Verse Four
ददाति प्रतिगृह्णाति गुह्यमाख्याति पृछ्छ्हति ।
भुङ्क्ते भोजयते चैव षड्विधं प्रीतिलक्षणम् ॥४॥
dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati prchchhati
bhunkte bhojayate chaiva sad-vidham priti-laksanam [4]
dadati–Giving, pratigrhnati–accepting, guhyam akhyati–speaking confidentially, prchchhati–asking, bhunkte–eating, cha–and bhojayate–feeding — [these are] eva–certainly sad–the six vidham–types laksanam–of characteristics priti–of love.
Translation:
Giving and accepting gifts,
discussing and enquiring about confidential matters,
and giving and partaking of foods
are the six characteristics of love.
Bhasa by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur
অসৎসঙ্গ ত্যজি’ সাধুসঙ্গ কর ভাই ।
প্রীতির লক্ষণ ছয় বিচারি’ সদাই ॥১॥
asat-sanga tyaji’ sadhu-sanga kara bhai
pritira laksana chhaya vichari’ sadai [1]
bhai–Brother, tyaji’–give up asat–bad sanga–association [and] sanga kara–associate sadhu–with the sadhus, [and] sadai–always vichari’–observe chhaya–the six laksana–characteristics pritira–of love. [1]
Translation:
Brother, give up bad association, associate with the sadhus, and always engage in the six exchanges of love.
দান গ্রহ স্ব-স্ব-গুহ্য জিজ্ঞাসা বর্ণন ।
ভুঞ্জন ভোজনদান সঙ্গের লক্ষণ ॥২॥
dana-graha sva-sva-guhya jijnasa varnana
bhunjana bhojana-dana sangera laksana [2]
dana–Giving [and] graha–accepting [gifts], jijnasa–asking [about and] varnana–describing sva-sva–personal [and] guhya–confidential [matters, and] bhunjana–eating [and] dana–giving bhojana–food [are] laksana–the characteristics sangera–of association. [2]
Translation:
Giving and accepting gifts, asking about and describing confidential matters, and eating and distributing food are the characteristics of such association.
Piyusa-varsini-vrtti by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur
Association with non-devotees is unfavourable to devotion and should therefore be rejected. The association of pure devotees, which purifies the effects of association with non-devotees, is necessary for persons engaged in devotional practice. Love, in the form of association with sadhus that is nourishing to devotion, is prescribed in this fourth verse. Lovingly offering devotees things that are necessary for devotees, accepting things given by devotees, speaking about confidential matters with devotees, asking devotees about confidential matters, eating food given by devotees, and feeding devotees — these are the six characteristics of real love. Through them, one should serve the sadhus.
Bhasa by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
দ্রব্যের প্রদান আর আদান করিলে ।
গোপনীয় বাক্যব্যয় আর জিজ্ঞাসিলে ॥১॥
ভোজন করিলে আর ভোজ্য খাওয়াইলে ।
প্রীতির লক্ষণ হয় যবে দুই মিলে ॥২॥
dravyera pradana ara adana karile
gopaniya vakya-vyaya ara jijnasile [1]
bhojana karile ara bhojya khaoyaile
pritira laksana haya yabe dui mile [2]
laksana–The characteristics pritira–of love haya–appear yabe–when dui–two [devotees] mile–meet, karile–engage pradana–in giving ara–and adana–acceptance dravyera–of articles, vakya-vyaya–speaking ara–and jijnasile–enquiring [about] gopaniya–confidential matters, [and] bhojana karile–eating ara–and bhojya khaoyaile–feeding [one another]. [1–2]
Translation:
Love is expressed when two devotees meet, give and accept articles, speak and enquire about confidential matters, and eat and feed one another.
ভক্তজন সহ প্রীতি সঙ্গ ছয় এই ।
অভক্তে অপ্রীতি করে ভাগ্যবান্ যেই ॥৩॥
bhakta-jana saha priti sanga chhaya ei
abhakta apriti kare bhagyavan yei [3]
ei–These [are the] chhaya–six [types of] priti–loving sanga–association saha–with bhakta-jana–devotees. [Those] yei–who [are] bhagyavan–fortunate apriti kare–do not express [such] love abhakta–towards non-devotees. [3]
Translation:
These are the six types of loving association with devotees. Those who are fortunate do not express such love towards nondevotees.
Anuvrtti by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
The characterisitcs of love have been described to illustrate the subject of association. Illusionists, that is, seekers of liberation; enjoyers of the fruits of their actions, that is seekers of prosperity and materialists, and anyabhilasis — if one develops affection for these three groups, then one’s devotion is destroyed by the faults produced by their association. One should not give advice, articles, or anything else to these three groups; giving the Name of the Lord to those who have no faith is an offence, and if one accepts advice regarding liberation or enjoyment from them, one will develop affection for them. One should not advise them about the service of Krishna. Thakur Narottam (Pbc: 9.19) said,
apana bhajana-katha na kahibe yatha tatha
[«Do not speak here and there about your service to the Lord.»]
They do not need to hear about confidential secrets because those who oppose the Lord are self-destructive. One should not eat anything that has been touched by any of them. If one does, then one has to take in some part of their tendency to enjoy matter separately from Krishna.
visayira anna khaile malina haya mana
malina mana haile nahe krsnera smarana
[«If you eat materialistic people’s food, your mind becomes contaminated, and if your mind is contaminated, you cannot remember Krishna.»]
One should not feed these three types of materialists. Mutual affection increases by the acts of both feeding and eating. When souls develop affection for persons who are loving and like-minded, then they develop in those respects. The practices of accepting and giving articles, speaking and hearing about confidential topics, and eating and feeding should be given up with persons who are not like-minded.
Bhajana-lalasa
hari he!
dana, pratigraha, mitho gupta-katha,
bhaksana, bhojana-dana
sangera laksana — ei chhaya haya
ihate bhaktira prana [1]
O Lord! Giving and accepting gifts, conversing about confidential matters, and eating and distributing food — these are the six characteristics of association. Within them is the spirit of devotion.
tattva na bujhiye jnane va ajnane
asate e saba kari’
bhakti harainu samsari ha-inu
sudure rahile hari [2]
Not understanding this truth, and knowingly or unknowingly associating with non-devotees in all these ways, I have lost devotion and become a worldly person. You have thus remained far away from me, O Lord!
krsna-bhakta-jane ei sanga-laksane
adara kariba yabe
bhakti-mahadevi amara hrdaya-
asane basibe tabe [3]
When I will honour Krishna’s devotees through these six forms of association, then the great goddess of devotion will sit on the throne of my heart.
yosit-sangi jana krsnabhakta ara
duhu̐-sanga parihari’
tava bhakta-jana sanga anuksana
kabe va ha-ibe hari [4]
O Lord! When will I abandon the association of both those who associate with the opposite sex and non-devotees, and constantly associate with Your devotees?