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Krsna is the reservoir of all rasas

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 13 - 18

In the Vedic language it is also said, raso vai saḥ, rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati: "When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful."
BG 14.27, Purport:

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that although a person may rise to the stage of impersonal Brahman, without going further, with no information of the Supreme Person, his intelligence is not perfectly clear. Therefore, in spite of being raised to the Brahman platform, there is the chance of falling down if one is not engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. In the Vedic language it is also said, raso vai saḥ, rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati: "When one understands the Personality of Godhead, the reservoir of pleasure, Kṛṣṇa, he actually becomes transcendentally blissful." (Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1) The Supreme Lord is full in six opulences, and when a devotee approaches Him there is an exchange of these six opulences. The servant of the king enjoys on an almost equal level with the king. And so eternal happiness, imperishable happiness, and eternal life accompany devotional service. Therefore, realization of Brahman, or eternity, or imperishability, is included in devotional service. This is already possessed by a person who is engaged in devotional service.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

The Vedic hymns inform everyone about the supreme source of all pleasure; the unlimited fountainhead of all pleasure is the Personality of Godhead.
SB 2.10.6, Purport:

Everyone is after some pleasure of humor for enjoyment, but does not know the supreme source of all attraction (raso vai saḥ rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati). The Vedic hymns inform everyone about the supreme source of all pleasure; the unlimited fountainhead of all pleasure is the Personality of Godhead, and one who is fortunate enough to get this information through transcendental literatures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam becomes permanently liberated to occupy his proper place in the kingdom of God.

SB Canto 4

The Supreme Absolute Truth is sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasaḥ, or, in other words, He is known as raso vai saḥ, the source of all relishable relationships (rasas).
SB 4.24.44, Purport:

In the śruti, or veda-mantra, it is said that the Supreme Absolute Truth is sarva-kāmaḥ sarva-gandhaḥ sarva-rasaḥ, or, in other words, He is known as raso vai saḥ, the source of all relishable relationships (rasas). We have various senses—the powers of seeing, tasting, smelling, touching, etc.—and all the propensities of our senses can be satisfied when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate: "Bhakti means engaging all the senses in the service of the master of the senses, Hṛṣīkeśa." (Nārada-pañcarātra) These material senses, however, cannot be engaged in the service of the Lord; therefore one has to become free from all designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tatparatvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). One has to become free from all designation or false egotism and thus become purified. When we engage our senses in the service of the Lord, the desires or the inclinations of the senses can be perfectly fulfilled.

SB Canto 7

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove the ignorance of misled human beings who are trying to find water outside the jurisdiction of life. Raso vai saḥ. The taste of water is Kṛṣṇa. To quench one's thirst, one must taste water by association with Kṛṣṇa.
SB 7.13.29, Translation and Purport:

Just as a deer, because of ignorance, cannot see the water within a well covered by grass, but runs after water elsewhere, the living entity covered by the material body does not see the happiness within himself, but runs after happiness in the material world.

This is an accurate example depicting how the living entity, because of lack of knowledge, runs after happiness outside his own self. When one understands his real identity as a spiritual being, he can understand the supreme spiritual being, Kṛṣṇa, and the real happiness exchanged between Kṛṣṇa and one's self. It is very interesting to note how this verse points to the body's growth from the spirit soul. The modern materialistic scientist thinks that life grows from matter, but actually the fact is that matter grows from life. The life, or the spiritual soul, is compared herein to water, from which clumps of matter grow in the form of grass. One who is ignorant of scientific knowledge of the spirit soul does not look inside the body to find happiness in the soul; instead, he goes outside to search for happiness, just as a deer without knowledge of the water beneath the grass goes out to the desert to find water. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to remove the ignorance of misled human beings who are trying to find water outside the jurisdiction of life. Raso vai saḥ. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). The taste of water is Kṛṣṇa. To quench one's thirst, one must taste water by association with Kṛṣṇa. This is the Vedic injunction.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

It is said in the Vedas, raso vai saḥ: the Absolute Truth is the reservoir for all kinds of reciprocal exchanges of loving sentiments.
CC Adi 4.15-16, Purport:

