Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c8.s3.29

c8.s3.29

So much about the Ālambana Vibhāvas. The Uddīpana Vibhāvas, which serve to foster the feeling by conditions of time, place and circumstance, constitute a much less extensive topic, but involve an equal elaboration of detail. Under this section come mainly the definition and classification of the various excellences of Kṛṣṇa and his beloved Gopīs, as well as such eternal (taṭastha) objects (e.g. spring, cloud, moon etc.) as would excite the feeling of love. The excellences of Kṛṣṇa having been already catalogued and illustrated in the previous work, the present work confines itself to an elaborate definition and illustration of the excellences of Kṛṣṇa's Beloved, which may be either physical (Kāyika), mental (Mānasika) and verbal (Vācika). The mental and verbal characteristics are dismissed in a few words; but of physical excellences: such as beauty (Rūpa), complexion (Lāvaṇya), softness (Mārdava) etc., prominence is given to the description of the three stages of youth (Yauvana), namely, Navya (fresh), Vyakta (manifest) and Pūrṇa (complete), along with Vayaḥ-saṃdhi (adolescence).¹ Other excellences of Kṛṣṇa refer to the peculiarities of Name (Nāman), Exploits (Carita), Sports (Līlā, e.g. playing on the flute, milking the cows, lifting of the Govardhana hill etc.), Maṇḍana (embellishments), and other relevant (sambandhin) and related (saṃnihita) characteristics, including a description of Vṛndāvana, its rivers, groves, trees, flowers, birds and beasts. Taṭastha Uddīpanas, as we have said above, include the conventional external objects (such as the cloud, full moon, southern breeze, etc.) which excite the feeling of love.