Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrita Ādi 3.11

dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, śrińgāra — cāri rasa

cāri bhāvera bhakta yata krishna tāra vaśa

SYNONYMS

dāsya — servitude; sakhya — friendship; vātsalya — parental affection; śrińgāra — conjugal love; cāri — four; rasa — mellows; cāri — four; bhāvera — of the sentiments; bhakta — devotees; yata — as many as there are; krishna — Lord Krishna; tāra — by them; vaśa — subdued.

TRANSLATION

Servitude [dāsya], friendship [sakhya], parental affection [vātsalya] and conjugal love [śrińgāra] are the four transcendental mellows [rasas]. By the devotees who cherish these four mellows, Lord Krishna is subdued.

PURPORT

Dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya and śrińgāra are the transcendental modes of loving service to the Lord. Śānta-rasa, or the neutral stage, is not mentioned in this verse because although in śānta-rasa one considers the Absolute Truth the sublime great, one does not go beyond that conception. Śānta-rasa is a very grand idea for materialistic philosophers, but such idealistic appreciation is only the beginning; it is the lowest among the relationships in the spiritual world. Śānta-rasa is not given much importance because as soon as there is a slight understanding between the knower and the known, active loving transcendental reciprocations and exchanges begin. Dāsya-rasa is the basic relationship between Krishna and His devotees; therefore this verse considers dāsya the first stage of transcendental devotional service.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness