Western Ocean

Third Wave
Sakhya-Rasa
Chapters 41 & 42
Chapter 41
Fraternal Devotion
 BRS 3.3.1 - 56

"When a devotee is permanently situated in devotional service,

and by different symptoms of ecstasy he has developed and
matured a fraternal mellow or flavor in relationship with the
Personality of Godhead, his feeling is called fraternal love of
Godhead." (pg. 319) 1

In other words, when fraternal affection (sakhya-rati) is

stimulated by the appropriate bhävas it develops and matures
into sakhya-rasa.
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé will now describe the appropriate
vibhävas, etc., for sakhya-rasa.

Vibhäva

Viñaya-Alambana
Kåñëa as the object of Friendship
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé describes the form and qualities of Kåñëa
that specifically stimulate sakhya-rasa.

Kåñëa's Form
The form that stimulates sakhya-rasa in the residents of
Våndävana: “The Lord, Hari, whose bodily hue is like the indranéla
jewel, whose smiling is as beautiful as the kunda flower, whose
silk dress is as yellow as golden autumn foliage, whose chest is
beautified with garlands of flowers and who is always playing
upon His flute — this enemy of the Agha demon is always
attracting our hearts by wandering about Våndävana (pg. 319).”
The form that stimulates sakhya-rasa of devotees outside
Våndävana: “When the sons of Päëòu, headed by Mahäräja
Yudhiñöhira, saw Kåñëa in His four-handed form on the Battlefield
of Kurukñetra, holding His conchshell, disc, club, and lotus flower,
they completely forgot themselves and became merged in the
ocean of nectarean happiness (pg. 319).”

1 "Permanently situated in devotional service" refers to sakhya-rati, the sthäyé-bhäva of

fraternal devotion. When "different symptoms of ecstasy" (the four bhävas) stimulate this
rati it develops into a mature "fraternal mellow or flavor" (sakhya-rasa).
 Kåñëa's Qualities
“...Kåñëa's nice dress, His strongly built body, the all-auspicious
symptoms on His body, His knowledge of different languages, His
learned teachings in Bhagavada-Gétä, His uncommon genius in all
fields of endeavor, His exhibition of expert knowledge, His mercy,
His chivalry, His behavior as a conjugal lover, His intelligence, His
forgiveness, His attraction for all kinds of men, His opulence and
His happiness — all provoke fraternal love (pgs. 319 - 320).”

Äçraya-Älambana
The Devotee as a Reservoir of Friendship
The devotees who possess friendly devotional sentiments are,
naturally, Kåñëa's friends.
Çréla Prabhupäda describes, “The impetus to fraternal love
upon seeing the associates of Kåñëa in Våndävana is also very
natural, for their personal bodily features, their qualities and their
dress are all equal to Kåñëa's. These associates are always happy
in their service to Kåñëa, and they are generally known as
vayasyas, or friends of the same age (pg. 320).” 2

VARIETIES OF FRIENDS
There are two types of vayasyas: (1) vraja-sakhäs — friends in
Våndävana, and (2) pura-vayasyas — friends living outside
Våndävana, in larger towns and cities.
Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “Such eternal vayasyas are also
found beyond the jurisdiction of Våndävana, in places such as
Dvärakä and Hastinäpura. Except for Våndävana, all the places of
Kåñëa's pastimes are called puras (towns) (page 320).”

Pura-Vayasyas — Friends Living Outside Våndävana

Principal Pura-Vayasyas
“Personalities like Arjuna, Bhéma, Draupadi and Sudämä
Brähamaëa are counted among Kåñëa's fraternal devotees in the
puras (pg. 320).”
2 The terms vayasya and sakha are synonymous.
 Their Bhakti
“‘When Çré Kåñëa arrived in Indraprastha, the capital of the
Kurus, Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira immediately came out to smell the
flavor of Kåñëa's head.’ It is the Vedic custom that a superior
smells the heads of his subordinates when the subordinates offer
respect to the superior by touching his feet. Similarly, Arjuna and
Bhéma embraced Kåñëa with great jubilation, and the two
younger brothers, namely Nakula and Sahadeva, touched the
lotus feet of Kåñëa with tears in their eyes and offered their
respects. In this way all the five Päëòava brothers enjoyed the
fraternal friendship of Kåñëa in transcendental mellow.” (pg. 320)

The Foremost Pura-Vayasya

Arjuna is the foremost friendly devotee outside Våndävana. “Of
the five Päëòavas, Arjuna is the most intimately connected with
Kåñëa (pg. 320).”

Arjuna's form
“He has a nice bow called Gäëòéva in his hand. His thighs are
compared to the trunks of elephants, and his eyes are always
reddish... (pg. 320).”

Arjuna's Bhakti
“It is said that once Arjuna was lying on his bed with his head
upon Kåñëa's lap and was talking and joking with Kåñëa in great
relaxation, enjoying Kåñëa's company with smiling and great
satisfaction (page 320).”

Vraja-Sakhäs — Friends in Våndävana

Among all of Kåñëa's friends, the vraja-sakhäs have the strongest
devotion, evidenced by their inability to tolerate separation from
Him. “As far as the vayasyas (friends) in Våndävana are
concerned, they become greatly distressed when they cannot see
Kåñëa even for a moment (pgs. 320 - 321).”
 Their Forms
“All glories to Kåñëa's vayasyas, who are just like Kåñëa in their
age, qualities, pastimes, dress and beauty. They are accustomed
to playing on their flutes made of palm leaves, and they all have
buffalo-horn bugles ornamented like Kåñëa's with jewels such as
indranéla and with gold and coral. They are always jubilant like
Kåñëa. May these glorious companions of Kåñëa always protect
us!" (pg. 321)

Their Bhakti
When Kåñëa lifted Govardhana Hill, His friends said: “Dear friend,
You have been standing for the last seven days and nights without
any rest. This is very troublesome for us, because we see that You
have undertaken a severely laborious task. We think, therefore,
that You need not continue to stand in that way holding the hill.
You can just transfer it onto Sudämä's hand. We are very much
aggrieved to see You in this position. If you think that Sudämä is
not able to support Govardhana Hill, then at least You should
change hands. Instead of supporting it with Your left hand, please
transfer it to Your right hand, so that we can give Your left hand a
massage (page 321).”
Çréla Prabhupäda comments, “This is an instance of
intimacy, showing how much the vayasyas considered themselves
equal to Kåñëa (pg. 321).”
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.12.11) further describes the vraja-
sakhäs' mood of friendly equality.
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé illustrates Kåñëa's special affection for
the vraja-sakhäs. “[Kåñëa] once said to Balaräma, ‘My dear
brother, when My companions were being devoured by Aghäsura,
hot tears poured down from My eyes. And as they were washing
My cheeks, My dear elder brother, for at least one moment I
completely lost Myself’ (pg. 321).”

FOUR TYPES OF VRAJA-SAKHÄS

Kåñëa has four types of friends in Våndävana:
1.) Suhåt — well-wishers
 2.) Sakhäs — friends
3.) Priya-sakhäs — confidential friends
4.) Priya-narma-sakhäs — most intimate friends
Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “Within Gokula, Kåñëa's vayasyas are
generally divided into four groups: (1) well-wishers, (2) friends, (3)
confidential friends, and (4) intimate friends (pg. 322).”

Suhåt — Well-Wishers
“Kåñëa's well-wisher friends are a little bit older than Kåñëa, and
they have some parental affection for Him. Because of their being
older than Kåñëa, they always try to protect Him from any harm.
As such, they sometimes bear weapons so that they can chastise
any mischievous persons who want to do harm to Kåñëa (pg.
322).”

Principal Suhåts
“Counted among the well-wisher friends are Subhadra,
Maëòalébhadra, Bhadravardhana, Gobhaöa, Yakña, Indrabhaöa,
Bhadräìga, Vérabhadra, Mahäguëa, Vijaya and Balabhadra (pg.
322).”

Their Bhakti
“My dear Maëòalébhadra, why are you wielding a shining sword as
though you were running toward Ariñöäsura to kill him? My dear
Baladeva, why are You unnecessarily bearing that heavy plough?
My dear Vijaya, don't be unnecessarily agitated. My dear
Bhadravardhana, there is no need to make these threatening
motions. If you will all look more closely you will see that it is only
a thundercloud upon Govardhana Hill; it is not the Ariñöäsura in
the shape of a bull, as you have imagined (pg. 322).”

The Foremost Suhåts

“Among the well-wisher friends, Maëòalébhadra and Balabhadra
are the chiefs (pg. 322).”
 Maëòalébhadra's Form
“His complexion is yellowish, and his dress is very attractive. He
always carries a stick of various colors. He wears a peacock
feather on his head and always looks very beautiful (pg. 322).”

Maëòalébhadra's Bhakti
“My dear friends, our beloved Kåñëa is now very tired from
working with the cows in the pasturing grounds... I can see that
He is very fatigued. Let me massage His head silently while He is
taking rest in His house. And you, Subala — you just massage His
thighs (pg. 322).”

Balabhadra's form
“Let me take shelter of the lotus feet of Balaräma, whose beauty
is enhanced by the earrings touching His cheeks. His face is
decorated with tilaka made from kastüré [musk], and His broad
chest is decorated with a garland of guïjä [small conchshells]. His
complexion is as white as an autumn cloud... (pg. 322 - 323).”

Balabhadra's Bhakti
Balaräma's statement to Subala describes His mood of devotion.
(See page 323.)

Sakhä — Friends
“Friends who are younger than Kåñëa, who are always attached to
Him and who give Him all kinds of service are called ordinary
friends, or, simply, friends (page 323).”

Principal Sahkäs
“The names of some sakhäs are Viçäla, Våñabha, Ojasvé,
Devaprastha, Varüthapa, Maranda, Kusumäpéòa, Maëibandha and
Karandhama (page 323).”
Because the sakhäs are younger than Kåñëa, they have a
trace of servitude. They greatly enjoy helping to dress Kåñëa,
keeping Kåñëa informed about the whereabouts of His cows, and
other relishable tasks like fanning and massaging Him. (See
second full paragraph of page 323.)

