SB 10.43.17 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

मल्लानामशनिर्नृणां नरवर: स्त्रीणां स्मरो मूर्तिमान्गोपानां स्वजनोऽसतां क्षितिभुजां शास्ता स्वपित्रो: शिशु: मृत्युर्भोजपतेर्विराडविदुषां तत्त्वं परं योगिनांवृष्णीनां परदेवतेति विदितो रङ्गं गत: साग्रज: ॥ १७ ॥

Verse text

mallānām aśanir nṛṇāṁ nara-varaḥ strīṇāṁ smaro mūrtimān gopānāṁ sva-jano ’satāṁ kṣiti-bhujāṁ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāṁ tattvaṁ paraṁ yogināṁ vṛṣṇīnāṁ para-devateti vidito raṅgaṁ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ

Synonyms

mallānām — for the wrestlers ; aśaniḥ — lightning ; nṛṇām — for the males ; nara — varaḥ — the best of men ; strīṇām — for the women ; smaraḥ — Cupid ; mūrti — mān — incarnate ; gopānām — for the cowherds ; sva — janaḥ — their relative ; asatām — impious ; kṣiti — bhujām — for the kings ; śāstā — a punisher ; sva — pitroḥ — for His parents ; śiśuḥ — a child ; mṛtyuḥ — death ; bhoja — pateḥ — for the King of the Bhojas, Kaṁsa ; virāṭ — the totality of the material universe ; aviduṣām — for the unintelligent ; tattvam — the Truth ; param — Supreme ; yoginām — for the yogīs ; vṛṣṇīnām — for the members of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty ; para — devatā — their most worshipable Deity ; iti — in these ways ; viditaḥ — understood ; raṅgam — the arena ; gataḥ — He entered ; sa — along with ; agra — jaḥ — His elder brother .

Translation

The various groups of people in the arena regarded Kṛṣṇa in different ways when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a lightning bolt, the men of Mathurā as the best of males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord’s universal form, the yogīs as the Absolute Truth and the Vṛṣṇis as their supreme worshipable Deity.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The various groups of people in the arena regarded Kṛṣṇa in different ways when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kṛṣṇa as a lightning bolt, the men of Mathurā as the best of males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord's universal form, the yogīs as the Absolute Truth and the Vṛṣṇis as their supreme worshipable Deity. KB 10.43.17 When Kṛṣṇa entered the wrestling arena with Balarāma and Their friends, He appeared differently to different people according to their different relationships (rasas) with Him. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure and all kinds of rasas, both favorable and unfavorable. He appeared to the wrestlers exactly like a thunderbolt. To the people in general He appeared as the most beautiful personality. To the females He appeared to be the most attractive male, Cupid personified, and thus He increased their lust. The cowherd men who were present there looked upon Kṛṣṇa as their own kinsman, coming from the same village of Vṛndāvana. The impious kṣatriya kings who were present saw Him as the strongest ruler and their chastiser. To the parents of Kṛṣṇa, Nanda and Yaśodā, He appeared to be the most loving child. To Kaṁsa, the king of the Bhoja dynasty, He appeared to be death personified. To the unintelligent, He appeared to be an incapable personality. To the yogīs present, He appeared to be the Supersoul. To the members of the Vṛṣṇi dynasty He appeared to be the most celebrated descendant. Thus appreciated differently by different kinds of people present, Kṛṣṇa entered the wrestling arena with Balarāma and His cowherd boyfriends.

