Reading the section of Madhurya Kadamabini describing the progressive revelation of Krsna's qualities. Adb quotes SB 9.4.64 wherein Narayana explains to Durvasa the nature of his relationship with devotees. Adb then writes, "The benign Lord appears before the eyes of the eager loving devotees, and, seeing their great thirst to relish his sweetness, gives the matchless treasure of his beauty, his form, fragrance, sound, touch and taste to their respective senses.He also makes their minds relish relish his attributes like generosity and compassion." He goes on to describe the tension between the relishing and thirst a prema-bhakti experiences as Krsna reveals his attributes. My question is about the description of Krsna being benign. Is this to simply describe that Krsna manifests according to the particular bhava of his devotee? What does it mean that Krnsa is benign?
If anyone wants to look at reference, it is page 304 bottom of ADB's Madhurya Kadambini.
Prema, I looked up the reference. I had a similar read. Interestingly, ABD does not use the word "benign" anywhere else in the book. In support of your view, a couple of verses later MK specifically describes how Krishna's seventh sweetness (compassion, anugraha) will be experienced (manifest?) differently based on the mood of the devotee. This lends support to the idea that Krishna's "benign" quality is exemplified by the ways in which he appears in relation to the devotee's particular thirst.