Saptamy Amṛta Vṛṣṭiḥ
The Seventh Shower of Nectar
Bhāva – Transcendental Emotion
I. What is Bhāva?
Verse 1
When āsakti achieves full maturity it is called rati or bhāva.
Bhāva is the preliminary stage of manifestation of the three energies sat, cid and ānanda, emanating from the Lord Himself:
In other words, upon reaching the state of bhāva, the devotee rises to the level of śuddha-sattva, and the aforementioned energies of the Lord begin to manifest for him like the rays of the rising sun.
The Blossoming Flower
Bhāva is also called the blossoming flower of the bhakti creeper.
- Outer luster — the quality of sudurlabhā (rarity);
- Inner luster — mokṣa-laghu-kṛti (that which makes even liberation seem insignificant by comparison).
Just a single particle of bhāva in the heart of a devotee completely uproots ignorance.
Attracting the Lord
By the profuse release of its fragrances, the flower of bhāva is able to invite Madhusūdana and make him appear there.
Transformation of Heart
Scented by those fragrances, all the emotions of the heart liquify into a perfumed oil, fit to be smeared on all the limbs of the Lord.
II. Symptoms of Bhāva
Verses 2-3
External Symptoms
At that time, his eyes, full of longing, turn towards Kṛṣṇa to lick the blackness of his limbs, the rosy hue of his lips and eye-rims, the white brilliance of his moon-like teeth shining in his smiling face, the yellow hue of his clothing and ornaments; and begin to bathe his body in unlimited tears.
Like a hunted animal, here and there, from time to time, freezing his motion, he raises his ears to try to hear the sound of Kṛṣṇa's flute, the jingling of his anklets, the sweet intonation of his voice, the messages of his wandering footsteps.
And his body erupts in ecstasy on experiencing the longed-for touch of the Lord's tender hands.
His nostrils open wide again and again, and inhale, anxious to examine the fragrance of his body.
Hankering to taste the Lord's saliva, his tongue feels great joy on attaining that taste, and he licks his lips.
Sometimes, when he gains the association of the Lord by the Lord's whim, his heart feels exhilarated, and he becomes drunk with the abundance of sweetness, and then, at the departure of the Lord he grieves and becomes despondent.
In this way the symptoms of sañcārī bhāva decorate his body.
Internal Symptoms & Perception
His intelligence, in the states of wakefulness, sleep, and deep sleep, determines to fix itself without deviation on the path of remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.
At the time of attaining his spiritual body suitable for performing his eternal service, the indestructible soul enters that body, and the material body becomes almost lifeless.
At this stage the devotee begins to experience extreme possessiveness of Kṛṣṇa: like a bee, he becomes anxious to imbibe fragrance of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet.
Having obtained the most precious jewel of bhāva, the devotee, like a miser, hides it from ordinary people.
However, according to the logic of nyāya, a person's glowing face reveals the great treasure hidden in his heart (since the face is a reflection of the mind).
As he becomes the residence of renunciation, tolerance, and the other wonderful qualities which manifest themselves at the stage of bhāva, advanced devotees will understand his internal status by those external symptoms, but others who see his distracted mind will conclude that he is mad.
III. Two types of Bhāva Bhakti
Verse 4
Bhāva manifests from two sources: rāgānuga-bhakti and vaidhī-bhakti.
From Rāgānuga Bhakti
Marked by greater strength and depth of natural feeling
With a predominance of the feeling that the Lord is on an equal level and a distaste for seeing the Lord as the almighty master.
Very thick or intense.
From Vaidhī Bhakti
Marked by lesser strength and depth of feeling
With a type of possessiveness of the Lord mixed with perception of the Lord as the almighty God.
Not so condensed.
These two types of bhāva are tasted in two different ways in the two types of hearts possessed of two types of spiritual desires in two types of devotees.
IV. The Five Ratis
Verse 4
Bhāva can vary in its degree of sweetness, just as the juices of mango, sugarcane, and grapes vary in their density.
Depending on the nature of their relationship with the Lord, devotees develop one of the five primary types of bhāva and are named accordingly:
Śāntas
(those who worship without personal interaction)
Dāsas
(servants)
Sakhās
(friends)
Pitṛs
(elders / parents)
Preyasīs
(lovers)
These five types of bhāva, in turn, surround themselves with four shades of love (vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika and vyabhicārī) and, just as a king sits on his throne surrounded by his retinue, they occupy a dominant position in the devotee's heart.
These five sthāyī-bhāvas, mixing with the aforementioned four elements, develop into five different rasas: śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, and ujjvala.
V. Perfection of all Rasas is in Kṛṣṇa
Verse 5
Akhila Rasāmṛta Mūrti
According to śruti, the Lord is the very essence of rasa (rasa-svarūpa): raso vai saḥ, rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati. The Lord is the embodiment of rasa, by knowing whom the jīva attains bliss.
Although water is found in every waterfall, river, and lake, the ocean is the ultimate reservoir of all water. Similarly, though rasa is present in all the Lord's avatāras and their very source (avatārī), it does not manifest in its absolute perfection in any of them, but finds its supreme embodiment in the son of the King of Vraja, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Realization of this personification of rasa, Vrajendra-nandana, awakens in the heart when one's bhāva reaches full bloom and the fruit of prema matures.