Purport

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes the following verse, which explains the ten attitudes toward Kṛṣṇa described here: raudro ’dbhutaś ca śṛṅgāro hāsyaṁ vīro dayā tathā bhayānakaś ca bībhatsaḥ śāntaḥ sa-prema-bhaktikaḥ “[There are ten different moods:] fury [perceived by the wrestlers], wonder [by the men], conjugal attraction [the women], laughter [the cowherds], chivalry [the kings], mercy [His parents], terror [Kaṁsa], ghastliness [the unintelligent], peaceful neutrality [the yogīs ] and loving devotion [the Vṛṣṇis].” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī points out that people like the wrestlers, Kaṁsa and the impious rulers perceive Kṛṣṇa as dangerous, angry or threatening because they fail to understand the actual position of the Personality of Godhead. Actually, Lord Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s friend and well-wisher, but because we rebel against Him, He chastises us, and thus we may perceive Him as threatening. Kṛṣṇa, or God, is actually merciful, and when He punishes us, that is also His mercy. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes the following Vedic statement: raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati. “He Himself is rasa, the taste or mellow of a particular relationship. And certainly one who achieves this rasa becomes ānandī, filled with bliss.” ( Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī quotes a further verse to explain the word rasa: vyatītya bhāvanā-vartma yaś camatkāra-bhāra-bhūḥ hṛdi sattvojjvale bāḍhaṁ svadate sa raso mataḥ “That which is beyond imagination, heavy with wonder and relished in the heart shining with goodness — such is known as rasa. ” As Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī elaborately explains in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, there are five main rasas — neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love — and seven secondary rasas — amazement, humor, chivalry, compassion, fury, fear and dread. Thus altogether there are twelve rasas, and the supreme object of them all is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. In other words, our love and affection are actually meant for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, out of ignorance we stubbornly try to squeeze happiness and love out of material relationships, which are not directly connected to Kṛṣṇa, and thus life becomes a constant frustration. The solution is simple: surrender to Kṛṣṇa, love Kṛṣṇa, love Kṛṣṇa’s devotees and be happy forever.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Krsna is shown to be the direct embodiment of all the meanings of the Upanisads by showing how he appeared differently to the different types of people assembled at the arena, in accordance to their different inner feelings. In front of the wrestlers like Canura who had bodies as big as mountains, he was like a thunderbolt. Though Krsna has soft, sweet, cooling limbs, he appeared to the envious wrestlers to be extremely hard, like a mountain, with pain inflicting limbs. Though sugar candy is sweet, it tastes bitter to one with jaundice. Though Krsna’s form was seen by the wrestlers and similarly inclined spectators there, they did not taste the real form of the Lord (svarupa), but rather experienced rasa abhasa in their hearts. For the public of Mathura, who were endowed with a general prema from birth, without envy or other unfavorable elements, he appeared as the best of men, with pure sattva in his heart, with the best form, qualities and pastimes, most astonishing in human society. This was vismaya rasa. The young women of Mathura experienced him as cupid, without any trace of material lust, since they were full of prema. They experienced ujjvala rasa. By mentioning that Krsna was murtiman, it is indicated that all other realizations are angas of this svarupa. The cowherd boys experienced Krsna’s svarupa also, since friendliness to cowherds boys is his very nature. They experienced sakhya and hasya rasa. The impious kings, those who tormented the innocent earth, the offenders of devotees, saw him as their destroyer. The form of destroyer, is not the svarupa embodying all bliss and friendship. Like the wrestlers, they did not taste Krsna, but an abhasa of raudra rasa. His parents, Nanda and Vasudeva, or Vasudeva and Devaki saw him as a baby. They tasted his svarupa, for being the son of Nanda and Vasudeva is Krsna’s svarupa. They experienced vatsalya rasa, and karuna rasa on seeing Krsna amidst those who wanted to kill him. Kamsa saw Krsna as death. Krsna, who is a stream of sweet nectar, does not have a svarupa of death. Thus Kamsa did not taste Krsna, but simply an abhasa of bhayanika rasa. Those without knowledge, such as the priests of Kamsa and other offenders saw Krsna as one individual material human. "The foolish call him the Supreme Lord, but we can see with our eyes that he is most despicable, taking others wives, killing bulls, appearing now before us with body smeared with bones and blood of an animal. He does the most unethical things." Such speakers as this, most sinful, without anger, were lower than Kamsa. They had an abhasa of vibhatsa rasa. The yogis like Sanaka and others experiences Krsna’s svarupa as brahman, with santa rasa. The members of the Yadu dynasty saw Krsna as the most worshipable supreme lord. They tasted his svarupa in dasya rasa. Among the ten types of people described at the arena, four, being materialistic, were not able to taste the real rasa of Krsna, who is the source of all rasa. The other six types tasted eight of the rasas. The Upanisad says raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhanandi bhavati. The Supreme Lord is the very form of rasa. Having tasted that rasa or most astonishing bliss, the jiva becomes completely blissful. It is confirmed here in the tenth canto at the wrestling arena that Krsna is that rasa (raso vai sah). Though a person may be blissful, if he attains that rasa or Krsna (tam labdha), he then becomes completely full of bliss (anandi bhavati). The upanisad text dealing with rasa should be explained in this way.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

Śrīdhara Svāmī says that here Kṛṣṇa is described as the conglomeration of all rasas since he is both the cause of rasa and its effect. Śruti says raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati: the Lord is rasa, and attaining that rasa one attains bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) The particulars are as follows. The wrestlers, who were proud, thinking themselves the best of warriors, became angry because Kṛṣṇa, whose limbs were like thunderbolts and acted with disregard, disrespected those who were also like thunderbolts, and in this state entered the arena. The wrestlers exhibited krodha-sthāyi-bhāva and raudra-rasa. The citizens of Mathurā, other than the wicked and his devotees, on seeing his extraordinary pastimes, were amazed. They exhibited vismaya-sthāyi-bhāva and adbhūta-rasa. The women of Mathurā other then the elder women manifested rati while thinking of him as their beloved. They exhibited priyatā-sthāyi-bhava and śṛṅgāra-rasa. His friends of the same age such as Śrīdāmā exhibited hāsa-sthāyi-bhāva and hāysa-rasa on seeing with unrestricted hearts his extraordinary costume decorated with the elephant’s blood and mada. The wicked kings saw him as a punisher. They experienced vīrya-rasa and the sthāyi-bhāva called utsāha on seeing his extreme courage. Devakī and Vasudeva or Vasudeva and Nanda (pitroḥ) and others as well with similar sentiments experienced śoka-sthāyi-bhava and karuṇa-rasa, worrying about the evil intentions of the wrestlers since they thought his body was soft because they saw him as a baby. The word dayā also indicates this rasa. Kaṁsa saw him as the cause of his death. This is the bhaya-sthāyī-bhāva and bhayānaka-rasa. The ignorant experienced jugupsa-sthāyī and bībatsa-rasa (disgust) since they thought he was a material, imperfect person, even though the wise understood him to have a body of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Devotees with a mixture of jñāna saw him as the param brahman, and experienced śānta-sthāyī and śānta-rasa. Śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ: śama means fixing the intelligence in me. (SB 11.19.36) Thus śānta-rasa means being fixed in Kṛṣṇa with peacefulness. Śānta refers to that affection which takes shelter of his svarūpa while there is absence of all material desires, possessing affection for him while at the same time having absence