Rasik Saint
In Braj, at the time of Lord's descension all 3 types of personalities (Jeevatma, Mahaatama and Paramaatmaa) were present in one place.
A soul can be in the following three categories-
God realization is the ultimate aim of a soul. Saints love The Supreme Lord Bhagawan Shri Krishna with different bhav (mode of relation): Shant, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya. Based on their bhav there are many categories of Saints.
Madhurya Bhav is the highest level of love since it incorporates all the other four bhav's mentioned above. Madhurya Bhav is further classified into 3 levels.
Samartha Rati is also called Gopi Prem wherein there is no trace of self-happiness. The main sentiment in Gopi prem is
- The Supreme soul (परमात्मा): The Supreme God
- The great soul (महात्मा): The soul, who realizes Supreme soul (God) and goes across the ocean of Maya, becomes a great-soul, Mahatma or Saint.
- The soul (जीवात्मा): Individual soul
God realization is the ultimate aim of a soul. Saints love The Supreme Lord Bhagawan Shri Krishna with different bhav (mode of relation): Shant, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya. Based on their bhav there are many categories of Saints.
Madhurya Bhav is the highest level of love since it incorporates all the other four bhav's mentioned above. Madhurya Bhav is further classified into 3 levels.
- Sadharani Rati
- Samanjasa Rati
- Samartha Rati is the highest stream of love.
Samartha Rati is also called Gopi Prem wherein there is no trace of self-happiness. The main sentiment in Gopi prem is
तत्सुखसुखित्वं ।
tatsukhitvam
tatsukhitvam
“Happiness of the beloved makes me happy”.
The Gopis love Shyam Sundar as their beloved and consider Shri Radha Rani as their Supreme queen and they call Her Swamini. The sole aim of these devotees is the happiness of Yugal Sarkar (Shri Radha Krishna). Their every action is for the sole purpose of pleasing Them. To please Them is their form of worship, and their desire is only to serve Them. The highest degree of self-pleasure that does not please the divine couple becomes a source of pain for them. On the contrary, experiencing the greatest misery that gives pleasure to the Divine Couple is most amiable to them. Their love is absolutely selfless and focused ONLY on meticulously serving the Divine Couple.
Those who are submerged in exclusive love for Shri Radha Krishna are termed as Rasik saints. These saints enjoy even more ecstasy, when they side with Shri Radha and tease beloved Shyam Sundar. They pay close attention to intensifying the love of the Divine Couple for each other. It produces a very unique divine bliss.
There are other bhavs too with lesser bliss than Gopi bhav. We will briefly discuss all bhavs present within Madhurya Bhav below
The Gopis love Shyam Sundar as their beloved and consider Shri Radha Rani as their Supreme queen and they call Her Swamini. The sole aim of these devotees is the happiness of Yugal Sarkar (Shri Radha Krishna). Their every action is for the sole purpose of pleasing Them. To please Them is their form of worship, and their desire is only to serve Them. The highest degree of self-pleasure that does not please the divine couple becomes a source of pain for them. On the contrary, experiencing the greatest misery that gives pleasure to the Divine Couple is most amiable to them. Their love is absolutely selfless and focused ONLY on meticulously serving the Divine Couple.
Those who are submerged in exclusive love for Shri Radha Krishna are termed as Rasik saints. These saints enjoy even more ecstasy, when they side with Shri Radha and tease beloved Shyam Sundar. They pay close attention to intensifying the love of the Divine Couple for each other. It produces a very unique divine bliss.
There are other bhavs too with lesser bliss than Gopi bhav. We will briefly discuss all bhavs present within Madhurya Bhav below
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Gopi bhav is also called Sahchari bhav. Saint with this bhav is like a friend of Shri Radha. This is the most intimate and obscure bhav that involves physical and enjoyable interaction with Shri Krishna. The devotees of Gopi bhav confine themselves to the selfless service of Shri Radha and Krishna. It's the most private and esoteric service. These devotees are focused exclusively on close physical association and service that would enhance the bliss of Yugal Sarkar only. They reach up to the level of Roodh Bhav, while other gopis also reach the level of Mahabhav but not up to the highest level. Gopi Bhav devotees get access up to Nikuj and partially up to Nibhrit Nikunj.
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The Gopis love Shyam Sundar as their beloved and consider Shri Radha Rani as their Supreme queen and they call Her Swamini. The sole aim of these devotees is the happiness of Yugal Sarkar (Shri Radha Krishna).
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This is another name for Gopi Bhav.
The devotees of Sakhi Bhav do not have access to the most intimate loving pastimes of the Divine Couple. Yet, they do get to serve Priya Priyatam in many ways in most esoteric pastimes. These devotees like associating with people and things associated with Lord Krishna like His cows, His parents, and His friends. Sakhi Bhav devotees get to serve by the grace of Gopi Bhav Gopis. They have access upto the bliss of Kunj (groves of Vrindaban).
One more category of Mahabhav class of devotees who are involved in private and incomprehensible love pastimes of The Divine Couple are known as Manjari bhav. They directly assist in handling pre-arrangements of pastimes of the Divine Couple. The decorum of this bhav does not permit involvement during the most intimate leelas of Priya Priyatam. Though they abundantly enjoy other leelas of Madhurya Bhav in Kunj. Manjari Bhav Gopis mainly assist Shri Radha to get closer association with Lal Ju.
Thus, the approach of Sakhi Bhav and Manjari Bhav seems alike but Sakhi bhav is not directly involved in most secretive love pastimes of Shri Radha Madhav, whereas Manjari bhav gets direct association of Priya Priyatam with an opportunity to assist Radha Rani to be more intimate with Shyam Sundar. Whereas Gopi Bhav comprises all the rights and bliss enjoyed by both sakhi bhav and manjari bhav, and even more than that.
A devotee with Kinkari Bhav is ever anxious to serve Shri Radha as a maid.
श्री राधा पद किंकरी, भाव जासु हिय होय ।
वृन्दाबन रस कौ मधुर, स्वाद लगै है सोय ॥
śrī rādhā pada kiṃkarī, bhāva jāsu hiya hoya ।
vṛndābana rasa kau madhura, svāda lagai hai soya॥
वृन्दाबन रस कौ मधुर, स्वाद लगै है सोय ॥
śrī rādhā pada kiṃkarī, bhāva jāsu hiya hoya ।
vṛndābana rasa kau madhura, svāda lagai hai soya॥
- Shri Kishori Ali, Kishori Ali Granthwali (1040)
The one who always desires to be the dust on Shri Radharani's lotus feet (feeling of an eternal servitor of Shri Radha), they can taste the sweetest nectar of Vrindavan i.e. "Vrindavan Ras".
