Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu .5.26
tatra pūrva-rāgaḥ –
[tatra poorva-raagah –]
prāg-asaṅgatayor bhāvaḥ pūrva-rāgo bhaved dvayoḥ ||26||
[praag-asangatayor bhaavah poorva-raago bhaved dvayoh ||26||]
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatra pūrva-rāgaḥ –
prāg-asaṅgatayor bhāvaḥ pūrva-rāgo bhaved dvayoḥ ||26||
Pūrva-rāga: The love in separation of the two lovers before they ever meet each other is called pūrva-rāga.
Purport
When the lover and the beloved have a distinct feeling of not meeting each other, that stage is called pūrva-rāga, or preliminary attraction.
— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Jīva Gosvāmī
Gauḍīya
Durgama-saṅgamanī
Commentary
The bhāva of the two lovers (dvayoḥ) who have not previously met is called pūrva-rāga (prior affection). Pūrva-rāga is called bhakti-rasa, but acts as an uddīpana (stimulus) for the lover. The other states should be understood to act in the same way.
My note
Source: vedabase.io