of more intense bhāvas like dāsya or sakhya. He was most worshipable for the Vṛṣṇis. He produced sa-prema-bhakti (dāsya). This means that they had bhakti with knowledge of him as being worshippable. Prema-bhakti was their sthāyi-bhāva. This is called sa-prema-bhakti in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary. A verse summarizes the rasas: raudro ‘dbhūtaḥ śucir atho dhrta-sakhya hāso vīro ‘tha vatsalayutaḥ karuṇo bhayāṅkaḥ bībatsa-saṁjña udito ‘tha thaiva ṣāntaḥ, sapremabhakir it te dvyadhika daśa syuḥ The twelve rasas are raudra, adbhūta, śṛṅgāra, sakhya, hāsya, vīra, vatsala, karuṇa, bhayānaka, bībhatsa, śānta, and dāsya. The description of rasas in the verse is not in proper order since the verse describes the people was they were seen. Or the list of person may be explained in another way. There were four types of people there: those who were hostile, those who were ignorant, those with knowledge of him and those who with favourable knowledge of him. These are further divided up into ten types of observers. Kṛṣṇa appeared differently to each type of observer in a suitable manner and showed his complete power in this sweet pastime. That is described in this verse. The wrestlers, the kings siding with Kaṁsa, and Kaṁsa were aware of Kṛṣṇa with hostility. Since Kṛṣṇa is a form of the highest happiness, he would not give suffering but because their vision was clouded by ignorance they saw him with opposite qualities. A tongue afflicted with jaundice tastes bitterness on contacting sugar candy. The wrestlers thought that they could defeat the Yādavas and Kṛṣṇa when they touched their tough limbs. But then Kṛṣṇa appeared to be as hard as a thunderbolt. To those who attacked the devotees (asatām), kings who were unqualified but took that position by force, who seemed to devour the earth (kṣiti-bhujām), Kṛṣṇa appeared as a punisher. Kaṁsa was the cause of death for many devotees personally and through his demon followers, and tried to kill Kṛṣṇa’s mother and Kṛṣṇa. Bhoja-pateḥ also means “of the master devourer.” For Kaṁsa Kṛṣṇa appeared as death. Some present there were not inimical, but did not have knowledge of him and were not favourable. Like the brāhmaṇas who had performed sacrifice and ignored Kṛṣṇa, there were ignorant people present at the wrestling match. Since they did not experience any happiness from a realization of his svarūpa, they did not know him. Since they did not attain the mercy of his śakti to realize his form, they realized him as a human child. Virāṭ in this verse means a human child, a portion of the universal form (which is material). The Kumāras and others situated in the sky had jñāna. They saw him as the shelter of all things. Because of not having a great portion of favourable attitude, they realized him only as the supreme existence superior to Brahman which is realized only as svarūpa, because they saw him as Bhagavān, a substantial object endowed with qualities. The men of Mathurā, the women, the parents of Kṛṣṇa and the cowherds were the favourable persons present. Because they were aware of him with favourable attitudes, they had superior realizations of his form. Since Kṛṣṇa possesses infinite natural sweetness, because of his manifestations to these persons, even regular jīvas were able to relish him by obtaining a small trace of that sweetness. The ordinary people (nṛnām), a little different from the others of four types of favourable persons, who saw him as the best of males, are described in verse 20. Among such men there were also some women who expressed sentiments like SB 10.44.7: alas, what a greatly irreligious act the members of this royal assembly are committing! These people thought of Kṛṣṇa as the best among the humans (nara-varam). They had knowledge—accepting that he was superior because of awareness of some portion of Kṛṣṇa’s sweetness, and they had a favourable attitude as indicated by their words. The others—women, the parents and the cowherds—had progressively deeper realizations. Among the women some spoke as follows: gopyas tapaḥ kim acaran yad amuṣya rūpaṁ lāvaṇya-sāram asamordhvam ananya-siddham dṛgbhiḥ pibanty anusavābhinavaṁ durāpam ekānta-dhāma yaśasaḥ śrīya aiśvarasya What austerities must the gopīs have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh and extremely rare. SB 10.44.14 Since Kṛṣṇa appeared in their hearts with a manifestation of special sweetness causing conjugal love, they saw him as personified Cupid, as the material devatā of love, having capacity to produce that love, though that was not possible, since material Cupid does not have a body and Kṛṣṇa was different since he was the supreme entity. The chief Yadus saw Kṛṣṇa as the supreme deity by a manifestation of great powers since their knowledge of him as their relative was generally covered. Kṛṣṇa was the dearest deity, their personal object of worship, since he was Svayam Bhagavān. At the time of great trouble, in the association of Nanda and others, pure vātsalya appeared in Vasudeva and Devakī, who were famous as Kṛṣṇa’s parents during his pastimes among the Yadus. However, when they thought of him as their infant, their vātsalya was usually covered because of knowledge of his powers as the Lord. This can understood when they glorified him from birth as the best of the Vṛṣṇis. The word sva indicates that his relationship with Vasudva and Devakī was more intimate that with the rest of the Vṛṣṇis. By their natures the cowherds such as Nanda thought of Kṛṣṇa as their own child, and the cowherd like Śrīdāmā thought of him as their friends (sva-janam). Repeatedly Śukadeva has praised them in the Gokula pastimes and, compared to them, others are considered inferior. The following should also be understood. There are three types of bhāvas: bhāva opposing affection, found in person with unfavourable vision of Kṛṣṇa; bhāva which is neutral to affection, found in the ignorant; and bhāva filled with affection found in those with knowledge and those who were devoted. Those who saw Kṛṣṇa as a thunderbolt, a punisher and death saw him generally with fear. Their fear did not produce rasa. In poetic works of scholars of material rasa, rasa is not produced in such persons as Nala and Damayantī through hearing poetic works or seeing dramatic enactments but is produced in the experiencers of the poetic work, who have similar inclinations as the characters depicted in the work. Persons with hostile sentiments like the wrestlers and other enemies of Kṛṣṇa are not qualified to hear poetic works about the Lord. Similarly knowers of rasa concerning the Lord consider the sentiments of Kaṁsa and others to be inimical. That produces suffering. It does not produce a pleasurable experience of rasa. The disregard seen in the ignorant people present at the wrestling match did not produce rasa. Though those who had knowledge of the Lord and those with favourable attitude have affection for the Lord, that affection has five types according to their special natures. Among yogīs, those who are devotees with some jñāna, attain śānti or para. The devotees such as the Vṛṣṇis attained prema or bhakti (dāsya). The friends attained sakhya and the parents who had affection for Kṛṣṇa as their infant attained vātsalya. The women attained rati filled with priyatā-sthāyi-bhāva (madhurya). Where there was no speciality, then simply pure rati manifested. This took place in the men who saw Kṛṣṇa with astonishment. All those with sentiments of affection attained rasa since they naturally manifested bliss which is much superior to the bliss of Brahman. Even according to theorists of material rasa, rasa is produced from affection through the creation of bliss. The vibhāvas and other ingredients present in this case were most extraordinary by their very nature. They do not depend on artificially created astonishment found in material rasa. Here rasa arises from the object most worthy of description and enactment. This rasa of the Lord is illustrated by the author of Nāma-kaumudī and others. It is expressed in the Bhāgavatam as follows. nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalaṁ śuka-mukhād amṛta-drava-saṁyutam pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam ālayaṁ muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ O knowers of rasa! O fortunate souls! Constantly drink from the mouth of Śukadeva the Bhāgavatam, the fruit of the tree of the Vedas, which has dropped from the tree to this earth, which is immortal, liquid, which is the essence of sweetness and which includes all types of liberation. SB 1.1.3 smarantaḥ smārayantaś ca mitho 