The Foremost Sakhä

The foremost of all sakhäs is Devaprastha.

Devaprastha's Form
“He is very strong, a ready scholar, and is very expert in playing
ball. He wears a white dress, and he ties his hair into a bunch with
a rope... (pg. 324).”

Devaprastha's Bhakti
Kåñëa began to recline and, “taking this opportunity,
Devaprastha, out of his strong affection for Kåñëa, immediately
began to massage His legs (pg. 324).”

Priya-Sakhäs — Confidential Friends

“The more confidential friends are called priya-sakhäs and are
almost Kåñëa's age. Because of their very confidential friendship,
their behavior is only on the basis of pure friendship. The behavior
of other friends is on the ground of parental love or servitude, but
the basic principle of the confidential friends is simply friendship
on an equal level (pg. 324).”
Suhåts are older than Kåñëa. Consequently, parental love
mixes with their friendship. Sakhäs are younger than Kåñëa. Thus,
servitude mixes with their friendship. Priya-sakhäs, however, are
the same age as Kåñëa. Their friendship is perfectly on the level
of equality. It is pure friendship without any influence of parental
affection or servitude.

Principal Priya-Sakhäs
“Çrédämä, Sudämä, Dämä, Vasudämä, Kiìkiëi, Stoka-kåñëa, Aàçu,
Bhadrasena, Viläsé, Puëòaréka, Viöaìka and Kalaviìka (page 324).”
 Their Bhakti
Çrématé Rädhäräëé's friend describes their devotional mood. (See
pg. 324.)
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives a second description: “Sometimes
a confidential friend would come before Kåñëa and embrace Him
with great affection and love. Another friend would then come up
from the rear and cover Kåñëa's eyes with his hands. Kåñëa would
always feel very happy by such dealings with His confidential
friends (pg. 325).”
Çréla Prabhupäda adds his own commentary, further
illustrating the devotional mood of the priya-sakhäs by describing
Kåñëa's laòòu-stealing friend, Madhumaìgala. (See pg. 325)

The Foremost Priya-Sakhä

“Out of all these confidential friends, Çrédäma is considered to be
the chief (pg. 325).”

Çrédäma's Form:
“Çrédäma used to put on a yellow-colored dress. He would carry a
buffalo horn, and his turban was of reddish, copper color. His
bodily complexion was blackish, and around his neck there was a
nice garland... (pg. 325).”

Çrédäma's Bhakti
He once told Kåñëa, “Oh, You are so cruel that You left us alone on
the bank of the Yamunä, and we were all mad from not seeing You
there! Now it is our great fortune that we are able to see You here.
If You want to pacify us, You must embrace each one of us with
Your arms... (pg. 325).”

Priya-Narma-Sakhäs — Most Intimate Friends

“There are other friends who are still more confidential. They are
called priya-narma, or intimate friends (pg. 325).”
The priya-narma are the most intimate and exalted of all
devotees in the sakhya mood, because Kåñëa engages them in
the very confidential service of arranging His meetings with the
gopés.

Principal Priya-Narmas
“Counted among the priya-narma friends are Subala, Arjuna,
Gandharva, Vasanta and Ujjvala (pg. 325).”

Their Bhakti
A gopé tells Çrématé Rädhäräëé, “My dear Kåçäìgé [delicate one],
just see how Subala is whispering Your message into Kåñëa's ear,
how he is delivering the confidential letter of Çyämä-däsé silently
into Kåñëa's hand, how he is delivering the betel nuts prepared by
Pälikä into Kåñëa's mouth, and how he is decorating Kåñëa with
garland prepared by Tärakä. Did you know, my dear friend, that all
these most intimate friends of Kåñëa are always engaged in His
service in this way? (pgs. 325 - 326).”

The Foremost Priya-Narma

“Out of the many intimate priya-narmas, Subala and Ujjvala are
considered to be the most prominent (pg. 326).”

Subala's Form
(Subala is slightly superior to Ujjvala): “His complexion is just like
molten gold. He is very, very dear to Kåñëa. He always has a
garland around his neck, and he wears yellow clothing. His eyes
are just like lotus flower petals... (pg. 326).”

Subala's Bhakti
When Kåñëa would speak to Subala no one else could understand
what they were saying; not even the assembly of sakhés who are
expert in understanding Kåñëa's subtle gestures and movements.
Subala's superior intimacy would thus become evident. Çréla
Prabhupäda says, “The degree of intimacy shared by Kåñëa and
Subala can be understood by the fact that the talks between them
were so confidential that no one else could understand what they
were saying (pg. 326).”
 Ujjvala's Form
“Ujjvala always wears some garment of orange color, and the
movements of his eyes are always very restless. He likes to
decorate himself with all kinds of flowers, his bodily hue is almost
like Kåñëa's, and on his neck there is always a necklace of pearls
(pg. 326).”

