called a śānta-rasa-bhakta.

Purport His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda: In this position, one is freed from all material enjoyment. When one is not agitated or disturbed, he can immediately realize his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. A śānta-rasa devotee is therefore always fixed in realization. This instruction was given by the Lord Himself to Uddhava. The beginning of pure devotional service is called anyābhilāṣitā-śūnya. When one is situated on the platform of neutrality, he is freed from the material platform and fully situated in spiritual life. The word dama, used in verse 213, means indriya-saṁyama — curbing one’s senses. The word dama can also mean curbing one’s enemies. A king has to take steps to curb the criminal activities of his citizens. Great rājarṣis, devotee kings, used to control undesirable elements in their states, and this also may be called dama. However, dama here refers to the conditioned soul who must control his senses. Real dama means controlling the undesirable activities of the senses.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, by engaging the senses in Kṛṣṇa’s service, like eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda controls the tongue. Similarly, if one uses all the senses in Kṛṣṇa service, then he can achieve self-realization. This is the process of bhakti-yoga, and this is the first step when one is in śānta-rasa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.215

svarga, mokṣa kṛṣṇa-bhakta ‘naraka’ kari’ māne
kṛṣṇa-niṣṭhā, tṛṣṇā-tyāga—śāntera ‘dui’ guṇe

Translation: “When a devotee is situated on the platform of śānta-rasa, he desires neither elevation to the heavenly planets nor liberation. These are the results of karma and jñāna, and the devotee considers them no better than hell. A person situated on the śānta-rasa platform manifests the two transcendental qualities of detachment from all material desires and full attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, it is important that the devotee is fully attached to Kṛṣṇa and engage his senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, and being detached from material sensual desires, then he can achieve the level of śānta-rasa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.216

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (6.17.28)—

nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ

Translation: “‘A person who is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, is not afraid of anything. Elevation to the heavenly kingdom, condemnation to hell and liberation from material bondage all appear the same to a devotee.’

Purport: This verse is quoted from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.17.28). Elevation to the heavenly planets, liberation from material bondage, and condemnation to hell are all equal to the devotee. The devotee’s only desire is to be attached to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and to engage in His transcendental loving service.

Jayapatākā Swami: Somehow, material goals seem insane to the devotees , they don’t want any of them just want attachment in service to the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.217

sakala bhagavad-bhaktei śānta-rasa anusūta:—

ei dui guṇa vyāpe saba bhakta-jane
ākāśera ‘śabda’-guṇa yena bhūta-gaṇe

Translation: “These two qualities of the śānta stage spread through the lives of all devotees. They are like the quality of sound in the sky. Sound vibration is found in all material elements.

Purport: The two qualities of śānta-rasa mentioned in verse 215 are present in all kinds of devotees, whether they are in dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or madhura-rasa. The example of sound is given herein. Sound not only exists in the sky, or ether, but it is also present in air, fire, water and earth. This is a scientific explanation of devotional service. Just as sound is present in all material elements, the qualities found in śānta-rasa are present in all devotees, whether they are on the platform of dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa or madhura-rasa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the two qualities of śānta-rasa are present in all the other rasas.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.218

śānta-rase—kṛṣṇe nirapekṣa-bhāva:—

śāntera svabhāva—kṛṣṇe mamatā-gandha-hīna
‘paraṁ-brahma’-‘paramātmā’-jñāna pravīṇa

Translation: “It is the nature of śānta-rasa that not even the smallest intimacy exists. Rather, knowledge of impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā is prominent.

Purport: Because of an impersonal impression of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a devotee in the śānta-rasa relationship worships the impersonal Brahman or localized aspect of the Absolute Truth (Paramātmā). He does not develop a personal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Although the two qualities, detachment from material desires and attachment to Kṛṣṇa of śānta-rasa is present in all the rasas, sānta-rasa devotees do not get intimacy to Kṛṣṇa. They see Kṛṣṇa in His localized or impersonal aspect, more prominently.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.219

dāsya-rase—śāntarasa + sevā:—

kevala ‘svarūpa-jñāna’ haya śānta-rase
‘pūrṇaiśvarya-prabhu-jñāna’ adhika haya dāsye

Translation: “On the platform of śānta-rasa, one realizes only his constitutional position. But when one is raised to the platform of dāsya-rasa, he better understands the full opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Jayapatākā Swami: In dāsya-rasa one is brought closer to Kṛṣṇa, and realizes the opulence and position of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.220

īśvara-jñāna, sambhrama-gaurava pracura
‘sevā’ kari’ kṛṣṇe sukha dena nirantara

Translation: “On the dāsya-rasa platform, knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed with awe and veneration. By rendering service unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, the devotee in dāsya-rasa gives constant happiness to the Lord.

Jayapatākā Swami: Kṛṣṇa is happy when the dāsya-rasa devotee becomes happy because he is part of Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.221

śāntera guṇa dāsye āche, adhika—‘sevana’
ataeva dāsya-rasera ei ‘dui’ guṇa

Translation: “The qualities of śānta-rasa are also present in dāsya-rasa, but service is added. Thus the dāsya-rasa platform contains the qualities of both śānta-rasa and dāsya-rasa.

Jayapatākā Swami: As said earlier that the dāsya-rasa contains the śānta-rasa but the dāsya-rasa also contains the idea of serving the Lord, which brings one closer to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.222

sakhya-rase—śānta kroḍīkṛta dāsya-rasa + viśrambha-mamatā:—

śāntera guṇa, dāsyera sevana—sakhye dui haya
dāsyera ‘sambhrama-gaurava’-sevā, sakhye ‘viśvāsa’-maya

Translation: “The qualities of śānta-rasa and the service of dāsya-rasa are both present on the platform of sakhya-rasa. On the platform of fraternity, the qualities of dāsya-rasa are mixed with the confidence of fraternity instead of awe and veneration.

Jayapatākā Swami: The sakhya-rasa devotee feels brotherhood, friendship with Lord Krsna. This fraternity replaces the awe and reverence of the śānta and dāsya-rasa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.223

kāndhe caḍe, kāndhe cḍāya, kare krīḍā-raṇa
kṛṣṇe seve, kṛṣṇe karāya āpana-sevana!

Translation: “On the sakhya-rasa platform, the devotee sometimes offers the Lord service and sometimes makes Kṛṣṇa serve him in exchange. In their mock fighting, the cowherd boys would sometimes climb on Kṛṣṇa’s shoulders, and sometimes they would make Kṛṣṇa climb on their shoulders.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the friends they offer their service to Kṛṣṇa as a friend, but sometimes Kṛṣṇa offers His service to them as their friend.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.224

viśrambha-pradhāna sakhya—gaurava-sambhrama-hīna
ataeva sakhya-rasera ‘tina’ guṇa—cihna

Translation: “Awe and veneration are absent on the platform of fraternity, since this rasa is predominated by confidential service. Therefore sakhya-rasa is characterized by the qualities of three rasas.

Jayapatākā Swami: The quality of śānta, dāsya, and sakhya-rasa are all present in sakhya-rasa except there is no awe and reverence instead there is confidential service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.225

‘mamatā’ adhika, kṛṣṇe ātma-sama jñāna
ataeva sakhya-rasera vaśa bhagavān

Translation: “On the platform of sakhya-rasa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa is controlled by the devotees who are intimate with Him and think themselves equal to Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa sometimes is controlled by the love of His devotees, who are connected to Him in sakhya-rasa or fraternity and so this aspect of devotional service is more powerful than the previous.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.226

vātsalya-rase—dāsya-kroḍīkṛta sakhya-rasa + kṛṣṇe pālya-jñāna:—

vātsalye śāntera guṇa, dāsyera sevana
sei sei sevanera ihāṅ nāma—‘pālana’