During the period of Lord Kṛṣṇa's appearance, the killing of asuras or nonbelievers such as Kaṁsa and Jarāsandha was done by Viṣṇu, who was within the person of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such apparent killing by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa took place as a matter of course and was an incidental activity for Him. But the real purpose of Lord Kṛṣṇa's appearance was to stage a dramatic performance of His transcendental pastimes at Vrajabhūmi, thus exhibiting the highest limit of transcendental mellow in the exchanges of reciprocal love between the living entity and the Supreme Lord. These reciprocal exchanges of mellows are called rāga-bhakti, or devotional service to the Lord in transcendental rapture. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa wants to make known to all the conditioned souls that He is more attracted by rāga-bhakti than vidhi-bhakti, or devotional service under scheduled regulations. It is said in the Vedas (Taittirīya Up. 2.7), raso vai saḥ: the Absolute Truth is the reservoir for all kinds of reciprocal exchanges of loving sentiments. He is also causelessly merciful, and He wants to bestow upon us this privilege of rāga-bhakti. Thus He appeared by His own internal energy. He was not forced to appear by any extraneous force.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas.
Nectar of Devotion Introduction:

Invoking auspiciousness: Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the reservoir of all rasas, or relationships, which are called neutrality (passive adoration), servitorship, friendship, parenthood, conjugal love, comedy, compassion, fear, chivalry, ghastliness, wonder and devastation. He is the supreme attractive form, and by His universal and transcendental attractive features He has captivated all the gopīs, headed by Tārakā, Pālikā, Śyāmā, Lalitā, and ultimately Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Let His Lordship's grace be on us so that there may not be any hindrance in the execution of this duty of writing The Nectar of Devotion, impelled by His Divine Grace Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

In devotional service this rasa is the via medium or the basic principle for the exchange of dealings between the Lord and the living entity. Rasa is also described in the Vedas: raso vai saḥ. "The Supreme Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure."
Krsna Book 87:

The highest platform of realization for the living entity is the attainment of devotional life. One cannot be engaged in devotional life, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, unless one is fully free from material contamination. Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi informed Nārada Muni that the essence of all the Vedas and Vedic scriptures (namely, the four Vedas, the Upaniṣads, the Purāṇas and the Vedānta-sūtra) is to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. In this connection Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi has used one particular word—rasa. In devotional service this rasa is the via medium or the basic principle for the exchange of dealings between the Lord and the living entity. Rasa is also described in the Vedas: raso vai saḥ. "The Supreme Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure." All the Vedic scriptures, including the Purāṇas, the Vedas, the Upaniṣads and the Vedānta-sūtra, teach the living entities how to attain the stage of rasa. The Bhāgavatam also says that the statements in the Mahā-Purāṇa (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam) constitute the essence (rasa) of all Vedic literature. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam: (SB 1.1.3) the Bhāgavatam is the essence of the ripened fruit of the tree of the Vedic literature.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. All the rasas that we have got experience within this world, they are coming from Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture on BG 2.25 -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is served by the devotees in so many rasas, transcendental mellow, or humor. Somebody is serving as servant. Somebody is serving as friend. Somebody is serving as father and mother. Somebody is serving as conjugal lover. These are five primary mellows in which a devotee is connected with Kṛṣṇa. And there are other, seven rasas also. They are not primary; secondary. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as enemy. Just like the asuras. They also serve Kṛṣṇa—as enemy. Somebody is serving, giving pleasure to Kṛṣṇa, by fighting with Him. So there are so many, twelve rasas. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. All the rasas that we have got experience within this world, they are coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Vedānta-sūtra says, "Everything, whatever we see within our experience, we cannot experience anything if it is not in Kṛṣṇa." That is Kṛṣṇa. He was stealing, which we consider not very good business. That stealing is also in Kṛṣṇa. He's, He's famous as Mākhana-cora, the stealer of butter. So this is Kṛṣṇa. So everything is there. Whatever our dealings in this material world we find, that is only perverted reflection of our dealing with Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. But those who are unaware of the spiritual world, impersonalists, they have no information that Kṛṣṇa is always busy. Jaya rādhā-mādhava kuñja-bihārī. He's always busy. He's person. But He is simply dear to the gopījana. Gopījana-vallabha. He wants to please the gopījanas. The gopīs, the cowherd boys and the gopīs, constant companion of Kṛṣṇa.

Everything is coming from Him. Raso vai saḥ: everything, all, reservoir of all rasas.
Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Calcutta, March 9, 1972:

The same example as it is given in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, just as a fire is there in one place. The another example is just like sunshine. Sun is fixed up. You can see, everyone can see that it is lying, stationed, in one insignificant corner of the sky, but his sunshine is distributed all over the universe, and everything, all planets, all vegetation, all seasonal changes, they are depending on the sunshine. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has got His rays of the body, brahmajyoti, yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40), prabhā. Brahmajyoti is described as prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato (Bs. 5.40). As soon as there is brahmajyoti... Brahmajyoti is always there. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. In the brahmajyoti, innumerable universes are coming out, anywhere. In another place it is said, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). Jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ means Brahman. So everything is coming from Him. But the same thing, that is the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These are the Vedic injunction. Yato vā imāni, sa aikṣata, sa (Sanskrit). So, sa vai..., raso vai saḥ: everything, all, reservoir of all rasas. Same, same thing is explained here, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4).

