The inhabitants of Vrndavana, Vrajavasis, are living examples of devotional service. Theirs is ideal devotional service with attachment, and such devotion can be found only in Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana. If one develops devotional service and attachment by following in the footsteps of the Vrajavasis, he attains raga-marga-bhakti, or devotional service in attachment to the Lord. According to Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.270), "Devotional service with ecstatic attachment for that service, which becomes natural for the devotee, is called raga, or transcendental attachment." Devotional service discharged with such attachment is called ragatmika, and deep attachment with deep absorption in the object of love is called ragatmika. Examples of these can be seen in the activities of the residents of Vrajabhumi. One who becomes attracted to Krsna by hearing of such attachment is certainly very fortunate. When one becomes deeply affected by the devotion of the residents of Vrajabhumi and tries to follow in their footsteps, he does not care for the restrictions or regulations of the revealed scriptures. This is the characteristic of one discharging raga-bhakti.   (More...)

Devotional service with attachment can be executed in two ways-externally and internally. Externally the devotee strictly follows the regulative principles beginning with chanting and hearing, while internally he thinks of the attachment which attracts him to serve the Supreme Lord. Indeed, he always thinks of his special devotional service and attachment. Such attachment does not violate the regulative principles of devotional service, and a real devotee adheres to these principles strictly; yet he always thinks of his particular attachment.   (More...)

Since ali the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, Vrndavana, are very dear to Krsna, a devotee selects one of the inhabitants and follows in his footsteps in order to be successful in his own devotional service. A pure devotee who is attached to the Lord always follows in the footsteps of a personality of Vrajabhumi. It is advised in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.294) that a pure devotee attached to devotional service should always remember the activities of a particular inhabitant of Vraja, even though he is not able to live in Vrajabhumi or Vrndavana. In this way he can always think of Vrajabhumi and Vrndavana.   (More...)

The confidential devotees attached to the service of the Lord are divided into several categories: some of them are servants, some are friends, some are parents, and some are conjugal lovers. In devotional service with attachment, one has to follow a particular type of devotee of Vrajabhumi. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.25.38) the Lord says:   (More...)

There are two characteristics by which the seeds of love of Godhead can develop, and these are known as rati, or attachment, and bhava, the condition immediately preceding love of Godhead. It is by such attachment and bhava that the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is conquered by His devotees. These two characteristics are present before any symptoms of love of Godhead are manifest. This was all explained to Sanatana Gosvami by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya told him that since there is really no end to describing the system of devotional service with attachment, He is simply trying to offer a sampling. Lord Caitanya then described the ultimate goal of devotional service, which is meant for one who wants to attain perfection. When one's attachment to Krsna becomes very deep, one attains the condition called love of Godhead. Such a state of existence is considered a permanent situation for a devotee. In this regard, Kaviraja Gosvami offered his respectful obeisances to Lord Caitanya for His sublime teachings of love of Godhead. As stated in Caitanya-caritamrta, (Madhya 23.1): "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, who but You has ever awarded such pure devotional service? O most magnanimous incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, for my part I offer my respectful obeisances to this incarnation known as Gaurakrsna."   (More...)

In Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.3.1) the state of being in love with the Godhead is compared to the sunshine emanating from the sun; this shining makes the devotee's heart more and more lovely. The heart of such a devotee is situated in a transcendental position beyond even the mode of goodness. The process for making the heart even more sterilized by the sunshine of love is called bhava. A description of bhava is given by Rupa Gosvami. Bhava is called the permanent characteristic of the living entity, and the crucial point of progress for bhava is called the marginal state of love of Godhead. When the bhava state becomes deeper and deeper, learned devotees call it love of Godhead. As stated in the Narada-pancaratra:   (More...)