King Bharata-after whom India is called Bharata-varsa-was also a pure devotee, and at an early age he left his household life, his devoted beautiful wife, his son, friends and kingdom just as if they were stool. This is typical of a person who has developed bhava in devotional service. Such a person thinks of himself as the most wretched, and his only satisfaction is in thinking that some day or other Krsna will be kind enough to favor him by engaging him in devotional service. In the Padma Purana another instance of pure devotion is found. There it is recorded that the king, although the most elevated of human beings, was begging from door to door and was even praying to the candalas, the lowest members of human society.   (More...)

In this regard, the following verse by Bilvamangala appears in the krsna-karnamrta (32):   (More...)

All these descriptions of the bhava stage of devotional service were quoted by Lord Caitanya to Sanatana Gosvami. Lord Caitanya next proceeded to describe the symptoms of actual love for Krsna. He informed Sanatana Gosvami that no one can understand the person who has developed love of Krsna. No one can understand his words, his activities or his symptoms. Even if one is very learned, it is very difficult for him to understand a pure devotee who is in love with the Lord. This is also confirmed in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.   (More...)

A person engaged in devotional service becomes heartsick when singing the glories of the Supreme Lord. Because the Lord is very dear to him, when he glorifies the Lord's name, fame and so on, he becomes almost like an insane man, and in that condition he sometimes laughs, sometimes cries and sometimes dances. He continues in this way without even considering his situation. By gradually developing his love of Godhead, he increases his affection, his emotion and his ecstasy. Such attachment, mahabhava, is the highest stage of devotional love. It may be likened to sugar candy, which is the most powerful form of sugar. Love of Godhead can gradually develop in such a way that transcendental pleasure is increased to the highest stage for the real devotee.   (More...)

Lord Caitanya, describing the symptoms of a person who has developed from faith to the stage of bhava, states that such a person is never agitated even if there are causes for agitation. Nor does such a person waste his time even for a moment; he is always anxious to do something for Krsna. Even if he has no engagement, he will find some work to do for Krsna's satisfaction. Nor does such a person like anything which is not connected with Krsna. Although he is situated in the best position, he does not hanker after honor or personal respect. He is confident in his work, and he is never under the impression that he is not making progress toward the supreme goal of life-going back to Godhead. Since he is fully convinced of his progress, he is always confident and keeps himself busy to achieve the highest goal. He is very much attached to gratifying the Lord and in chanting or hearing about the Lord, and he is always attached to describing the transcendental qualities of the Lord. He also prefers to live in holy places like Mathura, Vrndavana or Dvaraka. Such characteristics are visible in one who has developed to the stage of bhava.   (More...)

King Pariksit affords a good example of bhava. When sitting on the banks of the Ganges waiting to meet his death, he said: "All the brahmanas present here, as well as Mother Ganges, should know that I am a soul completely surrendered to Krsna. I do not mind if I am immediately bitten by the snake sent by the brahmana boy's curse. Let the snake bite me as it likes. I shall be pleased if all of you present here will go on chanting the message of Krsna." Such a devotee is always anxious to see that his time is not wasted in anything which is not connected with Krsna. Consequently he does not like the benefits derived from fruitive activity, yogic meditation or the cultivation of knowledge. His attachment is to discourses which are favorably related to Krsna. Such pure devotees of the Lord always pray to the Supreme Lord with tears in their eyes; their minds are always engaged in recollecting the activities of the Lord, and their bodies are always engaged in offering obeisances. In this way they are satisfied. Any devotee who is acting in devotional service dedicates his life and body for the purpose of the Lord.   (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...)

If, due to some righteous activities which provoke devotional service, one is influenced by the service attitude and takes shelter of the good association of pure devotees, he develops attachment for hearing and chanting. By developing chanting and hearing, one can advance further and further in regulative devotional service to the Supreme Lord. As one so advances, his misgivings about devotional service and his attraction for the material world proportionately diminish. By advancing in hearing and chanting, a devotee becomes more firmly fixed in his faith, and gradually his initial faith develops into a taste for devotional service, and that taste gradually develops into attachment. When attachment becomes pure, it exhibits the two characteristics of bhava and rati. When rati increases, it is called love of Godhead, and love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of human life.   (More...)

This process is summarized by Rupa Gosvami in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15-16): The first requirement is faith; it is due to faith that one associates with pure devotees, and, by such association, develops devotional service. As devotional service develops, one's misgivings diminish. Then one is situated in firm conviction, and from that conviction he develops a taste for devotional service and advances to the stage of attachment, whereby he follows the regulative principles of devotional service. After that point, after one makes further progress, he attains the state called bhava, which is permanent. When such love of God increases, it reaches the highest stage of love of Godhead."   (More...)

In Sanskrit this highest stage is called prema, prema can be defined as love of God without any expectation of exchange or return. Actually the words prema and love are not synonymous, yet one can say that prema is the highest stage of love. One who has attained prema is the most perfect human being. Srimad-Bhagavatam also confirms this statement (SB 3.25.25): Only by the association of pure devotees can one develop a taste for Krsna consciousness, and when he tries to apply Krsna consciousness in his life, he can achieve everything up to the stage of bhava and prema.   (More...)