But these Māyāvādī, they think that "I am the same. I am..., I am distributed everywhere. I am moving the sun, I am moving..." They mediate like this. This is nonsense. How you are moving? It is said, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam. "I am expanded all over this body," that you can say. My limitation. Kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore described in the śruti-mantras, Vedic hymns, as 'the fountainhead of all rasas.'" Raso vai sah.
Lecture on SB 1.1.3 -- London, August 20, 1971:

Pradyumna: "The rasas are exchanged between members of the same species. But as far as the spirit souls are concerned, they are one qualitatively with the Supreme Lord. Therefore, the rasas were originally exchanged between the spiritual living being and the spiritual whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The spiritual exchange, or rasa, is fully exhibited in spiritual existence between living beings and the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore described in the śruti-mantras, Vedic hymns, as "the fountainhead of all rasas."

Prabhupāda: Raso vai saḥ.

Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. He can associate with you in any rasa, humor, you like. Kṛṣṇa's ready.
Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

So we have to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, as Arjuna became. Always with Kṛṣṇa-eating with Kṛṣṇa, sitting with Kṛṣṇa, talking with Kṛṣṇa, joking with Kṛṣṇa, fighting with Kṛṣṇa—everything Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. Not a single moment. Therefore Kṛṣṇa certifies, bhakto 'si priyo 'si me: (BG 4.3) "My dear Arjuna, you are very dear to Me." Naturally if Arjuna is always with Kṛṣṇa, sitting with Kṛṣṇa, talking with Kṛṣṇa, consulting with Kṛṣṇa, joking with Kṛṣṇa, eating with Kṛṣṇa, so why he should not be very dear? Kṛṣṇa, does He remain with anyone unless he is very dear? So bhakto 'si priyo 'si me sakhā ceti. So we have to become, we have to establish some relation with Kṛṣṇa—as servant, as a friend, as a son, as a father, mother, or like the gopīs, mādhurya-rasa, friend. That is also... Conjugal love. Kṛṣṇa is ready to associate with you in any way you like. Somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as friend, somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as husband, somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as paramour. So Kṛṣṇa is ready. Somebody likes Kṛṣṇa as son. So any way, Kṛṣṇa is ready. We have got these five relations in this material world. There is no other relation. And there are other relationship also. Kṛṣṇa also ready to accept... If you want Kṛṣṇa as enemy, yes, Kṛṣṇa is ready. He'll kill you. But that is also good for you. If you want to fight with Kṛṣṇa, yes, Kṛṣṇa is ready—everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. He can associate with you in any rasa, humor, you like. Kṛṣṇa's ready. Ready means that is natural. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so the part and parcel must remain with Kṛṣṇa.

Anything that we have got experience, everything is there in God. Therefore He's God. Not that minus something. Nothing minus. Everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ. These are the Vedic injunctions.
Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

So we cannot decry violence. That is also required. Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā, the science of God, in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. We cannot condemn violence. That is not possible. But there is no violence in the spiritual world. That is a fact. Violence is only in the material world. Therefore when Kṛṣṇa desired to fight... Because all desires are coming from Him, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Anything that we have got experience, everything is there in God. Therefore He's God. Not that minus something. Nothing minus. Everything. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ. These are the Vedic injunctions. He is the reservoir of all rasa, humor or mellow. So this is also a mellow. Sometimes cruel men, they take pleasure by killing. I've seen it. One hotel man was cutting the throat of one chicken, half-cut, and it was throbbing, jumping. His child was crying because he could not see such horrible thing. And the man, the hotel man, he was laughing and pacifying the child, "Why you are crying? Just see how he's throbbing, how he's jumping." So one subject matter, the rasa is different. Humor is different. He's one, (?) enjoying one rasa, the father, and the child is crying. That is also another rasa. So the whole world is full of rasa. Ādi-rasa. The sex life is called ādi-rasa. There is bībhatsa-rasa, hāsya-rasa, karuṇa-rasa, mādhurya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, śānta-rasa. There are so many rasas-twelve rasas. Anaya(?) vyatireka, ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described this ādi from ādi-rasa. Ādi-rasa means the conjugal love. That is called ādi-rasa. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Wherefrom the ādi-rasa comes? The attraction between man and woman, that is a fact. The attraction is there in everywhere, either human society or animal society or bird society, bee society, the attraction is there. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). This whole world is existing on mithunī-bhāva, sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). These things are there. So wherefrom it comes, this ādi-rasa? Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has described in his comment on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the beginning, that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of ādi-rasa, janmādy asya (SB 1.1.1). From there, this ādi-rasa is generated. That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So everything is there. Otherwise, imperfectness. So as there is ādi-rasa, Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with the gopīs and Rādhārāṇī. Similarly, He enjoys with bībhatsa-rasa, vīra-rasa, killing. Killing is also vīra-rasa. Because He is the reservoir of all rasas. So janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So do not think that this violence or fighting is bad. No. Nothing is bad when it is utilized for Kṛṣṇa. And nothing is good when it is utilized for your sense gratification. Everything is bad.