Translation: “On the platform of parental love, the qualities of śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa and sakhya-rasa are transformed into a form of service called maintenance.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the parents naturally serve their children and those who serve the Lord in vātsalya-rasa serve the Lord in this parental mood of maintaining and protecting the Lord, considering Him as their child. So, this vātsalya-rasa contains the qualities of other rasa but in the sense of parental love.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.227

sakhyera guṇa—‘asaṅkoca’, ‘agaurava’ sāra
mamatādhikye tāḍana-bhartsana-vyavahāra

Translation: “The essence of fraternal love is intimacy devoid of the formality and veneration found in dāsya-rasa. Due to a greater sense of intimacy, the devotee functioning in parental love chastises and rebukes the Lord in an ordinary way.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since the parents take as their duty to see that their sons to learn all the good qualities they will act in a very protective way sometime rebuking Kṛṣṇa sometimes guiding Him, because they feel Kṛṣṇa is theirs and they have all love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.228

āpanāre ‘pālaka’ jñāna, kṛṣṇe ‘pālya’-jñāna
‘cāri’ guṇe vātsalya-rasa—amṛta-samāna

Translation: “On the platform of parental love, the devotee considers himself the Lord’s maintainer. Thus the Lord is the object of maintenance, like a son, and therefore this mellow is full of the qualities of four rasas — śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, fraternity and parental love. This is more transcendental nectar.

Purport: In his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gives us a short summary of this complicated description of the different rasas. He states that by becoming firmly fixed in the Lord’s service, one is devoid of all material desires. These are the two transcendental qualities on the śānta-rasa platform. Just as sound vibration is found in all the material elements, these two qualities of śānta-rasa are spread throughout all the other transcendental mellows, which are known as dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa. Although in śānta-rasa there is attachment for Kṛṣṇa in awe and veneration — since the two valuable transcendental qualities of this rasa are attachment for Kṛṣṇa and detachment from material desires — nonetheless the sense of intimacy is lacking. The reason for this is that in śānta-rasa attachment for impersonal Brahman and localized Paramātmā is prominent. In other words, the sense of intimacy by which one thinks of Kṛṣṇa as one’s only shelter and friend is absent in śānta-rasa because one accepts Kṛṣṇa as the impersonal Parambrahma or localized Paramātmā. This understanding is based on the speculative knowledge of the jñānī. However, when this knowledge is further developed, one is convinced that the Paramātmā, the Supreme Lord, is the master and that the living entity is His eternal servant. One then attains the platform of dāsya-rasa. In dāsya-rasa the Lord is accepted with awe and veneration. Thus the active service that is absent in śānta-rasa becomes prominent in dāsya-rasa. In other words, in dāsya-rasa the qualities of śānta-rasa are present, and service also becomes predominantly visible. Similarly, when this same rasa is developed into fraternity (sakhya-rasa), a friendly intimacy is added. There is no awe or veneration in sakhya-rasa. Therefore sakhya-rasa is invested with the qualities of three rasas — śānta, dāsya and sakhya. Similarly, on the platform of parental love, the qualities of śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa and sakhya-rasa are fully developed in another form — the sense of maintaining the Lord. Therefore on the platform of parental love there exists a combination of the qualities of four transcendental mellows — śānta, dāsya, sakhya and parenthood. The mellow of parenthood puts the devotee in the position of a maintainer. Indeed, without formality the devotee takes the position of maintainer and regards the Lord as the object of maintenance. Thus on the platform of parental love the qualities of four transcendental mellows of love of Kṛṣṇa are present.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this verse the description of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's verse is presented and one understands how each rasa contains an essential part of the previous rasa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.229

se amṛtānande bhakta saha ḍubena āpane
‘kṛṣṇa—bhakta-vaśa’ guṇa kahe aiśvarya-jñāni-gaṇe

Translation: “The exchange of spiritual happiness between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee in which Kṛṣṇa is controlled by His devotee is compared to an ocean of nectar into which the devotee and Kṛṣṇa plunge. This is the verdict of learned scholars who appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s opulence.

