BRS 2.5.13

Verses 12 and 13 explain svaccha-rati. bhavāpavargo bhramato yadā bhavej janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samāgamaḥ sat-saṅgamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau parāvareśe tvayi jāyate matiḥ When the material life of a wandering soul has ceased, O Acyuta, he may attain the association of Your devotees. And when he associates with them, there awakens in him devotion unto You, who are the goal of the devotees and the Lord of all causes and their effects. SB 10.51.53 This verse shows how devotee association acts as the seed of rati. Through association with various types of devotees, various types of sādhana which are like watering the seed will be performed. This will produce various bhāvas in the practicing devotee. The type of śuddha-rati previously mentioned, which produces such variety in a devotee is called svaccha. The cause of variety is explained in verse 13. The devotee’s rati, like a crystal, takes on a form similar to that of another devotee to whom he is attached. The example of the crystal is used because of its quality of taking on a variety of conditions, but not to indicate that this rati is only a reflection (not the real thing), since it is included in the topic of śuddha-rati, which is included in the topic of forms of genuine rati. However, this svaccha-rati is included in śuddha-rati because the particular tastes it manifests are temporary (rather than permanent as in prīti or other forms of rati). This also agrees with the later statement in verse 21, which describes śuddha-rati (which includes svaccha-rati) as being devoid of distinctive taste. Śuddha-rati has no mixture of the tastes found in the other types of rati such as prīti-rati.