Srila Rupa Goswâmipâd replies –

“When the heart is burnt up with dry renunciation and one is disinterested in bhakti, he is not qualified to relish ras.  For example –

• the one who is interested in only gaining dry knowledge,
• simply wants to argue
• proponent of karma
• the purva-mimânsak¹
• the uttar-mimânsak who wants to disprove the statement that, the living being is not equal to the Supreme Being.

All these above-mentioned people are averse to bhakti in the ascending order (the second one is more averse than the first one and so on). Even the argumentative men stand a chance. Out of curiosity they may study rhetoric, enter the path of bhakti and may relish bhakti ras to a slight extent; but the mimânsaks are never qualified to enter the temple of bhakti.

The ones practicing dry renunciation are uncouth and the remaining are plain ignorant. You know how a householder hides his most valuable items out of fear that the thieves may steal them? Similarly, Sri Krishna- bhakti-ras is a precious treasure. The devotee rasik should too hide this gem from the uncouth and ignorant. We should not discuss bhakti-ras with the above-mentioned people. Be especially careful of those dry mimânsaks (logicians and analysts), since they harbor a distaste for bhakti–ras and are ever-ready to jump on bhakti-ras to annihilate it with worldly arguments.

Srimat Jiva Goswâmipâd has said –

“We see five types of people in this world –

a) Ignorant (agya)– They may be learned in the other scriptures, but have no experience of ras-literature (transcendental ras, naturally). We still call them ‘ignorant’.

b) Uncouth (grâmya) – They are addicted to material enjoyment. They are like animals indulging in the pleasure of the flesh.

c) Wise (prâgya) – They are learned in ras-literature; they even accept that ras is the topmost, yet they are so unfortunate that they are not capable of relishing ras. All three (ignorant, uncouth and wise) are unworthy of ras-realization.

d) Bhâvak – They are devotees who are learned in ras-literature and are able to relish ras.

e) Bhâvya – They are also devotees. They have attained success (siddhi) in ras-sâdhanâ. They are accomplished relishers of ras. We call them rasik devotees.”

We surely understand from this discussion that bhakti-ras is a permanent riddle for the non-devotees.

“The devotees who possess nothing but the lotus feet of Sri Hari can only relish ras.” – (B.R.S. 2.5.131)

¹ A mimânsak is one who examines, investigates and proves the Vedic philosophy. He arrives at the Truth by logic and analysis. They love to debate. The mimânsak are divided into two groups –

a) Purva-mimânsak – They are the followers of Rishi Jaimini. He is attributed with Karma-mimâmsâ (“Study of [Ritual] Action”). His followers dapple with mainly with karma–kânda.

b) Uttar-mimânsak – The followers of this doctrine hold that God is the omniscient and omnipotent cause of the existence, continuance, and dissolution of the universe. Creation is an act of his will; he is both the efficient and the material cause of the world. At the consummation of all things all are resolved into him. He is “the sole-existent and universal soul,” and besides him there is no second principle; he is Adwaita, `without a second.’ Shankarâchârya was the great apostle of this school.

The object of both these schools is to teach the art of reasoning with the purpose of aiding the interpretation of the Vedas, not only in the speculative but the practical portion.