सम्यङ्मसृणितस्वान्तो ममत्वातिशयाङ्कितः ।
भावः स एव सान्द्रात्मा बुधैः प्रेमा निगद्यते ॥
samyaṅ-masṛṇita-svānto mamatvātiśayāṅkitaḥ |
bhāvaḥ sa eva sāndrātmā budhaiḥ premā nigadyate ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.1)
“That particular bhāva, intense in nature, because of which the heart is completely melted, and [thus] marked by a profusion of my-ness (mamatva) [i.e., loving attachment to Kṛṣṇa], is called prema by the wise.”
Commentary
atha bhāvam apy uktvā premāṇam āha—samyag iti | atra sāndrātmakatvaṁ svarūpa-lakṣaṇam | anyad dvayaṁ taṭastha-lakṣaṇam |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā)
“Now, after having also described bhāva [i.e., bhāva-bhakti, syn., rati, in the previous chapter beginning with the definition thereof in BRS 1.3.1], the author describes prema: samyaṅ … [i.e., he defines prema here at the beginning of the next chapter in BRS 1.4.1]. Here, being of intense (sāndra) nature is the intrinsic characteristic (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa) [of prema]. The other two [characteristics of prema mentioned in this verse, viz., because of cause of completely melting the heart and being marked by extreme mamatva for Kṛṣṇa] are extrinsic characteristics (taṭastha-lakṣaṇas).”
atha bhāvam apy uktvā premāṇam āha—samyag iti | samyaṅ-masṛṇitaṁ bhāvasya prathama-daśāpekṣayātiśayārdraṁ svāntaṁ cittaṁ yasmin tathābhūto yaḥ sāndrātmā niviḍa-svarūpaḥ prathama-daśāpekṣayā paramānandotkarṣaṁ prāpta iti yāvat | ata eva kṛṣṇe’tiśaya-mamatvāṅkito bhāvaḥ sa eva premā nigadyate | atreyam āśaṅkā—nanu bhāva eva ced upādānaḥ san sāṅkhya-matānusāreṇa premāṇam utpādya svayaṁ premātmiko bhavati, tadā tan-mate upādāna-kāraṇam eva pūrvāvasthāṁ parityajya kārya-rūpeṇa pariṇamati, na tu kāraṇātiriktaḥ svatantraḥ kārya-padārtho’sti | yathā guḍa eva kam api vikāraṁ prāpya pūrva-rūpaṁ parityajya ca khaṇḍo bhavati, jāte ca khaṇḍe tasmād guḍasya pṛthak sthitir nāsti | evaṁ khaṇḍa eva sitā bhavati, sitā eva sitopalā bhavati, tatra sitopalā-daśāyāṁ guḍa-khaṇḍa-sitānāṁ pṛthak sthitir nāsti | tadvad atrāpi bhāvaḥ pūrvāvasthāṁ parityajya prema-rūpo bhavatu, evaṁ premṇaḥ sakāśād bhāvasya pṛthak-sthitir māstu | tathāgre vakṣyamāṇaṁ premṇa eva sneha-rūpatvam eva snehādīnāṁ rāgādi-rūpatvaṁ ca, tatrāpi snehādibhyaḥ sakāśāt premādi-sthāyi-bhāvānāṁ pṛthak-sthitir māstu | evaṁ sati śrī-rādhikā-prabhṛtiṣu carama-sthāyi-rūpa-mahābhāva eva tiṣṭhatu, na tu rati-prema-sneha-māna-rāgānurāgādayaḥ | maivam | śrī-kṛṣṇasya hlādinī-śakteḥ sāra-vṛtti-rūpāṇāṁ rati-prema-snehādīnāṁ śrī-kṛṣṇasyaivācintya-śaktitvāt pūrvāvasthām aparityajyaiva bhāvaḥ prema-rūpo bhavati | pūrvāvasthāyā atyāgād eva premṇaḥ sakāśād bhāvasya pṛthak-sthitir api jñeyā | evaṁ-rītyā snehādibhyaḥ sakāśāt premādīnāṁ pṛthak-sthitir apy ūhyā | tatra dṛṣṭānto yathā—śrī-kṛṣṇasya bālya-deha eva kam api mādhuryādy-utkarṣaṁ prāpya bālyāvasthāparityāgaṁ vinaiva paugaṇḍa-deho bhavati | evaṁ paugaṇḍa-deha eva pūrvasmād apy utkarṣa-viśeṣaṁ prāpya kaiśora-deho bhavati, na tu prākṛta-manuṣya-śarīrādir iva bālyāvasthāṁ parityajya paugaṇḍāvasthāṁ prāpnoti śrī-kṛṣṇasya bālya-paugaṇḍa-kaiśorāṇām evaṁ bālyādy-ucita-līlānāṁ ca sarveṣāṁ nityatvāt | kintu paugaṇḍasya prākaṭye bālya-deho’trāntardhāya yatra yatra brahmāṇḍe prakaṭa-līlāyāṁ bālya-līlāyā ārambhas tatraiva prakaṭībhavati | evam asyaiva vṛndāvanasyāprakaṭa-prakāśe yatra bālya-līlāyā ārambhas tatrāpi bālya-dehasya prākaṭyaṁ jñeyam | brahmaṇa āgāmini kalpe vaivasvata-manvantare