Second Wave: Astonishment
Adbhuta-rasa
ātmocitair vibhāvādyaiḥ svādyatvaṃ bhakta-cetasi |
sā vismaya-ratir nītād-bhuto-bhakti-raso bhavet ||4.2.1||
“When vismaya-rati becomes pleasurable in the devotee’s heart by suitable vibhāvas because of His superhuman actions, it is called adbhuta-bhakti-rasa.”
||4.2.2||
“All types of devotees are the ālambana for the vismaya-rati of adbhuta-rasa, and Kṛṣṇa is the viṣaya because of His superhuman actions.”
||4.2.3||
“Particular actions of Kṛṣṇa are the uddīpanas. Opening the eyes wide is the anubhāva. Paralysis, tears and hair standing on end are the sāttvika-bhāvas.”
||4.2.4||
“Āvega, harṣa, jāḍyam etc. are the vyabhicārī-bhāvas. Vismaya-rati caused by Kṛṣṇa’s superhuman actions is the sthāyī-bhāva. There are two types of superhuman actions: direct and inferred.”
||4.2.5||
“When the superhuman actions is perceived by the eye, ear, mouth or other senses, it is called direct.”
||4.2.6||
An example of direct perception of wonder by seeing:
“When Nārada saw Kṛṣṇa simultaneously performing various actions with one body in each of the queens’ palaces in Dvārakā, his body began to quiver.”
||4.2.7||
This is described in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.69.2]:
“It is quite amazing that in a single body Lord Kṛṣṇa simultaneously married sixteen thousand women, each in a separate palace.”
||4.2.8||
Another example:
“O Yaśodā! See here your little son with the moonlike face, slightly smelling of milk. And see here Govardhana, whose summit pierces the clouds! See, with His left hand He holds the king of mountains as if it were just play. Is this some magic?”
||4.2.9||
From hearing about Kṛṣṇa’s superhuman acts:
“Kṛṣṇa cut down all the arrows fired by eleven akṣauhiṇī divisions of troops under Narakāsura with only three arrows. When Parīkṣit heard of the prowess of Kṛṣṇa in battle, his eyes opened wide and his hairs stood on end.”
||4.2.10||
By speaking about Kṛṣṇa’s superhuman acts:
“All the boys and calves had four arms. They were dark in complexion like clouds, and wore yellow cloth. See, speaking in this way I have lost control and become stunned. I will tell you something astonishing, please listen. Each of the masters of the universes on lotus seats, all of the Lord Nrahmās, were praising each and every one of these four-armed forms.”
||4.2.11||
By inference of Kṛṣṇa’s superhuman acts:
“When all the children opened their eyes, they were astonished to see in front of them the incomparable banyan tree called Bhāṇḍīra, and that they and all the cows had been rescued from the forest fire.”
||4.2.12||
“When an unloved person performs extraordinary actions it is not astonishing, but when a loved one performs actions that are even a little uncommon, they produce astonishment.”
||4.2.13||
“Therefore it goes without saying that if the dearest person performs the most extraordinary actions, it will certainly produce extreme astonishment. Thus the sweetness produced from rati (through a primary rasa of love) has also been mentioned in this discussion of vismaya-rasa.”
iti śrī-śrī-bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhāv uttara-vibhāge
gauṇa-bhakti-rasa-nirūpaṇe adbhuta-bhakti-rasa-laharī dvitīyā ||
“Thus ends the Second Wave in the Northern Ocean of Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, concerning adbhuta-bhakti-rasa.”