Ujjvala's Bhakti
Çrématé Rädhäräëé said, “My dear friend it is impossible for Me to
keep My prestige! I wanted to avoid talking to Kåñëa anymore —
but just see! There again is His friend Ujjvala, coming to Me with
his canvassing work. His entreaties are so powerful that it is very
difficult for a gopé to resist her love for Kåñëa... (page 326).”
Ujjvala always desires to glorify Kåñëa's very confidential
love for the gopés. The last paragraph of page 326 illustrates this.

Pramäëa — Evidence
There are different ways to ascertain who the intimate friends of
Lord Kåñëa are, how they dress, etc. One way is by the
descriptions given in çästra, another is by local lore and oral
tradition. “Among the groups of different friends of Kåñëa, some
are well known from various scriptures, and some are well known
by popular tradition (pg. 327).”

Three Types of People Who Become Kåñëa's Friends

There are three types of people who become Kåñëa's friends: (1)
some are eternally perfect friends, (2) some are elevated
demigods who become Kåñëa's friends, and (3) some are
devotees who have achieved intimate friendship with Kåñëa by
executing sädhana.
Çréla Prabhupäda says, “There are three divisions among
Kåñëa's friends: some are eternally in friendship with Kåñëa, some
are elevated demigods, and some are perfected devotees (pg.
327).”
 Services Performed by Kåñëa's Friends
Each individual friend renders service according to his inherent
personality: "In all of these groups there are some who by nature
are fixed in Kåñëa's service and are always engaged in giving
council; some of them are very fond of joking and naturally cause
Kåñëa to smile by their words; some of them are by nature very
simple, and by their simplicity they please Lord Kåñëa... (page
327).”
Chapter 42
Fraternal Loving Affairs
 BRS 3.3.57 - 136

Vibhäva (continued)

Uddépana
Objects Which Impel Fraternal Love
“Kåñëa's age, His beauty, His bugle, His flute, His conchshell and
His pleasing attitude all provoke love in friendship for Him. His
exceptional joking abilities, exhibited sometimes by His
pretending to be a royal prince, or even the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, also give impetus to devotees developing love for
Kåñëa in friendship (pg. 329).”

KÅÑËA'S AGE
Kåñëa has three age periods: (1) kaumära — birth to 5 years old,
(2) paugaëòa — 6 to 10 years old, (3) kaiçora — 11 to the end of
15 years old.
Çréla Prabhupäda says, “Learned scholars have divided
Kåñëa's age into three periods: the age up through five years is
called kaumära, the age from the sixth to the tenth year is called
paugaëòa, and the age from the eleventh through fifteenth year is
called kaiçora (pg. 329).”

Kaumära — up to Five Years Old

Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.13.11) describes Kåñëa in His kaumära
age — flute tucked in His belt, enjoying a festive picnic with His
young boyfriends.

Paugaëòa — Six to Ten Years Old

“Kåñëa's paugaëòa age can be further divided into three periods
— namely the beginning [adya], middle [madhya] and end [çeña]
(pg. 330).”
 Adya Paugaëòa (6 - 7)
Beauty of this Age
“In the beginning of the paugaëòa age there is a very nice
reddish luster on His lips, His abdomen is very thin, and on His
neck are circles like those on a conchshell (pg. 330).”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives an example of how this beauty
can impel ecstatic friendship. “Sometimes, some outside visitors
would return to Våndävana to see Kåñëa and, upon seeing Him
again, would exclaim, ‘My dear Mukunda, Your beauty is gradually
increasing, just like the leaf on a banyan tree! ...I am sure that
Your beautiful bodily development is now giving much pleasure to
Your friends’ (pg. 330).”

Dress of this Age

“At this age Kåñëa was garlanded with various kinds of flowers. He
used to put on a silk dress, colored with various kinds of dye (pg.
330).”

Activities of this Age

“Sometimes He would wrestle there with His different friends, and
sometimes they would all dance together in the forest (pg. 330).”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives an example of how these
activities can impel ecstatic friendship. The cowherd boys said,
“Dear Kåñëa... when You pretend, just like an actor, to be fighting
with us, You give us unlimited transcendental bliss (pg. 330).”

Madhya-Paugaëòa (8 - 9)
Beauty of this Age
“When Kåñëa is more grown up, in the middle age of paugaëòa,
His nails become finely sharp, and His chubby cheeks become
lustrous and round. On the two sides of His waist above His belt
there are three distinct lines of folded skin, called trivalé (pg.
330).”
 Dress of this Age
“In this age Kåñëa wore a silk dress that glittered like lightening,
His head was decorated with a silk turban covered with gold lace,
and in His hand He carried a stick about fifty-six inches long (pgs.
330 - 331).”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives an example of how this dress can
impel ecstatic friendship. One of Kåñëa's friends said, “My dear
friend, just look at Kåñëa! See how He is carrying in His hand a
stick which is bound up and down with golden rings, how His
turban with golden lace is showing such a beautiful luster, and
how His dress is giving His friends the highest transcendental
pleasure! (pg. 331).”

