Verse Text
kintu premā vibhāvādyaiḥ svalpair nīto ’py aṇīyasīm |
vibhāvanādy-avasthāṁ tu sadya āsvādyatāṁ vrajet ||11||
Translation
However, prema, even becoming slightly pleasurable by a slight mixture of vibhāva and the other ingredients, quickly becomes fully tasteful.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
But prema, attaining a slight condition suitable for tasting (vibhāvanādy-avasthām) by a slight combination with vibhāva and the other elements, quickly attains a fully tasteful state.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This verse describes the excellent nature of prema. The special quality of prema is that, attaining a slight ability to experience various tastes (aṇīyasīṁ vibhāvanādy-avasthām) by mixing with vibhāvas and other elements, prema then quickly reaches a state of excellent taste (āsvādyatām). This implies attaining the higher states such as praṇaya and sneha. [Note: Rati, increasing in intensity, becomes prema. Becoming more intense, in the case of dāsya-rasa, rati, prema, sneha and rāga manifest. In the sakhya-rasa, rati, praṇaya, prema, sneha and rāga manifest. In vatsala-rasa, rati, prema, sneha and the highest level of rāga manifest. In the case of madhura-rasa, the order is rati, prema, sneha, māna, praṇaya, rāga, anurāga and mahā-bhāva.] These are the superior forms of rati. If one attains prema alone, that prema then combines with vibhāva and the other elements, and this takes place. The order of words should be aṇīyasīm api, meaning “even attaining a slight taste.”
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
The gradual process of development to the stage of devotional service is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto: “The beginning is to hear about Lord Kṛṣṇa in the association of devotees who have themselves cleansed their hearts by association. Hearing about the transcendental activities of the Lord will result in one’s feeling transcendental bliss always.” It is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā that for one who has actually come to the spiritual platform, the first symptom visible will be that he is always joyful. This joyous life is attained by one’s reaction to reading Bhagavad-gītā or Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or else from associating with persons who are very interested in the spiritual life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—specifically those who have made the determination to achieve the favor of Govinda by being engaged in transcendental loving service at His lotus feet. Being encouraged by such a feeling, one who is constantly engaged in discharging the regulative principles of devotional service in such a way as to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead develops two principles of compelling force, which come under the heading of vibhāva. Thus one enjoys transcendental bliss.