Rasik saint
Those who are submerged in exclusive love for Shri Radha Krishna are termed as Rasik saints (Devanagari: रसिक संत ISO15919: rasika saṁta).
A jeev can be in the following three categories-
- The Supreme soul (परमात्मा): The Supreme God
- The great soul (महात्मा): The soul, who realizes Supreme soul (God) and goes across the ocean of Maya, becomes a great-soul, Mahatma or Saint.
- The soul (जीवात्मा): Individual soul
In Braj, at the time of Lord's descension all 3 types of personalities (Jeevatma, Mahatma and Paramatama) were present in one place.
God realization is the ultimate aim of a jeev. Saints love The Supreme Lord Bhagawan Shri Krishna with different bhav - shant bhav, dasya bhav, sakhya bhav, vatsalya bhav and madhurya bhav. Based on their bhav there are many categories of Saints.
Madhurya bhav is the highest level of love since it incorporates all the other four bhav's mentioned above. Madhurya bhav is further classified into 3 levels.
• Sadharani Rati
• Samanjasa Rati
• Samartha Rati is the highest form of love.
Samartha Rati is also called Gopi Prem wherein there is no trace of self-happiness. The main sentiment in Gopi prem is
तत्सुखसुखित्वं ।
tatsukhasukhitvaṁ
“Happiness of my beloved makes me happy”.
The gopis love Shyam Sundar as their beloved and consider Shri Radha Rani as their Ladyship. They call Her Swamini. The sole aim of these devotees is the happiness of Shri Radha Krishna. Their every action is for the sole purpose of pleasing Them. These gopis form of worship is by pleasing The Divine Couple. Gopis desire is only to serve Them.
The highest degree of self-pleasure that does not please Shri Radha Krishna becomes the source of great pain for gopis. On the contrary, experiencing the greatest misery that gives pleasure to Shri Radha Krishna is most amiable to them. Their love is absolutely selfless and focused ONLY on meticulously serving The Divine Couple.
Those who are submerged in exclusive love for Shri Radha Krishna are termed as Rasik saints. These saints enjoy even more ecstasy, when they side with Shri Radha and tease beloved Shyam Sundar. They pay close attention to intensifying the love of The Divine Couple for each other. It produces a very unique divine bliss.
There are other bhavs too with lesser bliss than gopi bhav. We will briefly discuss the sentiments present within madhurya bhav below.
Gopi Bhav
Gopi bhav (Devanagari: गोपी भाव ISO15919: gopī bhāva) saint is a friend of Shri Radha. This is the most intimate and obscure bhav that involves physical and enjoyable interactions with Shri Krishna.
The devotees of gopi bhav confine themselves to the selfless service of Shri Radha Krishna. It's the most private and esoteric service. These devotees are focused exclusively on close physical association and service that would enhance the bliss of The Divine Couple only.
Gopis with gopi bhav reach up to the acme of roodh bhav. While gopis with other bhavs also reach mahabhav but not up to the highest level. Gopi bhav devotees get bliss of up to Nikunj and partially to Nibhrit Nikunj.
Sahachari Bhav
Sahachari bhav (Devanagari: सहचरी भाव ISO15919: sahacarī bhāva) is another name for gopi bhav.
Sakhi Bhav
The devotees of sakhi bhav (Devanagari: सखी भाव ISO15919: sakhī bhāva) do not have access to the most intimate loving pastimes of The Divine Couple. Yet, they do get to serve Priya Priyatam in many ways in most esoteric pastimes.
These devotees like associating with people and things associated with Lord Krishna like His cows, His parents, and His friends. sakhi bhav devotees get to serve by the grace of gopis of gopi bhav. Sakhi bhav gopis have access up to the bliss of Kunj (groves of Vrindaban).
Manjari Bhav
One more category of mahabhav class of devotees who are involved in private and incomprehensible love pastimes of The Divine Couple are known as gopis of manjari bhav (Devanagari: मंजरी भाव ISO15919: maṁjarī bhāva).
They directly assist in handling pre-arrangements of pastimes of the Divine Couple. The decorum of this bhav does not permit involvement during the most intimate leelas of Priya Priyatam.
Though they abundantly enjoy other leelas of madhurya bhav in Kunj. Manjari bhav gopis mainly assist Shri Radha to get closer association with Lal Ju.
Thus, the approach of sakhi bhav and manjari bhav seem quite similar, still there is a diffrence.
- Saints of are sakhi bhav not directly involved in most secretive love pastimes of Shri Radha Madhav,
- Saints of are manjari bhav gets direct association of Priya Priyatam with an opportunity to assist Radha Rani to be more intimate with Shyam Sundar.
Whereas gopi bhav comprises all the rights and bliss enjoyed by both sakhi bhav and manjari bhav, and even more than that.
Kinkari Bhav
A devotee with kinkari bhav (Devanagari: किंकरी भाव ISO15919: kiṁkarī bhāva) is ever desirous to serve Shri Radha as a maid.
श्री राधा पद किंकरी, भाव जासु हिय होय ।
वृन्दाबन रस कौ मधुर, स्वाद लगै है सोय ॥
śrī rādhā pada kiṁkarī, bhāva jāsu hiya hoya ।
vr̥ndābana rasa kau madhura, svāda lagai hai soya ॥- Shri Kishori Ali, Kishori Ali Granthwali (1040)
"The one who always desires to be the dust on Shri Radharani's lotus feet (feeling of an eternal servitor of Shri Radha), they can taste the sweetest nectar of Vrindavan i.e. "Vrindavan Ras".