Çeña Paugaëòa (10 years)

Beauty of this Age
“At the end of Kåñëa's paugaëòa age, Kåñëa's hair sometimes
hangs down to His hips, and sometimes it becomes scattered. In
this age His two shoulders become higher and broader, and His
face is always decorated with marks of tilaka. When His beautiful
hair scatters over His shoulders, it appears to be a goddess of
fortune embracing Him, and this embracing is highly relished by
His friends (pg. 331).”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives an example of how this beauty
can impel ecstatic friendship. “My dear Keçava... all of Your
beautiful bodily features are defeating me today, although I am
usually stronger than You or any of our friends. Since this is so, I
do not know how these features of Your body can fail to defeat the
pride of all the young girls of Våndävana. When I am so defeated
by this beauty, what chance is there for those who are naturally
very simple and flexible? (pg. 331).”

Activities of this Age

The çeña paugaëòa period borders directly upon Kåñëa's kaiçora
period (in which His pastimes with the gopés become prominent).
Thus one can see the dawning of Kåñëa's conjugal affairs within
the activities of this age. “At this age Kåñëa took pleasure in
whispering into the ears of His friends, and the subject of His talks
was the beauty of the gopés, who were just tarrying before them
(pg. 331).”
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé gives an example of how these
activities can impel ecstatic friendship. Subala said, “My dear
Kåñëa, You are very cunning. You can understand the thoughts of
others; therefore I am whispering within Your ear that all of these
five gopés, who are most beautiful, have been attracted by Your
dress. And I believe Cupid has entrusted them with the
responsibility of conquering You (pg. 331).”

Kaiçora — 11 to 15 Years Old 3

All the devotees in Våndävana — servants, friends, parents, and

consorts — find the age of kaiçora to be the most pleasing of all.
Therefore Kåñëa never ages beyond kaiçora. As such there is no
description of Kåñëa's yauvanam given in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu.
Çréla Prabhupäda summarizes, “And it is at this age that
devotees generally most appreciate Kåñëa. Kåñëa with Rädhäräëé
is worshipped as Kiçora-kiçoré. Kåñëa does not increase His age
beyond this form of kaiçora... (pgs. 331 - 332).”

KÅÑËA'S BEAUTY
After age, the next uddépana is beauty. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé
describes how the cowherd boys appreciate Kåñëa's beauty. “Dear
Kåñëa, You need not decorate Your body with so many ornaments.
Your transcendental features are themselves so beautiful that You
do not require any ornamentation (pg. 332).”

MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS
Kåñëa's Flute
Kåñëa's flute can impel fraternal love. “Whenever Kåñëa begins to
vibrate His flute early in the morning, all of His friends
immediately get up from bed just to join Him in going to the
pasturing grounds (page 332).”

3 Previously, Çré Rüpa Goswämé elaborately described all three divisions (adya, madhya,
and çeña) of Kåñëa's kaiçora age. see The Nectar of Devotion, page 210; Waves of
Devotion, page Error: Reference source not found.
 An example: “One of the friends once said, ‘My dear cowherd
friends, the sound of Kåñëa's flute from above Govardhana Hill is
telling us that we need not go to search Him out on the bank of
the Yamunä.’”

Kåñëa's Conchshell
The statement of Pärvaté to Çiva illustrates how the conchshell
gives enthusiasm to Kåñëa's friends. (See pg. 332.)

Kåñëa's Humor (Vinode)

The story of Kåñëa dressing Himself up like Çrématé Rädhäräëé,
"just to create fun among His friends," is an illustration of how
Kåñëa increases the fraternal devotion of His friends by doing
various funny things.

Anubhäva
Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé mentions various expressions of fraternal
devotion. “Kåñëa played with His intimate friends sometimes by
fighting or wrestling with their arms, sometimes by playing ball
and sometimes by playing chess. Sometimes they carried one
another on their shoulders, and sometimes they exhibited their
expertness at whirling logs [sticks]... by joking together, and by
swimming in the pool. All these activities are called anubhäva.
Whenever all the friends would assemble in the company of
Kåñëa, they would immediately engage in all these functions,
especially in dancing together (pg. 332).”

Example of Wrestling
“My dear friend, O killer of the Agha demon, You are very proudly
wandering among Your friends trying to exhibit Your arms as very
strong. Is it that You are envious of me? I know that You cannot
defeat me in wrestling, and I also know that You were sitting idly
for a long time because You were hopeless of defeating me (page
333).”
Different types of friends have different types of anubhävas.
 Anubhävas of Pura-Vayasyas
“All the friends were very daring and would risk any difficulty,
because they were confident that Kåñëa would help them to be
victorious in all adventures (pg. 333).”

Anubhävas of Suhåts (Older Friends)

Kåñëa's older friends express their devotion by instructing Kåñëa
on what is to be done and what is not to be done. “They used to
sit together and advise one another what to do, sometimes
inducing one another to be engaged in welfare work (pg. 333).”
The phrase "inducing one another to be engaged in welfare
work" means that they advised Kåñëa to engage in auspicious
activities.

