Tantric Advaita


The Shringara Rasa

Shringara Rasa - Love

 

Shringar is the Rasa of love, art, beauty and spiritual devotion. It is the King (or Queen) of all Rasas, the very purpose of creation and the universe.

Shringara means "Love" and often also "beauty". Narrowly speaking, Shringara means to enjoy the company of the opposite sex, in a very lovely and romantic manner. In a broader sense, Shringara is the mood in which we concentrate on creating a lovely atmosphere, on family and friends, on good manners and romance, on art, culture, and decoration, on dressing attractively and behaving nicely, on beauty and enjoyment. In Shringara the word "Rasa" most literally means "good taste."

Creation only happened for the enjoyment of Shringara, when Shiva and Shakti, the male and female energies, who were one, decided to play a game of hide and seek. Love is the most extreme happiness that two people can create together, living as a god and goddess in a universe of their own. In this way the relationship becomes a rehearsal of surrender to the universe and the Divine.

While everyone has the ability to live in beauty and Love without much effort, most people seem to suffer from a lack of both. Partially this is due to the increased popularity of the Rasas that are "enemies" of Shringara, particularly Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust. It is also due to a real lack of understanding and appreciation of Shringara in modern culture.

The mood of Shringara has two aspects: The feeling of Love in union (Sambhoga Shringara) and in separation (Vipralambha Shringara). The problem with enjoying Shringara, as with every enjoyment, is that it has a tendency to become addictive. Love always includes some level of attachment.

The mood that is predominant in Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of spiritual devotion) strongly relates to Shringara, but also includes other Rasas such as Peace and Wonder.

Mastering Shringara

The Yoga of a
Love Relationship
To master Shringara one must first of all realize that beauty is everywhere and is always there to be loved. Beauty is there to be enjoyed, not weighed. In India, women see their husbands as Krishna, Rama, or Shiva, while men see their wives as Radha, Sita, or Parvati. When men become gods and women goddesses, then Shringara truly becomes divine Leela.

Second, Love and beauty only need a little attention to be enhanced. Increasing Shringara is about small and simple things, a touch here, a flower there, a smile, a little neatness, attention, and harmony.

Third, while Love and beauty can be created without measure or restraint, they should be enjoyed with moderation and in diversity. The nature of our mind requires both to remain happy. Tasting, rather than eating, is the essence of Shringara, the art of romance.

Fourth, if one can remain a mere spectator, not personally involved in whatever is happening, and non-discriminating, then beauty and Love can be enjoyed without measure. The one who loves everyone and everything is always in love.

As Love and beauty are essentially the same Shringara Rasa, Love should be enhanced by decoration and art, and vice versa. Love and love-making should be embedded in other enjoyments to be truly savored. Sex may be a pleasant natural urge, as long as it does not stand out like the salt or sugar in junk foods.

Shringara Rasa Chart

Basic Rasa : Love

Sub-Rasas : Admiration, Aesthetic Sentiment, Devotion

Dominant Element : Water

Dominant Dosha : Kapha

Dominant Guna : Rajas

Dominant Kosha : Mind (Manomayi Kosha)

Friendly Rasas : Joy, Wonder

Enemy Rasas : Sadness, Disgust, Anger, Courage, Fear

Neutral Rasas : Peace

Rasa Produced : Humor

Key for Mastering : Love in good taste and without discrimination (see also Rasa Sadhana & The Yoga of Nine Emotions)

Siddhi : Prapti (attainment)

Deity : Krishna



About


Leela is the ancient vedic name for the theater of life. Life in all its forms is an illusion behind which we can find the ultimate truth of pure Being. Yet life is also a divine theater, a spiritual game played by us, the actors. Yoga allows us to hold on to the bliss of truth while playing the game. And also this yoga is a game, which we can only take seriously if we do not take ourselves and this game too seriously. That is the meaning of Leela Yoga, nothing more, nothing less. So, Leela Yoga is a vision on yoga and also a name for a simple organisation that allows me to bring this vision into practice... more about Leela Yoga & Peter Marchand

Peter Marchand Facebook page

International Leela Yoga Facebook Group

Leela Yoga Newsletter

Belgium : www.leela-yoga.be

New book : www.tantricadvaita.org

Harish Johari students sangha : www.sanatansociety.org

  in sweet memory
of Harish Johari

Quotes


As the destination is the same for all, it is easy to make the error of assuming that the path must be just as universal.

The attachment that happens in the pursuit of happiness is the main source of unhappiness.

Don't think of going somewhere, because this somewhere will come along with you wherever you go, as you are already there.

Yoga requires unity between enjoyment and suffering, between bhoga and yoga, even between attachment and detachment.

How can anyone be "good" without a choice between good and bad?

While the mind creates the illusion of the universe through the senses, the intellect creates the illusion of understanding it.

When our day has been entirely ego-centered, then our meditation will probably have similar poor quality.

When the focus on the self is held strongly enough, the flow of kundalini energy happens on its own, naturally.

Tiptoe inside, don't make a sound, don't scare away that which cannot be found.

Enlightenment is nothing more or less than the final level of the game of life.