Hare Kṛṣṇa,
I find the concept of bhakti-rasa to be a difficult topic to understand. How can I understand something that I have not experienced directly? I think it is only Srila Rupa Goswami who, by the mercy and empowerment of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, has properly explained the science of bhakti-rasa. Other acaryas may have also explained the bhakti-rasa terms but I am not very familiar with their writings. I am only familiar with Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi.
Rasa, by itself, is a difficult term to explain.
“”The word rasa, used in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, is understood by different persons differently because the exact English equivalent is very difficult to find. But as we have seen our spiritual master translate this word rasa into “mellow,” we shall follow in his footsteps and also translate the word in that way.”
“The particular loving mood or attitude relished in the exchange of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead is called rasa, or mellow. The different types of rasa, when combined together, help one to taste the mellow of devotional service in the highest degree of transcendental ecstasy. Such a position, although entirely transcendental to our experience, will be explained in this section as far as possible, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.” (The Nectar of Devotion (Chapter 20))
After hearing various classes and studying various writings on bhakti-rasa, I realize that so-called happiness is not the ultimate hankering of a spirit soul. Yes, each one of us is looking for happiness. But what we are actually searching for in the guise of happiness is ‘rasa’. Ananda (bliss) is the by-product of rasa.
Taittiriya-upanisad (2.7.1) says:
raso vai saḥ, rasam hy evāyam labdhvānandī bhavati
In his purport to Bg 14.27, Srila Prabhupada gives the translation of “raso vai saḥ, rasam hy evāyam labdhvānandī bhavati” as “When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful.”
In SB 5.19.20 he gives the translation of “eṣa hy evānandayati. yadā hy evaiṣa etasmin na dṛśye ‘nātmye anirukte ‘nilayane ‘bhayam pratiṣṭhām vindate ‘tha so ‘bhayam gato bhavati” as “A living entity becomes established in spiritual, blissful life when he fully understands that his happiness depends on spiritual self-realization, which is the basic principle of ānanda (bliss), and when he is eternally situated in the service of the Lord, who has no other lord above Him.”
In preface to the Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada writes, “Adoption of bhakti-rasa, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will immediately bring one to an auspicious life free from anxieties and will bless one with transcendental existence, thus minimizing the value of liberation. Bhakti-rasa itself is sufficient to produce a feeling of liberation because it attracts the attention of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa.”
I still struggle to understand the various technical aspects of rasa such as vibhava, anubhāva, sāttvika-bhāva, and vyabhicārī bhava and sthāyī bhava. I have somewhat limited understanding of sthāyī bhava; that it is a permanent mood inherent with our relationships with Krsna. Sthāyī bhava is not present in material relationship; it is completely transcendental. Because it is covered, we do not know what our sthāyī bhava actually is.
Till these terms become clear to me, I take solace from the simple instruction that hearing and chanting will lead us open the doors to our sthāyī bhava. It is inherently present within our hearts; it just needs to be awakened.
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.4-5): “Love for Kṛṣṇa, Keśava, as previously described, reaches the supreme state of being composed of mellows when its ingredients are fulfilled. By means of vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika and vyabhicārī, hearing and chanting are activated, and the devotee is able to taste love for Kṛṣṇa. Then attachment for Kṛṣṇa, or permanent ecstasy (sthāyi-bhāva), becomes the mellow of devotional service (bhakti-rasa).”
nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya
śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
“Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (CC Madhya 22.107)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Krsna Katha 