mallānām aśanir nṛṇāḿ nara-varaḥ strīṇāḿ smaro mūrtimān
gopānāḿ sva-jano 'satāḿ kṣiti-bhujāḿ śāstā sva-pitroḥ śiśuḥ
mṛtyur bhoja-pater virāḍ aviduṣāḿ tattvaḿ paraḿ yogināḿ
vṛṣṇīnāḿ para-devateti vidito rańgaḿ gataḥ sāgrajaḥ
mallanam -- for the wrestlers; asanih -- lightning; nrinam -- for the males; nara-varah -- the best of men; strinam -- for the women; smarah -- Cupid; murti-man -- incarnate; gopanam -- for the cowherds; sva-janah -- their relative; asatam -- impious; kshiti-bhujam -- for the kings; sasta -- a punisher; sva-pitroh -- for His parents; sisuh -- a child; mrityuh -- death; bhoja-pateh -- for the King of the Bhojas, Kamsa; virat -- the totality of the material universe; avidusham -- for the unintelligent; tattvam -- the Truth; param -- Supreme; yoginam -- for the yogis; vrishninam -- for the members of the Vrishni dynasty; para-devata -- their most worshipable Deity; iti -- in these ways; viditah -- understood; rangam -- the arena; gatah -- He entered; sa -- along with; agra-jah -- His elder brother.
The various groups of people in the arena regarded Krishna in different ways when He entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Krishna as a lightning bolt, the men of Mathura as the best of males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the Bhojas as death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord's universal form, the yogis as the Absolute Truth and the Vrishnis as their supreme worshipable Deity.
Srila Sridhara Svami quotes the following verse, which explains the ten attitudes toward Krishna described here:
raudro 'dbhutas ca sringaro
hasyam viro daya tatha
bhayanakas ca bibhatsah
santah sa-prema-bhaktikah
"[There are ten different moods:] fury [perceived by the wrestlers], wonder [by the men], conjugal attraction [the women], laughter [the cowherds], chivalry [the kings], mercy [His parents], terror [Kamsa], ghastliness [the unintelligent], peaceful neutrality [the yogis] and loving devotion [the Vrishnis]."
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti points out that people like the wrestlers, Kamsa and the impious rulers perceive Krishna as dangerous, angry or threatening because they fail to understand the actual position of the Personality of Godhead. Actually, Lord Krishna is everyone's friend and well-wisher, but because we rebel against Him, He chastises us, and thus we may perceive Him as threatening. Krishna, or God, is actually merciful, and when He punishes us, that is also His mercy.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura quotes the following Vedic statement: raso vai sah rasam hy evayam labdhvanandi bhavati. "He Himself is rasa, the taste or mellow of a particular relationship. And certainly one who achieves this rasa becomes anandi, filled with bliss." (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7.1)
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati quotes a further verse to explain the word rasa:
vyatitya bhavana-vartma
yas camatkara-bhara-bhuh
hridi sattvojjvale badham
svadate sa raso matah
"That which is beyond imagination, heavy with wonder and relished in the heart shining with goodness -- such is known as rasa."
As Srila Rupa Gosvami elaborately explains in his Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, there are five main rasas -- neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love -- and seven secondary rasas -- amazement, humor, chivalry, compassion, fury, fear and dread. Thus altogether there are twelve rasas, and the supreme object of them all is Sri Krishna Himself. In other words, our love and affection are actually meant for Sri Krishna. Unfortunately, out of ignorance we stubbornly try to squeeze happiness and love out of material relationships, which are not directly connected to Krishna, and thus life becomes a constant frustration. The solution is simple: surrender to Krishna, love Krishna, love Krishna's devotees and be happy forever.