Anubhävas of Sakhas (Younger Friends)

“Sometimes they would offer betel nuts to one another, decorate
one another's faces with tilaka or smear pulp of candana on one
another's bodies. Sometimes, for the sake of amusement, they
used to decorate their faces in strange ways (pg. 333).”

Anubhävas of Priya-Sakhas (Peers)

“Another business of the friends was that each of them wanted to
defeat Kåñëa. Sometimes they used to snatch His clothing or
snatch away the flowers from His hands. Sometimes one would try
to induce another to decorate his body for him, and failing this,
they were always ready to fight, challenging one another to
combat in wrestling (pg. 333).”

Anubhävas of Priya-Narmä-Sakhas (Confidential Friends)

“...they served as messengers to and from the gopés; they
introduced the gopés to Kåñëa and canvassed for Kåñëa. When
the gopés were in disagreement with Kåñëa, these friends would
support Kåñëa's side in His presence — but when Kåñëa was not
present, they would support the side of the gopés.”
In other words, they engaged in highly diplomatic behavior to
reconcile Kåñëa and the gopés. “In this way, sometimes
supporting one side, sometimes the other, they would talk very
privately, with much whispering in the ears, although none of the
business was very serious (pg. 333).”

Sädhäraëa (Common) Anubhävas of Sakhya-Rasa

Described above are the anubhävas highly specific to each type of
friend. There are also anubhävas that are common to all types of
friends: “The servants of Kåñëa were sometimes engaged in
collecting flowers, decorating His body with valuable ornaments
and trinkets, dancing before Him, singing, helping Him herd the
cows, massaging His body, preparing flower garlands and
sometimes fanning His body (pg. 333).”

Sättvika-Bhäva
All eight sättvika-bhävas are appropriate to sakhya-bhäva.

Stambha — Stunned
“When Kåñëa came out from the Yamunä after chastising the
Käliya-näga, Çrédämä wanted to embrace Him first, but he could
not raise his arms because of his great feeling of respect (pg.
333).” When Çrédämä saw Kåñëa entangled in the Käliya serpent
he became stunned. When Kåñëa came out victoriously from the
lake, he could not raise his still-stunned arms to embrace Kåñëa.

Sveda — perspiration
“When Kåñëa's flute roared like a thundercloud under the Sväté
constellation, the resulting perspiration on Çrédämä's body
appeared to be just like pearls (pg. 334).”

Romaïca — Standing of the Hairs

In Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu the quotation about Subala embracing
Kåñëa illustrates romaïca. When Subala embraced Çré Kåñëa, the
hairs on his arms were standing in ecstasy.
In The Nectar of Devotion, Çréla Prabhupäda uses the same
quotation to highlight the sentiments of Çrématé Rädhäräëé.
 Four Sättvika-Bhävas
The following quotation exemplifies four other sättvika-bhävas in
fraternal ecstasy: (1) svarabheda — faltering or distortion of the
voice, (2) vaivarëya — changing of bodily color, (3) praläya — loss
of consciousness, and (4) kampa — trembling.
“When Kåñëa entered the lake of Käliya, His intimate friends
became so perturbed that their bodily colors faded [vaivarëya],
and they all produced horrible gurgling sounds [svarabheda]. At
that time all of them fell down on the ground as if unconscious
[praläya] (pg. 334).” Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu mentions that they
were also trembling [kampa].

Äçru — Tears
“Similarly, when there was a forest fire, all of Kåñëa's friends
neglected their own protection and surrounded Kåñëa on all sides
to protect Him from the flames (pg. 334).” Bhakti-rasämåta-
sindhu describes that floods of tears were pouring from the eyes
of these boys as they lovingly protected their friend Kåñëa.

Vyabhicäré-Bhäva
“In vyabhicäré ecstatic love for Kåñëa there is sometimes
madness, dexterity, fear, laziness, jubilation, pride, dizziness,
meditation, disease, forgetfulness and humbleness (pg. 334).”
This is a partial list of the vyabhicäré-bhävas that manifest in
sakhya-rasa. Çréla Prabhupäda says, “These are some of the
common symptoms in the stage of vyabhicäré ecstatic love for
Kåñëa (pg. 334).” 4

Sthäyé-Bhäva
The permanent ecstasy of fraternal love has one essential
ingredient: the devotee deals with Kåñëa on an equal level, as a
peer.
Çréla Prabhupäda says, “When there are dealings between
Kåñëa and His friends which are completely devoid of any feelings

4 See Appendix B for full list of vybhicäré-bhäva in sakhya-rasa.

of respect and they all treat one another on an equal level, such
ecstatic love in friendship is called sthäyé (pg. 334).”
“An example of sthäyé was exhibited when Arjuna [the
cowherd boy] told Akrüra, 'My dear son of Gändiné, please ask
Kåñëa when I shall be able to embrace Him in my arms (pg. 334).”
This illustrates the basic mood (sthäyé-bhäva) of intimate
friendship in sakhya-rasa.