Just like in the law court, if you give reference from the lawbooks section, it is accepted. Similarly, Vedic knowledge is so perfect that if you refer to some verse in the Vedas, in the Upaniṣads... Just like raso vai saḥ. "Saḥ, that Kṛṣṇa, is reservoir of all pleasure." Raso vai saḥ.
Lecture on SB 1.9.49 -- Mayapura, June 15, 1973:

So Veda is coming from the spiritual world. Therefore you cannot find any history of the beginning of Vedas, because it is beyond the story of creation. Therefore Vedic knowledge is perfect. Any knowledge within this material world, that is defective, with four kinds of defects: mistake, illusion, imperfectness and cheating. But Vedic knowledge is not like that. Vedic knowledge is perfect. Therefore, amongst the learned society, if you give evidence from the Vedas, it is accepted. Immediately accepted. Just like in the law court, if you give reference from the lawbooks section, it is accepted. Similarly, Vedic knowledge is so perfect that if you refer to some verse in the Vedas, in the Upaniṣads... Just like raso vai saḥ. "Saḥ, that Kṛṣṇa, is reservoir of all pleasure." Raso vai saḥ. So yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante. These things are... There are so many statements.

In the Vedas it is said, raso vai saḥ. Rasa means mellow. So we have presented a little book, Kṛṣṇa is the Reservoir of All Pleasure. Rasa means pleasure, taste, pleasing taste, rasa, or humor.
Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

Kṛṣṇa is in twelve different varieties of taste: śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya, bhayānaka, bībhatsa, hāsya, the so many, twelve. In the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu it is..., Kṛṣṇa is worshiped there that akhila-rasāmṛta, akhila. There are many kinds of taste, and that taste are all combined together in Kṛṣṇa, akhila-rasāmṛta. In the Vedas it is said, raso vai saḥ. Rasa means mellow. So we have presented a little book, Kṛṣṇa is the Reservoir of All Pleasure. Rasa means pleasure, taste, pleasing taste, rasa, or humor. Everyone has got different taste. So all the taste are there in Kṛṣṇa. Raso vai saḥ, labdhvānandī. Anyone who has tasted Kṛṣṇa he gets real taste of pleasure, either in this rasa or that rasa.

We can reciprocate all kinds of rasas, humor, because He is the reservoir of all rasas.
Lecture on SB 3.26.45 -- Bombay, January 20, 1975:

At that time Bhīṣma was piercing with sharpened arrow the body of Kṛṣṇa. So He was pleasing, He was feeling very pleasure, being pierced by the arrow of Bhīṣma. So bhakti transaction, there are many kinds of bhakti transaction. And at the time of Bhīṣma's death he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa: in His fighting spirit He was coming to kill him. That is in Bhīṣma's prayer. There is in the Bhāgavata. He was not thinking of Kṛṣṇa with flute. He was thinking of Kṛṣṇa with the broken chariot wheel and was coming to kill him. That form was very pleasing to him.

So we can reciprocate all kinds of rasas, humor, because He is the reservoir of all rasas. So this is the rasa of chivalry, the fighting spirit. So everything is there. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The Absolute Truth is that where all varieties are there, variety. Although He is one, but still, varieties are there. Otherwise wherefrom the varieties come? Everything, all varieties. You see in the material world how many varieties are there. You take one bunch of flower. You will find, if you study minutely, how many hundreds and thousands of varieties of thorns, varieties of twigs, and color, and everything is there, variety. How these varieties are coming? The Vedānta replies, "From the Absolute Truth, varieties." Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). The Supreme Absolute Truth has got so many varieties of energies. For each and every variety, particular, finer craftsmanship, there is different energy. They are working. Just like we require to present some varieties a specialist, so Kṛṣṇa Himself has got all the special varieties of energy, and they are working in such a nice way as svābhāvikī. He hasn't got to learn it. Svābhāvikī. Svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. Jñāna, knowledge. Suppose if you want to paint something, you must have the knowledge of painting, jñāna. And strength, and activity. Everything.

Kṛṣṇa is not stereotyped, that He has to be served in this way only. No, Kṛṣṇa can accept service in so many ways. There are dvādaśa-rasa, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
Lecture on SB 5.5.9 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1976:

Kṛṣṇa is not stereotyped, that He has to be served in this way only. No, Kṛṣṇa can accept service in so many ways. There are dvādaśa-rasa, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Just like Kṛṣṇa is enjoying when Bhīṣmadeva was piercing His body with the arrows. He was enjoying. This is also rasa. Bhīṣma, purposefully, he knows Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, still, he is devotee, he was giving Him pleasure by throwing arrows on His body. So Kṛṣṇa takes pleasure in that. Kṛṣṇa does not take pleasure only when you throw rose flowers. He can take pleasure when you can pierce. If you are actually able to do that. So that is Kṛṣṇa.

Every one of us is searching after some mellow, some pleasure from everything. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasures, rasa-vigraha, fully personified.
Lecture on SB 6.1.27-34 -- Surat, December 17, 1970:

Nāma, the Lord's name, is not material; it is spiritual. The sound is Brahman, śabda-brahma. Vedic sounds, they are śabda-brahma. They are not material sound. So nāma cintāmaṇiḥ, spiritual. Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name, there is no difference. Nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). Rasa, the transcendental mellows. Every one of us is searching after some mellow, some pleasure from everything. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasures, rasa-vigraha, fully personified. Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, there is rasa, a transcendental mellow, enjoyment, relishable. Very Kṛṣṇa presence.

For instance, that, when in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, fighting was going on between Kṛṣṇa and Bhīṣma, both of them... Kṛṣṇa, of course, did not touch any weapon because He promised. But Grandfather Bhīṣma was very severely piercing Kṛṣṇa's body with arrows, and Kṛṣṇa was enjoying. That is the relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. Kṛṣṇa can be worshiped, Kṛṣṇa can be loved, by any capacity. The gopīs loved Kṛṣṇa out of seemingly lust, lusty desires, and Śiśupāla remembered Kṛṣṇa out of anger. Kāmāt krodhād bhayāt. And Kamsa remembered always Kṛṣṇa out of fear. And, of course, they were not devotees. Devotees means they should be always favorably disposed to Kṛṣṇa. Not inimical. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind, even somebody is disposed to Him in an inimical attitude, he also gets salvation.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

I have got some affectionate dealings with my sons. But as soon as the son dies, or I die, the rasa is finished. But if you deal in the same way with Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all rasas, it will continue.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

Now, in our material dealings, the rasas are temporary. They'll be finished. As soon as this body is finished, the rasa is also finished. Just like we love somebody, any way, either as friend or as child or as husband or as lover, friend, so many ways. But these rasa will be finished as soon as this body's finished. I have got some affectionate dealings with my sons. But as soon as the son dies, or I die, the rasa is finished. But if you deal in the same way with Kṛṣṇa, who is the reservoir of all rasas, it will continue. If you love Kṛṣṇa as a friend in this life, if you develop your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as friend of Kṛṣṇa's, then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), when you go to Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā deham, giving up this body, then you go there as Kṛṣṇa's friend.

Kṛṣṇa is described as akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 26, 1972:

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is described as akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So there are different rasas, five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste which we enjoy in every activity. That is called rasa. Everything is done with some taste. Whatever you do, you must enjoy some taste out of it. So there are twelve rasas, out of which five rasas are primary and seven rasas are secondary. They are described here.

Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. Rasa is a very peculiar word. Rasa, it may be translated into English as "taste," as "mellow," or as "humor." So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, there is some taste. Without taste, we cannot continue our relationship with anyone. There must be some taste. So these rasas, or tastes, are twelve kinds. Primary rasa is the relationship between inert things and our... Just like I am sitting on this chair. So the comfort I am feeling, that is the rasa, taste. We want very nice cushion, sitting position. So that tasting, that "I am now comfortably seated," this is called śānta-rasa. Then above the śānta-rasa, there is dāsya-rasa. Dāsya-rasa... Just like my students, my disciples, they want to serve me, and I want to take service from them. This is also an exchange of rasa, a taste. Śānta, dāsya. Similarly, next advanced stage is sakhya-rasa. Sakhya means friendship. Just like one is serving somebody, but if that service is very intimate, then there is the rasa of friendship, dāsa, sakhya-rasa. And when that is advanced... (feedback) (aside:) What is this sound? When that is advanced, it becomes vātsalya-rasa. Vātsalya-rasa means the taste of relationship between parents and the children. These are advanced. Śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sakhya-rasa, and then vātsalya-rasa, parenthood, filial love. And above this, there is mādhurya-rasa. Mādhurya-rasa means the taste between husband and wife, lover and the beloved. That is called mādhurya-rasa. Similarly... These are the primary rasas.

