असत् वै इदम् अग्र आसीत् ततः वै सत् अजायत तत् आत्मानम् स्वयम् अकुरुत तस्मात् तत् सुकृतम् उच्यते इति यत् वै तत् सुकृतम् रसः वै सः रसम् हि एव अयम् लब्ध्वा आनन्दी भवति कः हि एव अन्यात् कः प्राण्यात् यत् एषः आकाशे आनन्दः न स्यात् एषः हि एव आनन्दयाति यदा हि एव एषः एतस्मिन् अदृश्ये अनात्म्ये अनिरुक्ते अनिलयने अभयम् प्रतिष्ठाम् विन्दते अथ सः अभयम् गतः भवति यदा हि एव एषः एतस्मिन् उदरम् अन्तरम् कुरुते अथ तस्य भयम् भवति तत्त्वेव भयम् विदुषः अमन्वानस्य तत् अपि एषः श्लोकः भवति
asat vai idam agra āsīt tataḥ vai sat ajāyata tat ātmānam svayam akuruta tasmāt tat sukṛtam ucyate iti yat vai tat sukṛtam rasaḥ vai saḥ rasam hi eva ayam labdhvā ānandī bhavati kaḥ hi eva anyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt yat eṣaḥ ākāśe ānandaḥ na syāt eṣaḥ hi eva ānandayāti yadā hi eva eṣaḥ etasmin adṛśye anātmye anirukte anilayane abhayam pratiṣṭhām vindate atha saḥ abhayam gataḥ bhavati yadā hi eva eṣaḥ etasmin udaram antaram kurute atha tasya bhayam bhavati tattveva bhayam viduṣaḥ amanvānasya tat api eṣaḥ ślokaḥ bhavati
"In the beginning this was non-existent; out of it the existent was born. It made itself by itself — therefore it is called the well-made." What that well-made is — that, verily, is the sap. Having obtained this sap, [a being] becomes blissful. Who would breathe in, who would breathe out, if this bliss were not in the space [of the heart]? For He alone bestows bliss. When [a man] finds a fearless support in this Unseen, Bodiless, Indefinable, Baseless — then he attains fearlessness. But when he makes in Him even a small interval — then there is fear for him. And this is the fear of one who knows [but] does not reflect. Of that there is also a verse.
35c66bb759e0 · published Jul 26, 2026, 7:50:25 PM UTC
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The verse on which the whole theology of rasa stands. yad vai tat sukṛtam raso vai saḥ — "that well-made thing — that is the Sap": rasa is sap, savour, essential sweetness: Brahman is defined not only as truth-knowledge-infinity (13) but as Savour: rasaṁ hy evāyaṁ labdhvānandī bhavati — "having obtained this Savour, a being becomes blissful". And an argument than which none is more irresistible: ko hy evānyāt kaḥ prāṇyāt yad eṣa ākāśa ānando na syāt — "who would breathe in, who would breathe out, if this bliss were not in the space [of the heart]?" The very continuation of breathing is testimony: life is worth living because Savour is poured out at the base of life; existence is held by sweetness, not by habit. eṣa hy evānandayāti — "He alone bestows bliss": all the joy of all beings is from Him (the tradition of devotion will make raso vai saḥ a cornerstone: He is rasa, and love for Him is the tasting of the Savour).
The second half is about fear and fearlessness: yadā… etasmin adṛśye 'nātmye 'nirukte 'nilayane 'bhayaṁ pratiṣṭhāṁ vindate — "when he finds a fearless support in the Unseen… — he attains fearlessness"; yadā… udaram antaraṁ kurute atha tasya bhayaṁ bhavati — "but when he makes even a small interval [between himself and Him] — then there is fear": fear is born of a gap: any chink between the soul and the Ground is a draught of terror; complete adherence to Him is the only warm safety.
And a subtle qualification: tat tv eva bhayaṁ viduṣo 'manvānasya — "this fear belongs to one who knows [but] does not reflect": knowledge not thought through into life does not save one from trembling: the gap may remain even in a scholar. The theology of rasa and the theology of fearlessness are one: it is fearful outside the Savour; for one who has tasted, there is no one left to fear.