'ghaugha-haraṁ harim bhaktyā sañjātayā bhaktyā bibhraty utpulakāṁ tanum Remembering and inspiring other devotees to remember the Lord who destroys all sins, the devotees will develop hairs standing on end in ecstasy by prema-bhakti produced from sādhana-bhakti. kvacid rudanty acyuta-cintayā kvacid dhasanti nandanti vadanty alaukikāḥ nṛtyanti gāyanty anuśīlayanty ajaṁ bhavanti tūṣṇīṁ param etya nirvṛtāḥ Sometimes they weep, because of thoughts of the Lord. Sometimes they laugh, become joyful, or speak without regard for society. They dance, sing, and concentrate their senses on Kṛṣṇa. Having attained the Lord and experiencing bliss, they remain silent. SB 11.3.31-32 The Lord is the ālambana part of vibhāva and memories of him are the uddīpana part of vibhāva. Vibhāva means “that which produces (bhāvayati) rasa in a special way (viśeṣena). The anubhāvas known as udbhāsvaras (external symptoms) are remembering him and other actions. Anubhāva means “that which announces (anubhāvayati) rasa.” Sāttvika-bhāvas are hair standing on end etc. Sañcāri-bhāvas are contemplating etc. Sañcārī means “that which moves about everywhere in rasa.” The phrase sañjātayā bhaktyā indicates the sthāyi-bhāva. Sthāyī means “that whose quality is to remain, since it supports everything else.” Param etya means “having attained the supreme object, composed of the supreme rasa.” That attainment of the Lord is illustrated in the following verse. bhagavad-darśanāhlāda- bāṣpa-paryākulekṣaṇaḥ pulakacitāṅga autkaṇṭhyāt svākhyāne nāśakan nṛpa The joy of seeing the Supreme Lord flooded Akrūra’s eyes with tears and decorated his limbs with eruptions of ecstasy. He felt such eagerness that he could not speak to present himself, O King. SB 10.38.35 By similarity with prīti there is a prīti-rasa. According to six different sthāyi-bhāvas there are six rasas. Śānti-sthāyi-bhāva has śānta-rasa. Prema-bhakti-sthāyi has sa-prema-bhaktika-rasa (dāsya). Sakhya-sthāyi has sakhya-rasa. Vātsalya-sthāyi has vatsala-rasa. Rati-sthāyi has śṛṅgāra-rasa. Undifferentiated prīti has prīti-rasa. The remaining seven rasas starting with adbhūta experienced by the devotees appear and disappear in the devotees of the Lord along with their affection for the Lord. These seven may be considered sañcāri-bhāvas since they are secondary in nature. States of hostility and indifference to the Lord have been shown for the sake of knowledge only. These bhāvas and rasas are explained in detail in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu with differing terminologies and can be understood easily like the palm of the hand. When the sthāyi-bhāva, vibhāva, anubhāva and sañcārī-bhāvas become tasty together it is called rasa. These are called causes, effects and assistant causes in rasa. Vibhāva has two parts: ālambana and uddīpama. Ālambana has two parts: viṣaya and āśraya. The viṣaya of rasa is Kṛṣṇa and the experiencer of Kṛṣṇa is the āśraya. Experienced by prema, most excellent Kṛṣṇa is incomparable. The uddīpanas are elements related to Kṛṣṇa. The anubhāvas are of two types: sāttvika-bhavas and āṅgika. The eight sāttvika-bhāvas are being stunned, perspiration, standing of hair on end, choking of the voice, trembling, change of complexion, and fainting. The āṅgika anubhāvas are dancing, moving about on the ground, singing, breathing heavily etc. The thirty-three sañcāri-bhāvas are self-disgust (nirveda), remorse (viṣāda), thinking oneself unqualified (dainyam or dīnatā), debility (glāni or mlāni), fatigue (śrama), rapture (mada), pride (garva), apprehension (śaṅkā), sudden fear (trāsa), confusion of the mind (āvega), insanity (unmāda), epilepsy (apasmṛti), sickness (vyādhi), loss of internal awareness (moha), death-like symptoms (mṛti), sloth (ālasyam), indecision (jāḍyam), shame (vrīḍā), concealment (avahitthā), remembrance (smṛti), conjecture (vitarka), pondering (cintā), finding meaning through scriptural reference (mati), steadiness (dhṛti), joy (harṣa), impatience (autsukyam), ferocity (augrya), indignation (amarṣa), fault-finding (asūyā), insolence (cāpalya), sleep (nidrā), dreaming (supti), and enlightenment (bodha). They increase the sthāyi-bhāva with their appearance and then disappear. They are favourable, filled with desire for Kṛṣṇa and joyful. The sthāyi-bhāva becomes