Stages of Prema in Friendship

Sakhya-rati can heighten to: (1) praëaya — attraction, (2) prema
— affection, (3) sneha — affinity, (4) räga — attachment. 5

Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “When one is situated in this

confidential friendly relationship with Kåñëa, one shows symptoms
of love such as attraction [praëaya], affection [prema], affinity
[sneha] and attachment [räga] (pg. 334).” 6

Sakhya-rati at Praëaya
Devotees have full knowledge of the Lord's supremacy. But when
their affection is extremely intense it outshines this knowledge,
and causes them to relate with Kåñëa purely on friendly terms,
free from formalities of respect. This is the characteristic of
praëaya.
Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “When there is full knowledge of
Kåñëa's superiority and yet in dealings with Him on friendly terms
respectfulness is completely absent, that stage is called affection
(page 335).”

Example
“There is one brilliant example of this affection. When the
demigods, headed by Lord Çiva, were offering respectful prayers
to Kåñëa, describing the glorious opulences of the Lord, Arjuna
[the cowherd boy] stood before Him with his hand on His

5 Rasas progress through the levels of prema in different orders. In däsya-rasa the
progression is prema, sneha, räga. In sakhya-rasa, however, the progression is first
praëaya, then prema, sneha, and räga.
6 The term "confidential" refers to viçrambha — friendly relationship on an entirely equal
level.
shoulders and brushed the dust from His peacock feather (pg.
335).”
This wonderfully illustrates the quality of praëaya: an
unchecked predominance of pure love, devoid of formality.

Sakhya-Rati at Prema
The Päëòavas illustrate the level of prema (unchanging, never-
diminishing love) in friendship. Despite all the troubles Kåñëa put
them through, their friendly love for Him never even slightly
diminished. (See pg. 335.)

Sakhya-Rati at Sneha
In sneha, one's heart melts, and he cannot withstand a moment of
separation. This example illustrates the first quality: “In the
pasturing ground Kåñëa felt a little tired and wanted to take rest,
so He lay down on the ground. At that time, many cowherd boys
assembled there and with great affection began to sing suitable
songs so that Kåñëa would rest very nicely (pg. 335).” [Emphasis
added.]

Sakhya-Rati at Räga
In räga, Kåñëa's association transforms distress into happiness.
Arjuna, pierced with showers of arrows during the Kurukñetra war,
exemplifies this. “At that time, although Arjuna was being harmed
by those arrows, he felt an ecstatic love for Kåñëa, and the arrows
appeared to him like showers of flowers (pg. 335).”
A second example of sakhya-rasa at the level of räga: “Once
when a cowherd boy named Våñabha was collecting flowers from
the forest to prepare a garland to be offered to Kåñëa, the sun
reached its zenith, and although the sunshine was scorching hot,
Våñabha felt it to be like the moonshine.” Çréla Prabhupäda adds,
“That is the way of rendering transcendental loving service to the
Lord; when the devotees are put into great difficulties — like the
Päëòavas, as described above — they feel all their miserable
conditions to be great facilities for serving the Lord (pg. 326).”

MEETING AND SEPARATION

 Sakhya-Rasa in Separation (Ayoga)

Utkanöhitva — Longing
Närada told Kåñëa, “When Arjuna was learning the art of shooting
arrows, he could not see You for so many days. But when You
arrived there, he stopped all his activities and immediately
embraced You (pg. 336).”
Young Arjuna was longing to meet Kåñëa for the first time.
Consequently, he exemplifies fraternal devotion in utkanöhitva.

Viyoga — Absence
Patré addressed Kåñëa thus, “My dear Lord, You protected the
cowherd boys from the hunger of the Aghäsura demon, and You
protected them from the poisonous effects of the Käliya snake.
And You also saved them from the fierce forest fire. But I am
suffering from Your separation, which is more severe than the
hunger of Aghäsura, the poison of Lake Käliya and the burning of
the forest fire. So why should You not protect me from the pangs
of separation? (pg. 336.)”

Ten Emotions of Viyoga

Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé illustrates the vyabhicäré-bhävas that are
appropriate for sakhya-rasa in viyoga.

Täpa — Fever or Heat

“Another friend once told Kåñëa, ‘My dear enemy of Kaàsa, since
You have left us, the heat of separation has become extraordinary.
And this heat is felt more severely when we understand that in
Bhäëòéravana You are being refreshed by the waves of the cooling
river known as Bhänu-tanayä [Rädhäräëé].’ The purport is that
when Kåñëa was engaged with Rädhäräëé, the cowherd boys
headed by Subala were feeling great separation, and that was
unbearable for them (pg. 336).”
 Kåçata — Emaciation (Withering of the Limbs)
“My dear Kåñëa, O killer of Aghäsura, when You left Våndävana to
kill King Kaàsa in Mathurä, all the cowherd boys became bereft of
their four bhütas [the elements earth, water, fire and space]. And
the fifth bhüta, the air, was flowing very rapidly within their
nostrils (pg. 336).”

