287 The Nectar of Devotion

In this connection Si Rupa Gosvami gives an example of the
clouds in the sky: the clouds in the sky arise from the ocean, and
when the clouds become water again and fall to the ground, they
glide back to the ocean. Similarly, the pleasure potency of Krsna is
compared with the ocean. The pure devotee is the pleasure-possessing
cloud, and when he is filled with transcendental loving service, then
he can bestow his mercy as a downpour of rain—and the pleasure
potency returns to the ocean of Krsna.

Direct and Indirect Attraction for Krsna

Transcendental pleasure derived from devotional service can be
divided into two groups: direct devotional service and indirect devo-
tional service. Direct devotional service is divided into five transcen-
dental humors or flavors, and indirect devotional service is divided
into seven transcendental humors. Direct devotional services are as
follows: neutrality, servitude, fraternity, paternity and conjugal love.
Indirect devotional service is divided into laughter, compassion, anger,
chivalry, dread, astonishment and ghastliness. Devotional service can
therefore be divided into twelve types, each of which has a different
color. The colors are white, multicolored, orange, red, light green,
grey, yellow, off-whitish, smoky, pink, black and cloudy. The twelve
different kinds of transcendental humors are controlled by different
incarnations of God, such as Kapila, Madhava, Upendra, Nrsirmha,
Nandanandana, Balarama, Kurma, Kalki, Raghava, Bhargava, Varaha
and Matsya.

Sustenance, manifestation, expansion, reflection and lamentation
are the five visible symptoms in exchanges of ecstatic love. The test
of devotional service can therefore be made in terms of these five
symptoms. In the devotional service of neutrality there is sustenance;
there is expansion in chivalrous devotional service; there is reflection
in compassionate devotional service; in angry devotional service there
is lamentation, and so on.

An apparently pitiable condition in devotional service may appear
to be distressing to the inexperienced student, but the feelings of the
devotee in this pitiable condition are considered to be ecstatic by
expert devotees. For example, the subject matter of the Ramayana