rati, prema, sneha, praṇaya, māna, rāga, anurāga and mahābhāva. The sthāyi-bhāvas are śanti, prīti, sakhya, vātsalya and priyatā (mādhurya), characterized by knowledge, respect, equality, compassion and conjugal sentiments. These become śānta, prīta, preyān, vātsala and mādhurya rasas. When speaking of bhakti it refers to these sthāyi-bhāvas and rasas. Astonishment, joking, endeavour, anger, fear, disgust and lamentation which arise from these sthāyi-bhāvas are bhāvas and become adbhūta, ḥasya, vīra, raudra, bhayanaka, bībhatsa and karuṇa rasas. These have Kṛṣṇa as the viṣaya with bhakti sentiments. Since they sometimes become somewhat independent there is no fault in calling them sthāyi-bhāvas.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

Śrīdhara Svāmī says that here Kṛṣṇa is described as the conglomeration of all rasas since he is both the cause of rasa and its effect. Śruti says raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhānandī bhavati: the Lord is rasa, and attaining that rasa one attains bliss. (Taittirīya Upaniṣad) The particulars are as follows. The wrestlers, who were proud, thinking themselves the best of warriors, became angry because Kṛṣṇa, whose limbs were like thunderbolts and acted with disregard, disrespected those who were also like thunderbolts, and in this state entered the arena. The wrestlers exhibited krodha-sthāyi-bhāva and raudra-rasa. The citizens of Mathurā, other than the wicked and his devotees, on seeing his extraordinary pastimes, were amazed. They exhibited vismaya-sthāyi-bhāva and adbhūta-rasa. The women of Mathurā other than the elder women manifested rati while thinking of him as their beloved. They exhibited priyatā-sthāyi-bhava and śṛṅgāra-rasa. His friends of the same age such as Śrīdāmā exhibited hāsa-sthāyi-bhāva and hāysa-rasa on seeing with unrestricted hearts his extraordinary costume decorated with the elephant’s blood and mada. The wicked kings saw him as a punisher. They experienced vīrya-rasa and the sthāyi-bhāva called utsāha on seeing his extreme courage. Devakī and Vasudeva or Vasudeva and Nanda (pitroḥ) and others as well with similar sentiments experienced śoka-sthāyi-bhava and karuṇa-rasa, worrying about the evil intentions of the wrestlers since they thought his body was soft because they saw him as a baby. The word dayā also indicates this rasa. Kaṁsa saw him as the cause of his death. This is the bhaya-sthāyī-bhāva and bhayānaka-rasa. The ignorant experienced jugupsa-sthāyī and bībatsa-rasa (disgust) since they thought he was a material, imperfect person, even though the wise understood him to have a body of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Devotees with a mixture of jñāna saw him as the param brahman, and experienced śānta-sthāyī and śānta-rasa. Śamo man-niṣṭhatā buddheḥ: śama means fixing the intelligence in me. (SB 11.19.36) Thus śānta-rasa means being fixed in Kṛṣṇa with peacefulness. Śānta refers to that affection which takes shelter of his svarūpa while there is absence of all material desires, possessing affection for him while at the same time having absence of more intense bhāvas like dāsya or sakhya. He was most worshipable for the Vṛṣṇis. He produced sa-prema-bhakti (dāsya). This means that they had bhakti with knowledge of him as being worshippable. Prema-bhakti was their sthāyi-bhāva. This is called sa-prema-bhakti in Śrīdhara Svāmī’s commentary. Raudro ‘dbhūtah śucir atha priya-yukta-hāsyo vīro ‘tha vatsala-yutaḥ karuṇo bhayāṅkaraḥ Bībhatsa-saṁjña udito ‘tha thaiva śāntaḥ prītas tathā daśa-rasād viyutāḥ krameṇa There are ten rasas listed: raudra, adbhūta, śṛṅgāra, hāsya with sakhya, vīra, karuṇa with vatsalaya, bhayanaka, bhibhaktsa, śānta and dāsya. Śuci means śṛṅgāra, priya means preyo-rasa. Bhayāṅkaḥ means bhāyanaka rasa. Sthāyibhāvo vibhāvānubhāvaiś ca vyabhicāribhiḥ Svādyatvaṁ nīyamāno sau rsa itiy abhidhīyate Kāraṇānyatha kāryāṇi sahakārīṇi yānica Tāny eva vyapadiṣyante vibhāvādipadai rase Ālambanoddpipaākhye vibhāvasya bhide ubhe Ālamano ‘pi dvividho viṣayāśraya bhedataḥ Rasasya viṣayaḥ kṛṣṇas tasyānubhavitāśrayaḥ Uddipano bahuvidhaḥ prāgalbhyaṁ vikramo hareḥ Saundarya-guṇa-saurabhya-nūpura-svanitādikaḥ Anubhāvaph sāttvikāḥ syur āṅgikādyāś a te dvidhā Stambhaḥ svodo ‘tha romāñcaḥ svarabhedaś ca vepathuḥ Vaivarṇyam āśru pralaya ity aṣṭau