Jägaraëa — Sleeplessness
“When one of Your friends was feeling much separation from You,
there were tears covering his lotus eyes, and so the black drones
of sleep became discouraged from entering his eyes and left that
place (pg. 337).”
Bumblebees collect honey from lotus flowers, but if the
flowers are filled with water the bees cannot do their work. The
lotus eyes of Kåñëa's friends became filled with tears, and thus
the bumblebees of sleep could not do their work. The boys
remained sleepless, crying in separation from their dear Kåñëa.

Älambana-Çünyatä — Helplessness, Unable to Find Shelter

“Due to Kåñëa's departure from Våndävana to Mathurä, Kåñëa's
dearest cowherd boys felt as mentally light as possible. They were
like fragments of cotton, lighter than the air, and were all floating
in the air without any shelter (pg. 337).”

Adhåti — Absence of resolve

“Out of the sorrow of separation, all these boys forgot to take
care of their cowherding and tried to forget all the melodious
songs they used to sing in the pasturing ground. At last they had
no desire to live anymore, being separated from Kåñëa (pg. 337).”
In the absence of Kåñëa, the boys lost their resolve to herd
the cows, to sing songs they previously sung, and even to
maintain their life.
 Jaòatä — Inertness
When Kåñëa left Våndävana for Mathurä, all the cowherd boys
became inert and still, “like leafless trees on the tops of hills (pg.
337).”

Vyadhi — Disease
“Sometimes they felt diseased from their separation from Kåñëa,
and being so greatly disappointed, they were aimlessly wandering
on the banks of the Yamunä (pg. 337).”

Unmäda — Madness
“When Kåñëa was absent from Våndävana, all the cowherd boys
became bewildered... they appeared to be mad and forgot all their
regular business... (pgs. 337 - 338).”

Mürcchita — Unconsciousness
“My dear Lord, You have become the King of Mathurä after killing
Kaàsa, and that is very good news for us. But at Våndävana all the
residents have become blind from their continuous crying over
Your absence... (pg. 338).”
Becoming 'blind' refers to loosing their consciousness.

Måti — Death
“My dear enemy of Kaàsa, because of their separation from You,
the cowherd boys are suffering too much, and they are now lying
down in the valleys, breathing only slightly... (pg. 338).”

Kåñëa's Friends are Never Separated From Him

"In the Mathurä-khaëòa chapter of the Skanda Puräëa, there is a
description of Kåñëa and Balaräma, surrounded by all the cowherd
boys, always engaging in taking care of the cows and calves." (pg.
338)
Jéva Gosvämé explains: Skanda Puräëa uses the word sadä,
"always" — which literally means "without ending." Kåñëa is
always in Våndävana, tending the cows with His friends. In the
eternal spiritual world, Kåñëa and his friends are never
significantly separated, although the experience of such emotions
certainly exists in a subjective sense. Gerenally, the cowherd boys
experience physical separation only in Gokula Våndävana
(Våndävana manifest on the earth).

Sakhya-Rasa in Meeting (Yoga)

Siddhi — Perfection
“When Kåñëa was met by Arjuna at a potter's shop in the city of
Drupada-nagara, because of the similarity of their bodily features
they made intimate friendship (pg. 338).”
This was the first time that Arjuna ever saw Kåñëa; thus it
exemplifies siddhi.

Tuñöi — Satisfaction
Tuñöi occurs when the devotee meets Kåñëa after a long absence.
Bhéma meeting Kåñëa in Indraprastha (described in Çrémad-
Bhägavatam 10.71.27), and the cowherd boys meeting Kåñëa
again at Kurukñetra are examples of tuñöi. (See page 338).

Sthiti — Steady Association

Sthiti is a type of meeting not predicated by any separation.
Çrémad-Bhägavatam 10.12.12 illustrating this. The cowherd boys
are superior even to great yogés. The yogés are unable to see so
much as the dust of Kåñëa's lotus feet, even after arduous
struggle. The cowherd boys, on the other hand, perform no
penance whatsoever, yet constantly see the beautiful Lord face to
face. This constant vision of Kåñëa is an example of sthiti.

Speciality of Fraternal Devotion

Sakhya-rasa has a special sweetness not found in däsya or
vätsalya. In däsya the devotee loves the Lord as his master, and
the Lord loves the devotee as His servant. In vätsalya the devotee
loves the Lord as his son, and the Lord loves the devotee as His
parent. In sakhya, however, the feelings of Kåñëa and the devotee
are exactly mutual — the devotee loves the Lord as his friend, and
the Lord loves the devotee as His friend.
 Fraternal love and conjugal love are the only relationships in
which the Lord and the devotee feel exactly the same way
towards each other. Therefore, Çréla Prabhupäda states, “The
friendly relationship of the cowherd boys with Kåñëa is a particular
type of spiritual ecstasy almost similar to the ecstasy of conjugal
love (pg. 339).”
Thus there is a special type of sweetness nourished by
fraternal devotion. “Great expert devotees like Rüpa Gosvämé
express their astonishment at the inconceivable feelings which are
in Kåñëa and His cowherd boyfriends (pg. 339).”