punar apy atraiva vṛndāvanasya prakaṭa-prakāśe bālya-dehaḥ prakaṭībhaviṣyatīti | yathaitad-dvīpasthaḥ sūryo’trāntardhāya sandhyā-kāle dvīpāntaraṁ gacchati, punar api yāma-catuṣṭayānantaram etad dvīpe prakaṭībhaviṣyati | līlānāṁ bālyādy-avasthānāṁ ca nityatvaṁ śrī-bhāgavata-ṭīkāyāṁ mahānubhāvair vistārya likhitam | viśeṣa-jijñāsā cet, sā ṭīkā draṣṭavyā | prakṛte tu rati-premādi-sthāyi-bhāvavatāṁ bhaktānāṁ madhye yasya bhaktasya sthāyi-bhāvādeḥ sva-sva-kāraṇaṁ prāpyodayas tadā tasyaivābhivyaktir, anyeṣāṁ tu bhāvānām anabhivyaktatvena tasminn eva bhakte sthitir jñeyā | yathā kāma-krodhādimatāṁ sāṁsārikāṇāṁ kāmādīnāṁ madhye ekatarasyodaya-kāle’nyeṣāṁ saṁskāra-rūpeṇa sthitiḥ, tadvad eveti jñeyam |
(Bhakti-sāra-pradarśinī-ṭīkā)
“Now, after having also described bhāva [i.e., bhāva-bhakti, syn., rati, in the previous chapter beginning with the definition thereof in BRS 1.3.1], the author describes prema: samyaṅ … [i.e., he defines prema here at the beginning of the next chapter in BRS 1.4.1]. That particular bhāva, which is (1) of such nature whereby the heart (svāntaḥ) is completely melted (samyaṅ-masṛṇitaṁ), that is, profusely softened, in comparison to the first state of bhāva [i.e., to the state of sādhya-bhakti known as bhāva-bhakti and rati defined in BRS 1.3.1], (2) intense in nature (sāndrātmā), that is, of dense constitution, and, more specifically, possessed of an increase in paramount bliss in comparison to the first state [of bhāva], and (3) thus marked by profuse my-ness (mamatva) [i.e., loving attachment] for Kṛṣṇa is called prema.
“In this regard, this is a doubt [that may be raised], ‘Well, if, according to the view of Sāṅkhya, bhāva itself, being the upādāna (material cause), produces prema and then itself becomes prema in constitution, then according to that view, the upādāna-kāraṇa (material cause) itself gives up the previous state and transforms into the form of the effect; it is not, rather, that the object that is the effect exists [i.e., comes into existence] independent and separate from the [material] cause, just as gur, upon undergoing some sort of transformation, gives up its prior form and [itself in entirety] becomes muscovado (khaṇḍa); once muscovado has been produced, then there is no [further] separate existence of [any] gur. Similarly, muscovado itself [in full] becomes refined sugar (sitā), refined sugar itself [in full] becomes rock sugar (sitopalā), and in that state of rock sugar (sitopalā), there is no [remaining] separate existence of gur, muscovado, or refined sugar. Similarly, here too, let bhāva give up its prior state and become prema in nature, and in this way let there be no separate existence of bhāva apart from prema [once prema has become manifest]. Similarly also in regard to prema’s having a form as sneha, which is to be discussed ahead [in BRS 3.2.84 and elsewhere], and sneha and so on’s [i.e., as well as praṇaya and māna’s] having a form as rāga [as described in BRS 3.2.87 and elsewhere] and so forth [i.e., and a form as anurāga and mahābhāva in the case of madhurā-rati], let there also be in that regard too no separate existence of the sthāyi-bhāvas of prema and so forth apart from sneha and so forth. When this so, let only the ultimate sthāyi-bhāva in the form of mahābhāva exist in Śrī Rādhikā and so forth [i.e., and other particular gopīs], and not, rather, rati, prema, sneha, māna, rāga, anurāga, or otherwise [i.e., or praṇaya].’
“[In response to this doubt, it should be said:] It is not so. Because of rati, prema, sneha, and so forth—forms of the foremost function (vṛtti) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s hlādinī-śakti—verily being [constituted of] the inconceivable śakti of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, bhāva becomes the form of prema indeed without giving up the previous state [it was in, viz., bhāva, syn., rati]. Bhāva’s separate existence from prema specifically because of [its] non-abandonment of its prior state is also to be understood. In this way prema and so forth’s separate existence from sneha and so forth is also to be inferred. In this regard, an illustration is as follows: Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s childhood figure, upon having acquired an extraordinary increase in sweetness (mādhurya) and so forth, becomes his boyhood figure indeed without giving up its childhood state. Similarly, his boyhood figure itself, upon having acquired a special excellence even in comparison to the former [state of boyhood], becomes his adolescent figure, and does not, rather, enter the state of boyhood [only] after giving up the state of childhood, like the body and so forth of a material human being, because of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s childhood, boyhood, and adolescence, as well as all the līlās suited [specifically] to his childhood and so forth [i.e., and specifically to his boyhood and adolescence], also being eternal. Upon the manifestation of his boyhood and the disappearance here [i.e., in one particular universe] of his childhood figure, however, his childhood figure [that disappeared] manifests there in whichever universe the start of his childhood līlā within a visible (prakaṭa) līlā is taking place. Similarly, a manifestation of his childhood figure also there where his childhood līlā is taking place in the non-visible manifestation (aprakaṭa-prakāśa) of this very Vṛndāvana is to be understood [to also exist simultaneously]. [Furthermore,] In the Vaivasvata-manvantara in the next kalpa of Brahmā, that childhood figure will manifest [again] in a visible manifestation (prakaṭa-prakāśa) of Vṛndāvana here itself [i.e., in this particular universe], just as the sun present on this continent (dvīpa) goes to another continent when it disappears from here in the evening time and will appear on this continent again after four yāmas [i.e., roughly twelve hours]. The eternality of his līlās and states of childhood and so forth have been described elaborately by he of deep understanding in his commentary on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. If one is particularly inquisitive [about this], that commentary is to be consulted.
“In regard to the original subject [of discussion, namely, the nature of the prema being defined in the verse under discussion], however, among those bhaktas possessed of the sthāyi-bhāvas of rati, prema, and so forth, when the appearance of a sthāyi-bhāva and so forth of a bhakta occurs after its attaining its own various causes [i.e., its ālambana, uddīpanas, etc.], then there is a manifestation of that in particular [i.e., of that particular sthāyi-bhāva, be it rati, prema, sneha, or otherwise], whereas the presence of the other bhāvas [i.e., the other sthāyi-bhāvas apart from the one that has become manifest] in that very bhakta is to be understood [to exist] on account of [their] being unmanifest [externally at that particular time]. As at the time of the appearance of one among [the conditioned states of mind of] desire (kāma), anger, and so forth in persons in saṁsāra possessed of desire (kāma) and so forth [i.e., and anger, etc.] there is a presence of the others in the form of a saṁskāra [in those persons’ minds], so exactly [the other sthāyi-bhāvas that are not manifested when one particular sthāyi-bhāva is manifested remain in the siddha-bhakta in the form of saṁskāras and have the potential to become manifest whenever their specific causes come into conjunction]. This is to be understood.”