sāttivkāḥ smrtāḥ Burbhaṅgaḥ kuṭilekṣa ca bhujāsphālana-nartanam Varokti śvāsa-bhūmādhyāḥ kathitāāṅgikādayaḥ Nirvedādyās trayastriṁśat kahyante vhaibcārinḥ Sthāyinaṁ varddhayanto ye prādurantarbhavanti ca Krud vismayao ratirhāsotsāhau śugbhīr jugupsitam Sthāino amī raseṣv aṣṭau hñeyā raudṛadbhūtādiṣu Priyatā-sakhya-vātsalya-śānti-prītaya ity ataḥ Pāñcavidhyad iha rate; sthāyino dvādaśoditāḥ Śuddasattvaviśesātmā premasūryācusāmyabhāk rucibhiś cittamāśṛṇya kṛd asau ratir ucyate sa mukhyā-gauṇa-bhedena kathito dvividho rasaḥ śṛṅāro tra tathā preyān vatsalaḥ śānta ity asau prītaś ca pañcadhā mukho rateḥ śreṣṭhyenaaud mukhyatā rudro dbhūtas tathā hāsyo vīraḥ karuṇa-bhīṣaṇau bībhatsaḥ sapta gauṇāḥsyuḥ krodāderṣadihonnatiḥ The rasas have been summarized. Since his limbs were like thunderbolts, beings most brilliantly shining, he was the object (viṣaya) of anger. The wrestlers who insulted him were the āśraya. Krodha or anger means to have a burning heart because of greatly disrespecting another person. This was their sthāyi-bhāva. The Lord, known as the shelter of extraordinary form, and pastimes, is the viṣaya of viṣmaya-rasa. The citizens of Mathurā who were generally favourable were the āśrayas of this rasa. Expansion of the heart by seeing something astonishing is called vismaya. That is the sthāyi-bhāva. In śṛṅgāra, he is known as more beautiful than a million Cupids. He is the viśaya and the young women are the āśraya. This becomes the cause of enjoyment. The sthāyī is called priyatā. Carrying the elephant’s tusk and dressed in an unusual manner, he became the object of laughter for friends. Śrīdāmā and others were the āśraya. When the heart blossoms on seeing his dress, it is called hāsya-sthāyī. When he is known as an equal in age, among friends, he is the viśaya of sakhya (preyo). Śrīdāmā and others are the āśraya. The rati is devoid of reverence and mercy, and has familiarity. Sakhya is the sthāyī. The cowherd boys have hāsya and sakhya. When he is known as being courageous, because of having all weapons, he is the viśaya of utsāha. Kaṁsa’s friends are the āśraya. Utsāha is the sthāyī. There is a desire to fight fiercely on seeing bravery. When he is known as a child, in great danger, he is the viśaya of lamentation (śoka). Parents are the āśraya. Śoka is the sthāyī. Pain is experienced on knowing the child is in danger. When he is seen as one’s son, he is the viṣaya of vātsalya. Parents are the āśraya. One shows compassion for Kṛṣṇa. The sthāyī is vātsalyam. Parents have both karuṇa and vatsalya. When he is seen as death and most terrifying he is the viṣaya of bhaya (fear). Kaṁsa and others are the āśraya, having offended him and being fearful of him. Fear means a heart agitated by offense or seeing something terrifying. That is the sthāyī. When he is seen as disgusting with perspiration, and blood, he is the object of jugupsa. Ignorant people are the āśraya. Though the Lord is most beautiful, demons perceive him as disgusting. When the heart closes with such feelings it is called jugupsa-sthāyī. When he is known as Paramātmā, with a form of eternity, knowledge and bliss, he is the object of śānta. Yogīs are the āśraya. Śānti is the rati, with qualities like śama. When he is known as the master, since he is the supreme deity, he is the object of prīti. Uddhava, Akrūra and others are the āśraya. The rati has respect. The sthāyī is called prīti. Each rasa has its uddīpanas, anubhāvas etc. For fear of too large a work these are not explained. The cowherd boys have preyan rasa. The parents have vatsala-rasa. That is clear. However Śrīdhara Svāmī does not mention these two rasas in analysing the different persons with rasas in the verse since they are rare and correspond with hāsya and karuṇa. Some say that the listeners develop hāsya-rasa on seeing the Lord, whose toenails are worshipped by Brahmā, acting as the friend of the cowherd boys. And though the Lord is full of all powers, when seen as imperfect by the ignorant, the listeners develop bībhatsa-rasa. But that is not correct. Moreover, raudra, vīra, bhayānaka and bībhatsa rasas are actually rasābhāsa in this verse, since they are not related to rati. (The demons have no love for the Lord.) The rasas are explained clearly in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu.