Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

Everyone calls a bed of flowers pleasant, yet to the separated lover it burns like a tongue of flame.
In this world every favourable circumstance becomes adverse for you, Ramcharan says, when Ramlala is absent.

Rasamālikā

By Sri Ramcharandas

The celebrated Rasikacharya Sri Ramcharandas Maharaj, known as Sri Karunasindhu, composed the Rasamālikā, “Garland of Rasa.” It is a necklace for the throat of Rasika worship. In a profoundly esoteric manner, it describes the mysteries of the supreme abode, supreme form, supreme rasa, supreme mantra, Brahman, the jīva, devotion, yoga, knowledge, detachment, holy company, love, and divine play.

Sri Bharatsharan—Sri Vishvambhar Prasad Mathur, formerly a professor at Government College, Ajmer—published the work. It is exceptionally useful for studying both the doctrine of Rasika worship and the process by which that doctrine is put into practice.

Its narrative is as follows. Once, in Brahmaloka, the four Vedas were discussing Brahman in one another’s holy company but could not determine whether Brahman’s essential form is endowed with qualities or beyond qualities. At last, the four went together to Lord Shesha. Shesha appeared to them in the form of Lakshmana. In response to their questions, he clearly explained the supreme abode, supreme form, supreme mantra, supreme rasa, the perishable, the imperishable, the qualified, and the unqualified, thereby removing the Vedas’ doubt.

The work also gives a beautiful orientation to such profound subjects as Brahman, the jīva, devotion, knowledge, detachment, yoga, and holy company. In short, this jewel of a text—saturated with amorous rasa and guiding the path of devotion—is unique. Its vocabulary is weighty and its feelings extremely deep; without diving thoroughly into it, one cannot grasp its meaning. The complete work is divided into fifteen avakāśas, each containing distinct topics.

Doctrine

Sri Tulsi concealed amorous rasa and expounded the devotional relation of service.
This wound remained in attainment: rasa stood separated from its full relish.

That very rasa assumed embodied form and found the path of Agraswami.
Through commentary and original composition, it openly fulfilled the nectar of the rāsa.

Although Rama’s name is praised, the mouth cannot easily utter it,
just as a married woman is deeply shy about speaking her husband’s personal name.

In their midst sits Her Majesty Bhakti;
upon her right and beautiful side is the Divine Couple, the treasury of radiant beauty.

Having performed the auspicious invocation, I begin to describe their essential form.
I bow my head and hold the dust of their feet within my heart.