अत्रैव परमोत्कर्षः शृङ्गारस्य प्रतिष्ठितः ॥
atraiva paramotkarṣaḥ śṛṅgārasya pratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 1.19)
“The ultimate excellence of śṛṅgāra [-rasa] is established only here [i.e., only in a relation with a paramour and the unique līlā that can take place only with a paramour].”