ratir mano’nukūle’rthe manasaḥ pravaṇāyitam
ratir mano’nukūle’rthe manasaḥ pravaṇāyitam |
(Sāhitya-darpaṇa: 3.204)
“The mind’s propensity for an object favorable to the mind is [called] rati.”
Rati
vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ
vibhāvair anubhāvaiś ca sāttvikair vyabhicāribhiḥ |
svādyatvaṁ hṛdi bhaktānām ānītā śravaṇādibhiḥ |
eṣā kṛṣṇa-ratiḥ sthāyī bhāvo bhakti-raso bhavet ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.5)
“This rati for Kṛṣṇa, the sthāyi-bhāva, brought into the state of taste-ability in the heart of bhaktas by vibhāvas, anubhāvas, sāttvikas [i.e., sāttvika-bhāvas], and vyabhicāris [i.e., vyabhicāri-bhāvas] through hearing and so forth, shall become bhakti-rasa.”
satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ
satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ |
bhajaneṣu spṛhā bhaktir anarthāpagamas tataḥ ||
niṣṭhā rucir athāsaktī ratiḥ premātha darśanam |
harer mādhuryānubhava ity arthāḥ syuś caturdaśe ||
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.2.21)
“There are fourteen steps [mentioned in SB 1.2.16–21 to describe how a jīva in saṁsāra reaches the highest attainment]: (1) the grace of sādhus, (2) service to a great person, (3) śraddhā, (4) taking shelter at the feet of a guru, (5) desire for [engagement in] practices of bhakti (bhajana), (6) bhakti [i.e., engagement in sādhana-bhakti], (7) disappearance of anarthas, (8) niṣṭhā [i.e., fixity in the practice of bhakti], (9) ruci (taste), (10) āsakti (affinity), (11) rati [i.e., bhāva-bhakti], (12) prema (divine love), (13) darśana [i.e., direct perception of Bhagavān], and then (14) experience of his mādhurya (mellifluousness).”
taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā
taṁ durārādhyam ārādhya satām api durāpayā |
ekānta-bhaktyā ko vāñchet pāda-mūlaṁ vinā bahiḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.24.55; cited in Bhakti Sandarbha: 165)
“Having propitiated you [i.e., Bhagavān], who are difficult to propitiate, through one-pointed bhakti, which is difficult to attain even for sādhus [i.e., jñānīs], who would desire an external [i.e., any form of happiness, such as that found in Svarga] in lieu of the soles of your feet?”
aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
aśeṣa-saṅkleśa-śamaṁ vidhatte
guṇānuvāda-śravaṇaṁ murāreḥ |
kiṁ vā punas tac-caraṇāravinda-
parāga-sevā-ratir ātma-labdhā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.7.14)
“Hearing and recounting the qualities of Murāri produces destruction of suffering completely, so how much more does attachment (rati), attained of its own accord, to service to the pollen of his lotus feet [produce]?”
siktāpy aśru-jalotkareṇa bhagavad-vārttā-nadī-janmanā
siktāpy aśru-jalotkareṇa bhagavad-vārttā-nadī-janmanā
tiṣṭhaty eva bhavāgni-hetir iti te dhīmann alaṁ cintayā |
hṛd-vyomany amṛta-spṛhā-hara-kṛpā-vṛṣṭeḥ sphuṭaṁ lakṣyate
nediṣṭhaḥ pṛthu-roma-tāṇḍava-bharāt kṛṣṇāmbudhasyodgamaḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.278)
“O wise one, enough with your worry that the flame of the fire of saṁsāra still remains even after you have been drenched by a profusion of tears produced by the river of discussion of Bhagavān, since the rising in the sky of your heart of the cloud Kṛṣṇa, filled with the rain of grace that removes desire [even] for amṛta, is clearly recognized to be very near on account of the abundance of the plentiful dancing of your bodily hairs [alt., as the rising in the sky of a dark cloud filled with gracious rain that removes desire for water is known to be very near on account of the abundance of dancing fish (that can be seen in nearby bodies of water)].”
tan naḥ prabho tvaṁ kukalevarārpitāṁ
tan naḥ prabho tvaṁ kukalevarārpitāṁ
tvan-māyayāhaṁ-mamatām adhokṣaja |
bhindyāma yenāśu vayaṁ sudurbhidāṁ
vidhehi yogaṁ tvayi naḥ svabhāvam iti ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 5.19.15)
“Therefore, O Prabhu! O Adhokṣaja! May you please grant us yoga with you, that is, a natural disposition [towards you], whereby we can quickly cut away this most difficult to sever sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ [i.e., identification and affectionate possessiveness] invested in the repulsive [material] body because of your māyā.”
ya etat pūtanā-mokṣaṁ kṛṣṇasyārbhakam adbhutam
ya etat pūtanā-mokṣaṁ kṛṣṇasyārbhakam adbhutam |
śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā martyo govinde labhate ratim ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.6.44)
“A mortal who is able to hear with śraddhā of this wonderful childhood act of Kṛṣṇa—the liberation of Pūtanā—attains rati for Govinda.”
siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa
siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa |
ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa ||
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 1.2.117)
“Do not be weary within the mind regarding siddhānta. The mind becomes firmly attached to Kṛṣṇa because of it.
satām ayaṁ sāra-bhṛtāṁ nisargo
satām ayaṁ sāra-bhṛtāṁ nisargo
yad-artha-vāṇī-śruti-cetasām api |
prati-kṣaṇaṁ navyavad acyutasya yat
striyā viṭānām iva sādhu vārtā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.13.2)
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Parīkṣit Mahārāja:] “This is the nature of sādhus who grasp the essence, they for whom discussion of Acyuta is truly as though ever-new at every moment even though it is [already and always] the object of their speech, hearing, and mind, just as discussion of women is [as though ever-new] for sensualists.”