लोके यद्वस्तु एकस्मै रोचते, तदन्यस्मै न रोचते इत्यतः विचित्ररुचिरयं संसारः। एकस्मिन् परिवारे जातानां सामानाचारविचाराणां जनानामपि भिन्ना भिन्ना रुचिर्भवति, किम्पुनः विभिन्नेषु परिवारेषु उत्पन्नानां जनानां वार्ता? समान- पितृकेषु पुत्रेषु कश्चित् मधुरं रोचयते, कश्चित् लवणं कश्चित् चाम्लं रसमिति। एवं हि कश्चित् काव्यं रसयति, कश्चित् नाट्यं, कश्चित् शिल्पं, कश्चित् च गणितम्। एवमेव कस्मैचित् शृंगारः प्रियो भवति, कस्मैचित् वीरः, कस्मैचित् करुणः, कस्मैचित् च हास्यरसः। विरलाय कस्मैचित् जनाय बीभत्सरसोऽपि रोचति इति नानात्वं रुचीनां व्यवस्थितं भवति।
Translation :
In this world the thing that one (person) dislikes is not liked by the other, so this world is empty of people of various tastes. Persons born in the same family (and) having similar manners and thoughts also have the same tastes. What can be said of those born in different kinds of families? Among the children having the same parents one likes sweet, one likes salty and one likes sour. Indeed in the same way, someone likes poetry, someone (likes) drama, someone (likes) sculpture and someone likes mathematics. In the same way, someone is fond of shringar (erotic), some of heroism, some of pathos and some of comic or humourous (literature). A very rare person likes the sentiment of disgust also. Thus the variety of likings is established.