Madhya 23: Life's Ultimate Goal—Love of Godhead

© 1975 Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Catalogue Card umber: 73-93206
International Standard Book Number: 0-912776-71-4

First printing, 1975: 20,000 copies
Printed in the United States of America

The following summary study of the Twenty-third Chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. In this chapter Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu describes the symptoms of emotion and love and the awakening of one's original loving relationship with the Lord, as well as the characteristics of a devotee who has actually attained that stage. He then describes the gradual increase of love of God up to the point of mahabhava. He then describes the five divisions of attraction and how they continue. He also describes the mellow derived from conjugal love, which is the supreme emotion. Conjugal love is divided into two categories-svakiya and parakiya. Svakiya refers to loving affairs between husband and wife, and parakiya refers to loving affairs between two lovers. There are a number of descriptions in this connection. There is also a description of the sixty-four transcendental qualities of Krsna. Srimati Radharani has twenty-five transcendental qualities.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu then describes those candidates who are eligible to taste the mellows of devotional service. Their fundamental natures and their varieties are also described. The Lord also informs Sanatana Gosvami about all the confidential paraphernalia of devotional service. He gives a description of Goloka Vrndavana, where the Lord is engaged in His eternal pastimes described in the Hari-vamsa. There is also an opposing and favorable description of kesa-avatara. All these instructions are mentioned herein.

In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu blessed Sanatana Gosvami, placing His own hand on his head. Thus Sanatana received the power to describe these subjects in books like Hari-bhakti-vilasa.