{"id":621,"date":"2008-09-11T10:55:58","date_gmt":"2008-09-11T05:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/?p=621"},"modified":"2008-09-11T11:32:34","modified_gmt":"2008-09-11T06:02:34","slug":"chapter-8-formation-of-ras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/sweet_books\/how-to-realize-ras\/chapter-8-formation-of-ras\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 8 – Formation of ras"},"content":{"rendered":"

The answer to this question is \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

All the divine pastimes of Sri Krishna are eternal. His various ages such as childhood, adolescence, youth \u2013 are also timeless. His behavior in these ages is eternal as well. However the devotees have a tremendous desire to behold these pastimes or to see Him in a particular form. Then He uses this as an opportunity to save the world and He manifests these pastimes. When the work is over, that leel\u00e2<\/em> unmanifests. The leel\u00e2<\/em> continues to exist, but shrouded from material eye. Similarly ras expresses itself in a devotee\u2019s heart and when the vibh\u00e2v<\/em> etc. disappear, ras too conceals itself.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

When material reactants transform into products, the reactant disappears. For example, when sugarcane juice turns into molasses, the juice is no more. Later when it forms sugar, we do not see the jaggery. However transcendental objects are different from material things. They have an inconceivable potency. They get transformed without losing their separate identity. Example \u2013 Sri Krishna is eternally a kishor<\/em>. Yet, His kishor<\/em>-body becomes a child, adolescent and the adolescent-body becomes all the more beautiful as a kishor<\/em>. Every stage is eternal. All the bodies \u2013 child, adolescent, youthful \u2013 are eternal. Similarly, our permanent bh\u00e2v (sth\u00e2yi-bh\u00e2v)<\/em> is eternal, yet it transforms into ras<\/em>. Both \u2013 sth\u00e2yi-bh\u00e2v<\/em> and ras<\/em> continue to exist separately. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

About the formation of ras<\/em>, Srimat Jiva Gosw\u00e2mip\u00e2d has written in his Priti-Sandarbha \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

“The bh\u00e2vs<\/em> that are worthy of becoming ras<\/em>, become ras<\/em>.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Let us understand this statement better. Material vibh\u00e2vs<\/em> \u2013 yes, even the vibh\u00e2vs<\/em> pertaining to devat\u00e2s<\/em> are material \u2013 are temporary and are lacking in ingredients of ras<\/em>. So they do not form ras<\/em>. Transcendental vibh\u00e2vs<\/em> have all the ingredients to form ras<\/em>. These ingredients have 3 qualifications \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The right swarup<\/em> \u2013<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The right associate<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The right recipient<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The right swarup<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2013 The eternal associates have the right swarup<\/em>, hence they possess sth\u00e2yi-bh\u00e2v<\/em> and are always situated in bliss. They reveal Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> to us and constantly please Him with their sev\u00e2<\/em>. They even criticize the joy of liberation. Such is the sth\u00e2yi-bh\u00e2v<\/em> of the dear associates of Sri Krishna. Although we are worldly beings, by the blessing of Sri Krishna and His devotees, this bh\u00e2v<\/em> can arise in our hearts also.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. The right associate <\/span><\/strong>– The vibh\u00e2vs<\/em> of material ras<\/em> are also mundane. Hence they are naturally disqualified to arouse ras<\/em>. On the other hand, the eternal loving confidantes of Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> love Him so much that their bh\u00e2v<\/em> spontaneously create ras<\/em>. Their love is self-manifesting. It also reveals Sri Krishna and everything pertaining to Him. This love appears in the heart of earthly devotees and gives them similar bh\u00e2v<\/em>. So we should hear and meditate constantly on those eternal associates, who are in a mood akin to ours. We should be choosy about the association we keep. We should keep the company of only rasik<\/em> and saj\u00e2tiya<\/em> devotees who can inculcate ras<\/em> in us.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. The right recipient<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 The devotee (s\u00e2dhak<\/em>) too should have a desire to obtain bhakti<\/em> for Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em>. Then only he is qualified to relish bhakti-ras.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          <\/span><\/p>\n

          Alank\u00e2r-Koustubh has explained these points in detail \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          <\/span><\/p>\n

          Sri Bhagav\u00e2n\u2019s<\/em> eternal associates and the devotees who follow them relish transcendental ras<\/em>. Thus we see that two types of people relish ras<\/em> \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. the eternal associates of Sri Bhagav\u00e2n<\/em> Who <\/span>participate in His divine Leel\u00e2s<\/em> and<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
          2. the devotees who perform s\u00e2dhan\u00e2<\/em> according those leel\u00e2s<\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            <\/span><\/p>\n

            Ras<\/em> forms spontaneously in the eternal associates and they constantly relish ras<\/em>. On the other hand, the devotees who follow them undergo two types of experiences \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            1)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>They meditate on the eternal associates according to their liking (bh\u00e2v<\/em>) and on their pastimes with Sri Bhagav\u00e2n,<\/em> and in this manner ras<\/em> arises in their heart. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            2)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>They only hear and glorify the sweet Leel\u00e2s<\/em> of Sri Bhagav\u00e2n, <\/em>thus they relish ras<\/em>. When someone sings or enacts such leel\u00e2s<\/em>, or some great soul speaks Hari-kath\u00e2<\/em> very sweetly, then the devotees who hear or see this can relish ras<\/em>. On top of this if all the people involved in these activities are in the same bh\u00e2v<\/em> and harbor the same desire, then the devotee can equalize his feelings with the associates depicted in the drama (or Hari-kath\u00e2<\/em>). This enables him to relish greater ras<\/em>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/span><\/p>\n

            So we can understand that although the eternal associates are present in transcendental realm, and we reside in the material world, we too can relish transcendental ras<\/em> like they. The only difference is that eternal associates have natural bh\u00e2v<\/em>. They do not need any instruction nor do they need to hear any divine discourse. However we live in the material world, so we need the right sansk\u00e2r<\/em> and it is necessary for us to perform s\u00e2dhan\u00e2<\/em>. These will intensify our desire to relish ras<\/em> and our passion will blaze forth. We need all these, because we cannot relish ras<\/em> without a desire for ras<\/em> and if we are devoid of ras-sansk\u00e2r<\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

            \n

            (to be continued)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            When material reactants transform into products, the reactant disappears. For example, when sugarcane juice turns into molasses, the juice is no more. Later when it forms sugar, we do not see the jaggery. However transcendental objects are different from material things. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,75],"tags":[390,49,74],"class_list":["post-621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-realize-ras","category-introhow_to_realize_ras","tag-how-to-realize-ras","tag-ras","tag-vibhav"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=621"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":627,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/621\/revisions\/627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunjeshwari.com\/sweetblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}