मुख्यरसेषु पुरा यः संक्षेपेणोदितो रहस्यत्वात् ।
पृथगेव भक्तिरसराट् स विस्तरेणोच्यते मधुरः ॥
mukhya-raseṣu purā yaḥ saṁkṣepeṇodito rahasyatvāt |
pṛthag eva bhakti-rasa-rāṭ sa vistareṇocyate madhuraḥ ||
(Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 1.2)
“Madhura [i.e., madhura-rasa], the king of bhakti-rasas, which was described [only] briefly [in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu] among the principal rasas because of its being confidential, is separately described elaborately [here in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi].”
Commentary
tasmād granthāntaravat yatra kutracit nāyaṁ prakāśanīya ity upadiṣṭam |
(Excerpt from the Locana-rocanī-ṭīkā)
“‘Therefore, this is not to be disclosed everywhere like other texts.’ This has been instructed.”
The following is an applied summarized rendering of Viṣṇudāsa Gosvāmī’s Svātma-pramodinī-ṭīkā on this verse:
Q: Why is madhura-rasa, which is the foremost of all rasas, described only briefly in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu?
A: Because extensive description of it is unsuitable for bhaktas fixed in rasas other than madhura-rasa to hear.
Q: But there are also many madhura-rasa-bhaktas. Why isn’t it described for them?
A: It is difficult to comprehend even for them, as they are mostly inept in tasting rasa because of a lack of the necessary saṁskāra.
rāga-mārgaika-jīvanā madhura-rasa-bhaktās te tu viralā eva |
(Excerpt from Viṣṇu Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Svātma-pramodinī-ṭīkā on Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 1.2)
“Madhura-rasa-bhaktas whose very life is rāga-mārga are, however, indeed rare.”
Q: That may be, but there are still many such bhaktas who are skillful in tasting such rasa. Why isn’t it described for them?
A: It should be kept confidential because it is unfit to be disclosed to persons whose minds are affected by various types of vāsanās on account of the innumerable dispositions (svabhāvas) that exist which are extraneous to rāga-mārga, which is predominant in madhura-rasa. It should also be kept confidential from persons who are unaware of the constitution of the path of rāga and strongly fixated upon vaidhī-mārga. Madhura-rasa-bhaktas whose very life is rāga-mārga are very rare.
Q: Okay, then why is madhura-rasa now being described elaborately here in Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi?
A: It is being described now separately and elaborately because it is relishable for those madhura-rasa-bhaktas who are dedicated solely to rāga-mārga and whose very life is tasting rasa.
rāga-mārgaika-baddha-vratā rasa-carvaṇaika-jīvanāś ca ye madhura-rasa-bhaktās … |
(Viṣṇu Dāsa Gosvāmī’s Svātma-pramodinī-ṭīkā on Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi: 1.2)
“Madhura-rasa-bhaktas, who are dedicated solely to rāga-mārga and whose very life is tasting rasa, … .”