All these rasas are there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Akhila rasāmṛta-sindhu.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

Prabhupāda: Comedy, hāsya-rasa, creating a situation that everyone will laugh. That is also rasa. Hāsya-rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Compassion.

Prabhupāda: Compassion. Suppose you find some poor man lying on the street. You feel compassionate. That is also another rasa, compassion rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Fear.

Prabhupāda: Fear. Suppose if you find a tiger or a something ghostly, you become afraid. That is also rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Chivalry.

Prabhupāda: Chivalry. Suppose you are fighting with an enemy. You are defeating him, you are killing him. That is also another rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Ghastliness.

Prabhupāda: Ghastliness. That means after killing somebody... Just like a butcher. The butcher is enjoying by killing. Ghastly. Just like the hunter was killing every animal. He was also enjoying some rasa. Then?

Pradyumna: Wonder.

Prabhupāda: Wonder. You see something which is very wonderful, astonishing, that is also rasa. In this way, according to śāstra, there are twelve rasas—five primary and seven secondary. But all these rasas are there in Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Akhila rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila rasāmṛta. You can enjoy, you can have contact with Kṛṣṇa with any of these rasas; therefore He's called Akhila... We have written a small book, Kṛṣṇa, the Reservoir of All Pleasure. Ghastly or wondrous rasas or chivalrous rasas, although they are not exactly like the five primary rasas, conjugal love, paternal affection, friendly love...

Raso vai saḥ labdhānandi bhagavān. So you just contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead in exchange of any kind of rasa; you'll feel pleasure.
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 7, 1973:

So Bhīṣma, at the last stage of his life, in sarasvajya (?), he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa, how He was coming forward before Bhīṣma in bleeding condition. This is ghastly rasa. This is ghastly rasa. We want to see Kṛṣṇa dancing, or we want to offer Kṛṣṇa flower—this is also one rasa. But Bhīṣma was also seeing Kṛṣṇa in another rasa. You'll find the Bhīṣma's prayers to Kṛṣṇa in his sarasvajya state while he was lying on the bed of arrows; in Bhāgavata, you'll find. So this is also another rasa. These things have been explained by great commentators, how this is also very pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Bhīṣma was piercing His body; the blood was coming out. Still how it is pleasing? So that has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī that when a lover is kissing and biting, that is also pleasure. The biting also pleas... Although blood is coming out, that biting is also plea..., very pleasing. This has been explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī. These things are possible.

So try to establish your relationship with Kṛṣṇa in any way, and that is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So any way you es... Because you cannot enjoy life beyond these twelve rasas. The, all the twelve rasas you can find. Raso vai saḥ. This is the Vedic instruction. Raso vai saḥ labdhānandi bhagavān. So you just contact the Supreme Personality of Godhead in exchange of any kind of rasa; you'll feel pleasure.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of all pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure.
Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.5 -- Mayapur, March 7, 1974:

This acintya-bhedābheda-tattva you'll find everywhere in Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Similarly, here the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta is trying to explain that pañca-tattva eka-vastu, they are one Kṛṣṇa, but āsvāda, taste... Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of all pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure. There are different types of pleasure. Just like pleasure like master and the servant. The master is also pleased by the service of the servant, and the servant is pleased by rendering service to the master. This is taste. Husband and wife: Husband is pleased having a wife, wife is pleased having... These are the different tastes: between master and servant, between friend and friend, between father and son, mother and son, between the lover and the beloved. These are different tastes. So this taste is required, transcendental mellow. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this taste. They think everything is one. And in the material world also, we accept, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Without varieties, although everything is spiritual... In Vṛndāvana everything is spiritual.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

All these relationships are emanating from Kṛṣṇa. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu: the ocean of all pleasure.
Arrival Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

Here, you are trying to enjoy the company of young girls, but Kṛṣṇa is also doing that in the spiritual world. Sahasra-śata-sambhrama, lakṣmī. Each girl there is a goddess of fortune. Not only one, but many hundreds and thousands. They're with great respect and reverence trying to serve Kṛṣṇa. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam. So you can also enter in the company of Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa's friend, as Kṛṣṇa's servant, as Kṛṣṇa's consort, as Kṛṣṇa's father, anything. Everything... Here also, there are five relationship: relationship between master and servant, relationship between friend and friend, relationship between father and son, and relationship between boyfriend and girlfriend. All these relationships are emanating from Kṛṣṇa. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu: the ocean of all pleasure. And Kṛṣṇa comes Himself to give you this message. Kṛṣṇa appeared five thousand years ago on this planet, and at Vṛndāvana He exhibited His real pastimes in the spiritual world, so just to give practical demonstration and to invite you there. Kṛṣṇa (is) canvassing: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).

General Lectures

So there are twelve kinds of humors. Kṛṣṇa can be accommodated with all the humors; therefore His name is Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu.
Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." He is attractive to the lover, He's attractive to the wise, He's attractive to the politician, He's attractive to the scientist, He is attractive to the rogues. Rogues also. When Kṛṣṇa entered the arena of Kaṁsa, different kinds of people saw Him differently. Those who were invited from Vṛndāvana, they were young girls. They saw Kṛṣṇa, "Oh, the most beautiful person." Those who were wrestlers, they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt. They also saw Kṛṣṇa, but they say, "Oh, here is thunderbolt." Just like however strong you may be, if there is falldown of thunderbolt everything is finished. So they saw Kṛṣṇa as thunderbolt, the wrestlers. Yes. And the elderly persons, elderly ladies, they saw Kṛṣṇa as loving child. So you can establish relationship with Kṛṣṇa any way. There are twelve kinds of rasas, humor. Just like sometimes we want to see a very pathetic scene in some drama, some ghastly scene. Somebody is murdering somebody and we take pleasure in seeing that. There are certain kinds of person... There are different kinds of sporting. One of our student in Montreal, he was saying that his father took pleasure in bull fighting in Spain. When the bull is killed by fighting, he was taking pleasure. So different kinds of men. One person is seeing, "It is horrible," another person is enjoying, "Oh, it is very nice." You see? So Kṛṣṇa can accommodate. If you want to love horrible things, Kṛṣṇa can present yourself as Nṛsiṁhadeva, "Ah."(laughter—Haribol) Yes. And if you want to see Kṛṣṇa as very loving friend, He is Vamśī-dhārī, Vṛndāvana-vihārī. If you want Kṛṣṇa as loving child, then He's Gopāla. If you want child as loving friend, he's Arjuna. Just like Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. So there are twelve kinds of humors. Kṛṣṇa can be accommodated with all the humors; therefore His name is Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Akhila means universal; rasa means mellow, humor; and the ocean. Just like if you try to find out water and if you go before the Pacific Ocean, oh, unlimited water. There is no comparison how much water is there. (chuckling) Similarly, if you want something and if you approach Kṛṣṇa, you'll find unlimited supply, unlimited supply, just like ocean. Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If anyone can approach or gain that Supreme Absolute, then he will be satisfied and he will say, "Oh, I have no more hankering. I have got everything complete, in full satisfaction."

By painting one picture, you enjoy some rasa or mellow; otherwise why you are working so hard? There is a pleasure. So Kṛṣṇa is raso vai saḥ. Raso vai saḥ: "He is the reservoir of all pleasure."
Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

In the Vedānta-sūtra there is another aphorism, that ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12) "By nature the Supreme Absolute Person is ānandamaya." The artistic sense... You are engaged in artistic work just to have a pleasure, ānanda. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. That pleasure, rasa, a mellow... By painting one picture, you enjoy some rasa or mellow; otherwise why you are working so hard? There is a pleasure. So Kṛṣṇa is raso vai saḥ. Raso vai saḥ: "He is the reservoir of all pleasure." Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). These words are used. Sat, cit, ānanda. Ānanda means pleasure. His pleasure potency is Rādhārāṇī. You have seen the picture of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. So Rādhārāṇī is the manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's pleasure potency. He has got, as I have already explained, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). He has got multi-energies, and one of the energy is pleasure potency. That is Rādhārāṇī.

Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of pleasure, all pleasure. So raso vai saḥ. So that pleasure, by drinking water, that pleasure is Kṛṣṇa.
Lecture at Art Gallery -- Auckland, April 16, 1972:

Just like if you are drinking water... These things are very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gītā. So you are thirsty; you require water. And when you drink water, you feel so much pleasure. Sa vai. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of pleasure, all pleasure. So raso vai saḥ. So that pleasure, by drinking water, that pleasure is Kṛṣṇa. That is stated, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8). For ordinary person who cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction that "When you drink water, the taste which quench your thirst and you feel relief, that is Kṛṣṇa." Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. (break) ...in day and night. So if you simply try to understand that this taste is Kṛṣṇa, or God, you become God conscious.

Philosophy Discussions

So twelve kinds of relationship, and therefore He is described, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu, reservoir of all pleasure. That is His completeness.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Prabhupāda: Simply if we study man's character, then we can study also God, the same character. Loving affairs, as we also want to enjoy with friends, with girls, with parents, with superiors, with servants, as we take pleasure in these relationship, similarly, God also takes pleasure in these similar relationship. He has got five relationship primarily, and seven relationship secondarily. So twelve kinds of relationship, and therefore He is described, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu, reservoir of all pleasure. That is His completeness.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

The Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all pleasure-raso vai saḥ. Everyone is hankering after something because he relishes some mellow in it.
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Kaṁsa... You know Kṛṣṇa's life?