Jayapatākā Swami: The parents of Kṛṣṇa has so much love for Kṛṣṇa that they are always thinking about Kṛṣṇa and this is compared to plunging in an ocean of nectar.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.230

padma-purāṇe ‘dāmodarāṣṭake’—

itīdṛk-sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaṁ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeśita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaṁ
punaḥ prematas taṁ śatāvṛtti vande

Translation: “‘Again let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. O my Lord, I offer my obeisances hundreds and thousands of times with all affection because by Your personal pastimes You plunge the gopīs into an ocean of nectar. Appreciating Your opulence, devotees generally declare that You are always subjugated by their feelings.’

Purport: This verse is from the Dāmodarāṣṭaka, in the Padma Purāṇa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.231

madhura-rase—dāsya o sakhya-kroḍībhūta vātsalya nijāṅga-dvāre sevā:—

madhura-rase—kṛṣṇa-niṣṭhā, sevā atiśaya
sakhyera asaṅkoca, lālana-mamatādhikya haya

Translation: “On the platform of conjugal love, attachment for Kṛṣṇa, rendering service unto Him, the relaxed feelings of fraternity and the feelings of maintenance all increase in intimacy.

Jayapatākā Swami: All the previous rasa exist in mādhurya-rasa but the intimacy is more intense.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.232

kānta-bhāve nijāṅga diyā karena sevana
ataeva madhura-rasera haya ‘pañca’ guṇa

Translation: “On the platform of conjugal love, the devotee offers his body in the service of the Lord. Thus on this platform the transcendental qualities of all five rasas are present.

Purport: Attachment for Kṛṣṇa in śānta-rasa, rendering service to the Lord in dāsya-rasa, rendering relaxed service in fraternity and serving in parental love with feelings of maintenance all combine on the platform of conjugal love when the devotee wants to serve the Lord by offering Him his personal body. Thus the qualities of the other rasas combine to form the nectar of conjugal love. On this platform, all the different feelings of a devotee are amalgamated.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, how all the essential qualities of the rasas are amalgamated in the mādhurya-rasa is presented here.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.233

ākāśādira śabdādi yemana kṣitira gandhaguṇe paryavasita, tadrūpa madhura-rase avaśiṣṭa cārirasa anusyūta:—

ākāśādi guṇa yena para para bhūte
eka-dui-tina-cāri krame pañca pṛthivīte

Translation: “All the material qualities evolve one after another in the material elements, beginning from ether. By gradual evolution, first one quality develops, then two qualities develop, then three and four, until all five qualities are found in earth.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this analogy is given how the different qualities increase in the successive rasas, just as the qualities increases in the material elements. In the earth it has the qualities of all the other four and it is something more that the earth has, in the same way mādhurya-rasa has all the qualities and more.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.234

ei-mata madhure saba bhāva-samāhāra
ataeva āsvādādhikye kare camatkāra

Translation: “Similarly, on the platform of conjugal love, all the feelings of the devotees are amalgamated. The intensified taste is certainly wonderful.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the wonderful nature of mādhurya-rasa is explained here.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.235

prabhura ei dig darśana bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhute vistārita:—

ei bhakti-rasera karilāṅa, dig-daraśana
ihāra vistāra mane kariha bhāvana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then concluded, “I have simply given a general survey describing the mellows of devotional service. You can consider how to adjust and expand this.

Jayapatākā Swami: Lord Caitanya was instructing Rūpa Gosvāmī the essence and He wanted Rūpa Gosvāmī to consider and expand on this.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 19.236

bhāvite bhāvite kṛṣṇa sphuraye antare
kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya ajña pāya rasa-sindhu-pāre

Translation: “When one thinks of Kṛṣṇa constantly, love for Him manifests within the heart. Even though one may be ignorant, one can reach the far shore of the ocean of transcendental love by Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.”

Jayapatākā Swami: It may take some time, but gradually if one is constantly thinking about Kṛṣṇa, his affection and love for Kṛṣṇa awakens and then he is able to cross the ocean of transcendental bliss or transcendental love, by Lord Krsna's mercy.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Qualities and Characteristics Of Śānta-Rasa, Dāsya-Rasa, Sakhya-Rasa and Vātsalya-Rasa Are Amalgamated in Madhura-Rasa 
Under the section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Instructs Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī