Santa-rasa
"Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that in Vrajabhumi, the Yamuna River, the kadamba trees, the cows, Krsna's cowherding stick and flute all belong to the santa-rasa (the mellow of neutrality or passive adoration)." (Cc Madhya 8.294p.) "The passive relationship with Krsna that the cows have is called santa. Their perfect happiness is achieved when Krsna comes and simply touches them." (SSR)
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura contends that santa-rasa really does not exist in Vraja Dhama, therefore, he gives this explanation: "The cows loved Lord Krsna in vatsalya-rasa, or the love of parents for a child, because the cows were always supplying milk to the child Krsna. Unmoving objects like Govardhana Hill and other hills and mountains loved Lord Krsna as a friend, and ordinary animals, trees and bushes of Vrndavana loved Lord Krsna in dasya-rasa, or with the love of a servant for his master. Snakes like Kaliya also developed this love in servitude, and after relishing their loving service to Lord Krsna, all of them went back home, back to Godhead." (SB 11.12.8.p.)
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura's unique view of the rasas in Vrndavana does not contradict the statements of the other acaryas, but it simply reveals another facet of the infinitely beautiful transcendental jewel named Sri Vrndavana Dhama. As their submissive students, our position is to appreciate the realized insights of all the acaryas and to see how they agree about the ultimate conclusion: Surrender to Krsna, serve Krsna, love Krsna and return to Krsna.
The following examples illustrate how Sri Krsna personally exchanges love even within santa-rasa. "The Supreme Personality of Godhead called out to the animals in a voice that resounded like the rumbling of a cloud. Hearing the sound of their own names, the cows were overjoyed and called out to the Lord in reply." (SB 10.19.6) "The cows had to move slowly because of their weighty milk bags, but they quickly ran to the Supreme Personality of Godhead as soon as He called them, their affection for Him causing their udders to become wet." (SB 10.20.26)
Sri Krsna's flute is another example of rasa mixing which is so characteristic of Vrndavana. Although usually categorized in santa-rasa, Krsna's flute participates in the sweetest, most intimate conjugal pastimes (madhurya-rasa) of Radha, Krsna and the gopis. Amazed at the wonderful fortune of Krsna's flute, the gopis exclaimed: "What auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Krsna's lips, independently and leave only a taste for us gopis, for whom that nectar is actually meant!" (SB 10.21.9)
(An excerpt from Appreciating Sri Vrndavana Dhama by Mahanidhi Swami
apparently contradictory statements from Gaudiya acaryas regarding the existence of santa rasa in Krishna’s Vraja-lila. In some circles this is quite a controversial subject, so can you address this further?
A. Sri Krishna is known as Rasaraja. This name implies that he tastes all rasas, and it refers to him in his Vraja-lila. From this it should be clear that he does taste santa-rasa in Vraja. This is also confirmed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 4.3.85.
There Sri Rupa writes that Krishna tasted santa-rasa along with all other expressions of sacred aesthetic rapture while lifting Govardhana Hill. In this example Sri Krishna tastes santa-rasa from the vantage point of the shelter (asraya alambana) of santa-rasa. Later in Mathura he tasted santa-rasa from the vantage point of the object (visaya alambana) of love when he was wrestling in Kamsa’s arena (SB 10.43.17). Therein it is clearly stated that the sages present experienced santa-rasa in relation to Sri Krishna. Such sages may very well include persons like Durvasa, who also resides in Vraja proper. So santa-rasa is expressed in his Vraja-lila within Mathura mandala.
At the same time, Krishna’s Vraja-lila is primarily characterized by love that is devoid of reverence, and thus it is often said to begin with sakhya-rasa.
Brahmaji described all of Vrindavana as being permeated by sakhya-rasa when he told Sri Krishna, aho bhagyam, aho bhagyam nanda gopa vrajaukasam yan mitram paramanandam purna brahma sanatanam: “Oh, how fortunate, Oh, how fortunate, are the Vrajavasis of Nanda gopa, for the supreme bliss and complete, eternal Brahman is their friend.”
Thus everything and everyone in Vraja is touched by friendship. Everything and everyone is also touched by the influence of romantic love that Krishna’s Vraja-lila is centered on.
Bhaktivinoda Thakura acknowledges that santa-rati is present to some extent in the Vraja-lila when he writes in Jaiva Dharma, “At first I thought that there was no santa-rati in the devotees of Vraja, but now I see that it is present in them to a limited extent. ” In the same book, however, he also writes, “Santa-rasa is absent in Vraja.”
Perhaps Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura sought to clarify Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s statements when in his commentaries to Upadesamrta and Caitanya-caritamrta he attributed santa-rati to the nonhuman species and apparently inanimate objects of Vraja, such as cows, rivers, hills, and Krishna’s flute.
However, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has attributed sahkya-rasa to the hills of Vraja and vatsalya-rati to Sri Krishna’s cows. So there are different opinions among acaryas, and human reasoning renders any of these opinions problematic.
For example, while there is reason to believe that Vraja’s cows are in vatsalya-rasa, their relationship with Sri Krishna is also one of being protected by Gopala.
Anyone who raises cows knows that they are as much children in need of protection and constant care as they are mothers, and at least in Dvaraka, Krishna’s children are considered to be in dasya-rasa. Krishna’s cows are also his istadevata and thus worshipable by him.
Furthermore, why do we find that Radha and Govinda are not inhibited in front of Vraja’s bovines as they are before human elders relishing vatsalya-rati? After all, vatsayla and madhurya-rasa are not compatible. Neither are santa and madhurya-rasas compatible for that matter.
Mahadeva and Brahma are said to have taken birth in Varsana and Nandagrama as hills; are they in sakhya-rasa? Sakhya-rasa is exchanged between equals. The gopis attribute a male gender to Krishna’s flute at one time and a female gender at another time. Is it male, female, neither of these, or both? Sometimes the creepers of Vraja are thought to be tasting madhurya-rati, but what is the nature of this madhurya-rati and how can it compare to that of the gopis themselves?
Great devotees view the world through the lens of their bhava, and this may afford them different angles of vision at different times.
Furthermore, some of Sri Krishna’s devotees experience the suddha-rati known as svaccha (transparent), in which they taste the rati of those with whom they associate, moving between santa, dasya, sakhya, and madhurya. Therefore, on issues that lie beyond our present realization, it is best to respect the opinions of great souls, even when we cannot fully understand them.
