56 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 1, Ch. 1

mundane activities and mundane knowledge. In this sloka it is stated that
Srimad-Bhagavatam is not only a superior literature, but that it is the
ripened fruit of all Vedic literatures. In other words, it is the cream of all
Vedic knowledge. Considering all this, patient and submissive hearing is
definitely essential. With great respect and attention, one should receive
the message and lessons imparted by the Srimad-Bhdgavatam.

The Vedas are compared to the desire tree because they contain all
things knowable by man. They deal with mundane necessities as well as
spiritual realization. The Vedas contain regulated principles of knowledge
covering social, political, religious, economic, military, medicinal, chemical,
physical and metaphysical subject matter and all that may be necessary to
keep the body and soul together. Above and beyond all this are specific
directions for spiritual realization. Regulated knowledge involves a gradual
raising of the living entity to the spiritual platform, and the highest spiritual
realization is to know that the Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of
all spiritual tastes or rasas.

Every living entity, beginning from Brahma, the first-born living being
within the material world, down to the insignificant ant, desires to relish
some sort of taste derived from sense perceptions. These sensual pleasures
are technically called rasas. Such rasas are of different varieties. In the
revealed scriptures the following twelve varieties of rasas are enumerated:
1) raudra (anger) 2) adbhuta (wonder) 3) sragara (conjugal love) 4) hasya
(comedy) 5) vira (chivalry) 6) daya (mercy) 7) dasya (servitorship)
8) sakhya (fraternity) 9) bhayadnaka (horror) 10) vibhatsa (shock) 11)
Santa (neutrality) 12) vatsalya (parenthood).

The sum total of all these rasas is called affection or love. Primarily,
such signs of love are manifested in adoration, service, friendship, eternal
affection, and conjugal love. And when these five are absent, love is present
indirectly in anger, wonder, comedy, chivalry, fear, shock and so on. For
example, when a man is in love with a woman, the rasa is called conjugal
love. But when such love affairs are disturbed there may be wonder, anger,
shock, or even horror. Sometimes love affairs between two persons cul-
minate in ghastly murder scenes. Such rasas are displayed between man
and man and between animal and animal. There is no possibility of an
exchange of rasa between a man and an animal or between a man and any
other species of living beings within the material world. The rasas are
exchanged between members of the same species. But as far as the spirit
souls are concerned, they are one qualitatively with the Supreme Lord.
Therefore, the rasas were originally exchanged between the spiritual living
being and the spiritual whole, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The
