Verse Text
yathā –
jīva-sphuliṅga-vahner mahaso ghana-cit-svarūpasya |
tasya padāmbuja-yugalaṁ kiṁ vā saṁvāhayiṣyāmi ||
atra mukhye ’ṅgini mukhyasyāṅgatā | ||20||
Translation
An example with śānta-rasa as the aṅgī and dāsya-rasa as the aṅga (both being primary rasas): How will I ever be able to massage the two lotus feet of Your effulgent self, endowed with a form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, similar to a fire emanating sparks in the form of the jīvas?
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
The example of a fire emanating sparks (the jīvas) is a reference to the Upaniṣads. [Note: Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 2.1] This is stated in order to show that the jīva is subordinate to the Lord (aṁśa and aṁśī). The param brahma (svarūpasya) has a form (ghana) which is eternal, conscious and blissful (cit). Cit stands for sac-cid-ānanda. This form of the Lord serves as the ālambana (viṣaya) for the speaker, and establishes the person’s devotion to Him. This illustrates śānta-rasa as the predominating rasa, or aṅgī. Its superior position is indicated by its being embraced by its great friend (dāsya-rasa). Because dāsya-rasa is subordinate (aṅga), śānta-rasa becomes even more prominent, just as yogurt attains greater taste by the addition of sugar. And even the desire to massage the feet of the Lord (the touch of dāsya-rasa in the verse) is actually the desire to attain bliss by touching the form of the Lord who is full of the highest bliss, rather than to give bliss to the Lord, because the devotee realizes the Lord as an object full of bliss (rather than as his master).
Purport (Nectar of Devotion)
The following statement elucidates the subject of part and whole: “All living entities are just like sparks from the supreme fire, and as such, I do not know if I, a tiny spark, shall be able to engage myself in the transcendental loving service of this supreme fire, Lord Kṛṣṇa.” In this statement, the feelings of neutral love are taken as the whole, whereas the desire to serve the Lord is taken as the part. Actually, in the Brahman effulgence there is no chance for reciprocation of loving ecstasy between the Lord and the devotee.