Śrī Śrī Rūpānuga-bhajana-darpaṇa – Song Eight – ‘jei rati janme jāra’

(1)
jei rati janme jāra      sei mata rasa tāra
rasa mukhya pañca-bidha hoya
gauṇa-sapta-rasa punaḥ        hoya ratira anuguṇa
ratira sambandha bhābāśroya

1) According to the particular type of attachment that attracts one to love Kṛṣṇa, the devotee becomes attached to that degree in one of the five direct mellows. Besides to this direct attachment, there are occasional manifestations of the seven indirect mellows, which follow the direct attachment. Thus the seven indirect attachments remain subjugated under the shelter of the ecstatic emotions presented by the more predominant direct mellow.

(2)
pañca mukhya madhye bhāi      madhurera guṇa gāi
sarba-śreṣṭha rasa-rāja boli
guṇa anya rase jata      madhurete āche tata
āra bahu bale hoya bali

2) Oh brothers! Now listen as I sing of the glories of the madhura-rasa, the sweet conjugal mellow, for it is said to be the best and most powerful rasa amongst all the five direct mellows. Indeed, it is just like the king of all mellows. All the transcendental qualities of the other mellows are fully present in this topmost of all rasas, and therefore it is most powerful because of the combined potencies of all the other mellows contained within it. And also, the other mellows individually become more powerful when they are within the madhura-rasa than they are when they stand on their own.

(3)
gauṇa rasa āche jata          saba sañcārīra mata
haya srṅgarera puṣṭi kore
śrī-rūpera anugata       bhajane je hoya rata
sthiti tāra kebale madhure

3) All the seven indirect mellows give transitory stimulation to the madhura-rasa (also called śṛṅgara-rasa). They also circulate to nourish and supplement the ecstasies of the conjugal mellow. Those devotees who develop attachment for the worship that follows in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī become situated and firmly established only in this conjugal mellow.

(4)
madhura ujjwala-rasa          sadā śṛṅgārera baśa
braja-raja-nandana biṣoya
aiśwarja su-gupta ta’te       mādhurja-prabhābe mate
tāhāra āśroya bhakta-coya

4) The madhura-rasa is known as the most brilliant mellow, and its main subject is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Son of the King of Vraja. Indeed, He actually lets Himself be controlled and subjugated by this loving mellow. The majestic opulences of the Lord (aiśvarya) are covered over, and the powerful maddening influence of its transcendental sweetness (mādhurya) is the sole refuge of all the assembled devotees, who are the object of this mellow.