CC Adi 3.11 (1975)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 11
- dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, śṛṅgāra--cāri rasa
- cāri bhāvera bhakta yata kṛṣṇa tāra vaśa
SYNONYMS
dāsya—servitude; sakhya—friendship; vātsalya—parental affection; śṛṅgāra—conjugal love; cāri—four; rasa—mellows; cāri—four; bhāvera—of the sentiments; bhakta—devotees; yata—as many as there are; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; tāra—by them; vaśa—subdued.
TRANSLATION
Servitude [dāsya], friendship [sakhya], parental affection [vātsalya] and conjugal love [śṛṅgāra] are the four transcendental mellows [rasas]. By the devotees who cherish these four mellows, Lord Kṛṣṇa is subdued.
PURPORT
Dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and śṛṅgāra are the transcendental modes of loving service to the Lord. Śānta-rasa, or the neutral stage, is not mentioned in this verse because although in śānta-rasa one considers the Absolute Truth the sublime great, one does not go beyond that conception. Śānta-rasa is a very grand idea for materialistic philosophers, but such idealistic appreciation is only the beginning; it is the lowest among the relationships in the spiritual world. Śānta-rasa is not given much importance because as soon as there is a slight understanding between the knower and the known, active loving transcendental reciprocations and exchanges begin. Dāsya-rasa is the basic relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees; therefore this verse considers dāsya the first stage of transcendental devotional service.