Bob: Not, not much.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's mother... (pause-background noise is very loud) (break) ...the Vedas that the Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all pleasure-raso vai saḥ. Everyone is hankering after something because he relishes some mellow in it.

Bob: Excuse me?

Prabhupāda: Some mellow.

Bob: Ah, some mellow.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like a man is drinking. Why he's drinking? He's getting some mellow out of that drinking. A man is hankering after money because by possessing money he gets a mellow out of it.

Bob: What does mellow mean? Maybe I...

Prabhupāda: What is mellow?

Devotees: Taste, pleasure.

Bob: Oh, O.K.

Prabhupāda: Yes, pleasure. Pleasing taste. So Vedas say, raso vai saḥ. The exact Sanskrit translation of mellow is rasa.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Kṛṣṇa is prepared to deal with you any way, in twelve rasas, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ, in the Vedas, He is the reservoir of all pleasure, transcendental.
Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Our philosophy is "Come. Come here, play with Kṛṣṇa as cowherd boy. Come here, dance with Kṛṣṇa as gopī. Come here, accept Kṛṣṇa as your son, Kṛṣṇa will accept you as His mother." There will be always two, and enjoy, any way. Even as enemy, demon displaying part of enemy, Kṛṣṇa killing, that is also pastime too. That is also enjoyment. Just like sometimes we fight, friend to friend, to enjoy life, because fighting is enjoyment. You become enemy of Kṛṣṇa purposefully, and to fight with Him, that is giving pleasure to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is enjoying, and He also becomes so staunch enemy. So this is also transcendental pleasure. Just like Bhīṣma. He is piercing the body of Kṛṣṇa, and He is coming with cakra. That is a pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is enjoying being pierced by His devotee. And devotee is enjoying, "Now Kṛṣṇa is coming to kill me." So any way you can deal with Kṛṣṇa and enjoy transcendental pleasure, either as enemy or as friend or as son or as lover, as master, as a servant—any way. Kṛṣṇa is prepared to deal with you any way, in twelve rasas, akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Raso vai saḥ, in the Vedas, He is the reservoir of all pleasure, transcendental.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

We derive all the rasas from the Supreme, because He is the reservoir of rasas.
Room Conversation -- August 17, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Rasa, mellow. Everyone is trying to relish some mellow. Here in this material world we get family to taste some mellows. One kind of mellow is wife, one kind of mellow are children, one kind of mellow is the servants, one kind of mellow is the friends, one kind of mellow is the properties. They are all mellows, rasa. Unless there is some taste, why one should be hankering after all these things? Why one is hankering after some woman or some man or some friends or for children? One who has got no children, he's hankering after some child. He's expecting, "When I shall get a child?" The rasa. There is husband-wife rasa, but there is no rasa of the child. Therefore they are praying, "When we shall get a child?" So there is another rasa. So raso vai saḥ. He is the reservoir of rasas. So if we derive all the rasas from the Supreme, because He is the reservoir of rasas.

Mahāṁśa: Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu.

Prabhupāda: Akhila-rasāmṛta, yes. Akhila-rasāmṛta-sindhu. So you can have all the rasas. That is the origin of bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. In bhakti, that rasa, you become in the ocean of rasa. You're hankering after rasas. There is a Vedic injunction, raso vai saḥ labdhvānandi ānandī.(?) One who has got the rasa, labdhvānandi, then he gets the real ānanda. That ānanda-cinmaya-rasa expansion is Kṛṣṇa's calves, cows, gopī friends, cowherd boy friends, Nanda, Yaśodāmāyi, so many. So to be Kṛṣṇa conscious means to participate with these rasas. It is not dry. It is not dry like, simply so 'ham, so'ham. So 'ham, they do not know the meaning. So 'ham means I belong to the same rasa. I also eligible to enjoy the same rasa. But Kṛṣṇa is... (break) ...and the calves, the cows are enjoying the rasa as predominated. Just like husband and wife, they are enjoying, both. But one is enjoying as the husband, predominator. The husband is forcefully dragging the wife. She's also... While she is dragged by force, she enjoys. That is another rasa. But there is rasa. Combined together it becomes rasa. Similarly Kṛṣṇa does not enjoy this material. This material rasa is the perverted reflection of that cinmaya-rasa. So we have to get ourselves nil of all these material rasas and we have to be situated in the cinmaya. Then our, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Then our life is perfect. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rasa is there.

Page Title:Krsna is the reservoir of all rasas
Compiler:Labangalatika
Created:30 of Mar, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=3, CC=1, OB=2, Lec=21, Con=3, Let=0
No. of Quotes:31