23.45

adhikari-bhede rati--panca parakara

santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhura ara

SYNONYMS

adhikari—of possessor; bhede—according to differences; rati—attachment; panca parakara—five varieties; santa—neutral; dasya—servitude; sakhya—friendship; vatsalya—paternal love; madhura—conjugal love; ara—also "According to the candidate possessing these transcendental qualities (sneha, mana and so on), there are five transcendental mellows-neutrality, servitorship, friendship, parental love and conjugal love.In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, rati (attraction) is thus described:

vyaktam masrnitevantar-

laksyate rati-laksanam

mumuksu-prabhrtinam ced

bhaved esa ratir na hi

kintu bala-camatkara-

kari tac-cihna-viksaya

abhijnena subodho ’yam

raty-abhasah prakirtitah The real symptoms of the fructification of the seed of love (rati) are manifest because the heart is melted.

When such symptoms are found among speculators and fruitive actors, they cannot be accepted as real symptoms of attachment.

Foolish people without knowledge of devotional service praise such symptoms of attachment even when they are based on something other than a desire to serve Krsna.

However, one who is expert in devotional service calls such symptoms rati-abhasa, a mere glimpse of attachment.