The five Bhavas (Sthayi Bhava (the base), Vibhava, Anubhava, Sattvika Bhava and Sancari Bhava (Vyabhicari Bhava)), are the ingredients (Samagri) that combine to form Rasa.
Like the drink called Shikarini leading yogurt as a base, rose water, sugar, black pepper and camphor is very refreshing and delicious. Also, by mixing all these Bhavas, ambrosial Rasa is produced.
"Vrajanatha: What previous practice must one have performed in the past in order that one may attain rasa?
Gosvami: I cannot answer this question with only a brief explanation. I will explain elaborately. Then you will understand. From your spiritual master you have heard about "krishna-rati" (attachment to Krishna), which is also called "sthayi-bhava" (steady ecstasy). When that ecstatic love is fanned and nurtured for a long time by samagri-bhava and increases, it becomes krishna-bhakti-rasa (the mellows of suddha-bhakti to Lord Krishna).
Vrajanatha: Please describe "sthayi-bhava" (steady ecstasy) and "samagri-bhava" (the ingredients of rasa). In have already heard my spiritual master explain what is “bhava". I did not hear from him how these two things combine to become "rasa".
Gosvami: Generally, bhava-bhakti (ecstatic devotional service) and krishna-rati (attraction to Lord Krishna) appear because of transcendental bhakti deeds performed in this life or a previous life. In this way one attains a condition of life that is filled with bliss. There are four kinds of samagris (ingredients of rasa). They are: 1. vibhava (special symptoms or causes of ecstasy (alambana-uddipana)), 2. anubhava (subsequent ecstasy), 3. sattvika-bhava (constitutional or existential ecstasy), and 4. vyabhicari-bhava (aggressive ecstasy) or sancari-bhava (continuously existing ecstatic symptoms).
...Practical examples of anubhava are as follows: dancing, rolling on the ground, singing very loudly, stretching the body, crying loudly, yawning, breathing very heavily, neglecting the presence of others, drooling, laughing like a madman, wheeling the head, and belching...
Vrajanatha: How is it possible that these unusual external symptoms can increase the sweet taste of the rasas of sthayi-bhava? When the devotee relishes the rasas in his heart, an inner experience, whereas the anubhava taste is manifested externally. Why, then, should these anubhavas be considered a samagri-bhava, ingredients of rasa?
Gosvami: Baba, you have learned the nyaya-shastra very well. Till this day I have not seen anyone raise such a subtle point of logic. When I studied the rasas I also asked this question of Shrila Vakresvara Pandita. By my spiritual master's mercy my doubt was thrown far away. The secret is this: When the heart is agitated by the ecstatic feelings of vibhava, many extraordinary and wonderful feels (vaicitrya) are manifested. These feelings blossom in many different ways in the heart. This bliss cause vikara, physical transformations, which are exhibited as the ecstatic symptoms known as udbhasvara. When the heart es effervescent with emotion, the devotee is seen dancing; when his heart hums with joy, the devotee sings aloud, and so on. these expressions of spiritual emotions further nourish rasa. The exhibition of this exctatic symptoms is not the main cause of ecstatic emotion - which is actually vibhava - but anubhava is the follower and experencied as the supporter of vibhava. When anubhava is chuerned up in the heart by vibhava, splendid symptoms are dispalayed in the body. Thus, when the heart is flushed with vibhava and sthyi-bhava, a second function is initiated within the heart in the form of anubhava, wich then acts to nourish the vibhava further. Therefore, anubhava really is a positive and independent samagri-bhava.
...there are other ecstatic symptoms, such as blossoming of the body, the flowing of blood, and expansion and contraction of the body's joints. However, because these symptoms are very rare, I will not describe them further. However, when he assumed the form of a tortoise and manifested other unusual activities, these symptoms were present on the body of our most beloved, Sri Nimai Pandita Caitanya. Still, these symptoms are not seen on the body of a sadhaka devotee....
After hearing these confidential explanations from Gopala-guru Gosvami, the two inquiring devotees were silent for a long time. then, touching the dust of his feet, they asked, "O master, what are the "sattvika-bhavas"?
Vrajanatha: How is sattvika-bhava created?
Gosvami: When the sadhaka devotee's vital force of life is in contact with the various external elements, agitation and transformation result. From this agitation the various ecstatic symptoms, such as becoming stunned, are manifested. Or, when the citta of the sadhaka - who is immersed in sattvika-bhava - is united with the prana, the bodly life-energy, then the prana is placed in abnormal condition, which causes perturbations in the external body. As a result, symptoms like paralysis, perspiration, etc., are manifested."
Vrajanatha: How many types of sttvika-bhavas, ecstatic transformations, are there?
Gosvami: There are eight symptoms of sattvika-bhava (existential ecstatic love): becoming stunned, perspiring, standing of the hairs on the body, faltering of the voice, trembling of the body, changing of bodily colors, shedding of tears, and devastation. When the vital forces is in contact with the five material elements, different kinds of ecstatic symptoms are manifested. When the vital force of life is in contact with the earth one is stunned. When the same force comes into contact with water, there is shedding of tears. When the same force comes into contact with fire, there is perspiration. When the force comes into contact with sky, there is complete devastation. And when the that force comes into contact with air, there is trembling, failing of the voice, and standing of the hairs on the body. In this way the different ecstatic symptoms are manifested.thes eight sattvika-vikaras act both internally and externally, and in all cases they may be laced with extreme perturbations. Some people designate such vikaras variously as bahva, principal emotion, or anubava, subordinate emotion. However, one should note that the anubhavas act externally, hence they cannot be designated as sttvika-bhava. Tha activities of anubhava - manifesting symptoms, for example, of nrtya, dancing - are generated by the ibtervention and action of the intelligence, thus sattvika-bhava is not directly envolved. sattvika-bhava, however, acts directly without any interference of the intellect in such manifestation as stambha, being stunned. Therefore, anubhava and sattvika-bhava are separate individual bhavas."
Vrajanatha: O master, now I have understood vibhava, anubhava, and sattvika-bhava, and I have also understood the difference between sattvika-bhava and anubhava. Now please explain the remain samagri-bhava, which is known as vyabhicari-bhava.
Gosvami: There are 33 vyabhicari-bhavas. Vi means "specifically"; abhi means "towards"; and cari means "moving". They are called vyabhicari-bhavas because they specifically move towards and nourish sthayi-bhava. As the sancarita, travel throuhgout, the body, mind and words, they are also referred to as sancari-bhavas. They are waves that arise from the nectarean ocean of sthayi-bhava causing it to swell before they return to their source.
The 33 vyabhicari-bhavas are: disappointment, lamentation, humility, guilt, fatigue, intoxication, pride, doubt, apprehension, intense emotion, madness, forgetfulness, disease, confusion, death, laziness, inertness, bashfulness, concealment, remembrance, argumentativeness, anxiety, thoughtfulness, endurance, happiness, eagerness, violence, haughtiness, envy, impudence, dizziness, sleepiness, and alertness.27
Initially, rati manifests the ecstatic beauty of Krsna, and after the beauty has been relished, bhava in its variegatedness turns around and reciprocally enhaces rati. Therefore, in conclusion, all the divisions of bhava - vibhava, anubhava, sattvika-bhava and sancari (vyabhicari) bhava - give support to rati, and vice versa."
(Jaiva Dharma - Rasa Tattva - Chapters 26,27,28)
