Bhakti rasamrita sindhu 1.3.25-26
kṣāntir avyartha-kālatvaṃ viraktir māna-śunyatā |
āśā-bandhaḥ samutkaṇṭhā nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ ||1.3.25||
āsaktis tad-guṇākhyāne prītis tad-vasati-sthale |
ity ādayo’nubhāvāḥ syur jāta-bhāvāṅkure jane ||1.3.26||
(1.3.25)
“Tolerance, the proper use of time (without wasting it), detachment, humility (freedom from pride), firm hope, intense longing, and constant taste for chanting the holy name—”
(1.3.26)
“Attachment to describing the Lord’s qualities, love for places related to Him—these and similar characteristics are the symptoms (anubhāvas) that manifest in a person in whom the sprout of bhāva has appeared.”
Verse 1.3.25
- kṣāntiḥ – tolerance, forbearance
- avyartha-kālatvam – not wasting even a moment (proper use of time)
- viraktiḥ – detachment (from material things)
- māna-śūnyatā – absence of pride, humility
māna in this context means pride or ego. - āśā-bandhaḥ – firm hope (in attaining Kṛṣṇa)
- Āśā (आशा) – hope, expectation
- Bandha (बन्ध) – binding, firm attachment
So, āśā-bandhaḥ means hope that is firmly bound in the heart and never weakens despite obstacles.
- samutkaṇṭhā – intense longing (to see Kṛṣṇa)
- nāma-gāne – in chanting of the holy name
- sadā ruciḥ – always taste, eagerness
Verse 1.3.26
- āsaktiḥ – deep attachment
- tat-guṇa-ākhyāne – in describing His (Kṛṣṇa’s) qualities
- prītiḥ – love, affection
- tat-vasati-sthale – for places related to Him (like Vṛndāvana)
- iti – thus
- ādayaḥ – and so on, etc.
- anubhāvāḥ – symptoms (of bhāva)
- syuḥ jāta-bhāva-aṅkure – exist (syuh) in one where the sprout of bhāva has appeared
Here, jāta-bhāva-aṅkure refers to a devotee in whom bhāva (pure devotional emotion) has just begun to develop, like a tender sprout. At this stage, devotion is no longer mechanical (vaidhi-bhakti) but driven by deep spiritual emotion and attraction to Kṛṣṇa.
Just as a sprout eventually grows into a fully developed tree, bhāva is the first visible sign of prema (pure love for Kṛṣṇa), which will gradually mature into its full expression. - jane – in a person
The nine symptoms of bhāva-bhakti (the preliminary stage of pure devotional love) are mentioned in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.25) by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Here are the nine symptoms in Sanskrit along with their English translations:
- Kṣāntiḥ (क्षान्तिः) – Tolerance, the ability to endure hardships without disturbance.
- Avyartha-kālatvam (अव्यर्थ-कालत्वम्) – Proper use of time, not wasting time on trivial matters.
- Viraktiḥ (विरक्तिḥ) – Detachment, renunciation of material desires.
- Māna-śūnyatā (माना-शून्यता) – Absence of pride, humility, and a lack of ego.
- Āśā-bandhaḥ (आशा-बन्धः) – Firm hope, the unwavering belief that one will attain Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
- Samutkaṇṭhā (समुत्कण्ठा) – Intense longing to attain Kṛṣṇa.
- Nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ (नाम-गाने सदा रुचिः) – Constant taste for chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.
- Āsaktiḥ (आसक्तिḥ) – Attachment, especially to Kṛṣṇa’s glories, names, and forms.
- Prītiḥ (प्रियतिḥ) – Love and affection for the places where Kṛṣṇa resides, such as Vṛndāvana.
These nine symptoms are the manifestations of a devotee in whom bhāva has begun to sprout, marking the beginning of prema (pure love for Kṛṣṇa).
