bhava / love of God

The following summary of this chapter is given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his Amrta-pravaha-bhasya. According to Sri Sanatana Gosvami's request, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained the well-known Srimad-Bhagavatam verse beginning atmaramas ca munayo. He explained this verse in sixty-one different ways. He analyzed all the words and described each word with its different connotations. Adding the words ca and api, He described all the different meanings of the verse. He then concluded that all classes of transcendentalists (jnanis, karmis, yogis) utilize this verse according to their own interpretation, but if they gave up this process and surrendered to Krsna, as indicated by the verse itself, they would be able to comprehend the real meaning of the verse. In this regard, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu narrated a story about how the great sage Narada converted a hunter into a great Vaisnava, and how this was appreciated by Narada's friend Parvata Muni. Sanatana Gosvami then offered a prayer to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained the glory of Srimad-Bhagavatam. After this, the Lord gave Sanatana Gosvami a synopsis of Hari-bhakti-vilasa, which Sanatana Gosvami later developed into the guiding principle of all Vaisnavas.    (More...)

In this connection a nice verse by Bilvamongal appears in Krishna Karnamrita [32]: "O Player of the nice flute, Krishna, the beauty of Your boyhood activities is very wonderful in this world. You know the agitation of my mind, and I know what You are. Nobody knows how confidential our relationship is. Now my eyes are anxious to sec You and Your face, but I cannot see You. Please-let me know what I shall do." A similar passage appears in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu [1.3.38], by Rupa Goswami, which states: "O Govinda! this young girl with tears in her eyes is crying in a sweet voice, chanting Your Glories." Such pure devotees are always anxious to describe the Glories of Krishna, and to live in a place where Krishna exhibited His Pastimes.    (More...)

A person engaged in devotional service becomes slackened in his heart when singing the glorification of the Supreme Lord. Because the Lord is very dear to him, in glorifying the Lord's Name, Fame, etc., he becomes almost like an insane man, and in such a condition of life sometimes he laughs, sometimes he cries, sometimes he dances-and without any consideration of the situation, he continues in such activities. And,, by gradual development of his love of Godhead he increases his affection, his emotion, his ecstasy. Such attachment, Mahabhava, is the highest stage of devotional love. It can be found like molasses or sugar, which are different stages of the same thing. But the highest stage is called sugar candy. In different stages of the same juice, sugar candy becomes more and more palatable. Similarly, in love of Godhead, by a gradual process of development, transcendental pleasure is increased to the highest stage for the real devotee.    (More...)

This state of Bhava is described in connection with King Parikshit, when he was sitting on the bank of the Ganges to meet his death because of being cursed by a Brahmin boy. He spoke as follows: "All the Brahmins present here, as well as Mother Ganges, may know that I am a soul completely surrendered to Krishna. I do not mind even if I am immediately bitten by the snake sent by the Brahmin boy. Let the snake bite me as it likes, but I shall be pleased if all of you present here go on chanting the message of Krishna." Such a devotee is always anxious to see that his time is not wasted in anything which is not connected with Krishna. As such, desires derived from fruitive activities, or from yogic meditation, or by the cultivation of knowledge are not liked by him. He is simply attached to favorable words in relation with Krishna. Such pure devotees of the Lord always go on praying to the Supreme Lord with tears in their eyes, and their minds are always engaged in recollecting the activities of the Lord, and with their bodies they offer obeisances. Thus they are satisfied. Any devotee who is acting in such devotional service dedicates his life and body for that purpose.    (More...)

In the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu [1.3.1] the state of being in love of Godhead is compared to the sunshine emanating from the Sun of love for Godhead; and this shining makes the devotee's heart more and more lovely. The heart of such a devotee is situated in a transcendental position, beyond the modes of goodness of material Nature. And the process of making the heart further and further sterilized by the sunshine of love is called Bhava. This description of Bhava is given by Rupa Goswami. Bhava is called the permanent characteristic; 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, the learned devotees call that state of being love of Godhead. In the Narada Pancharatra there is a verse in which it is stated: "When one is firmly convinced that Vishnu is the only Object of love and worship, and there is no one else and no demigod for his devotional service, it is accepted that he is feeling intimacy in love of Godhead, as is approved by such personalities as Bhisma, Prahlad, Uddhava and Narada."    (More...)

If someone, on account of some righteous activities which provoke devotional service, is influenced by such an attitude of service, and takes shelter of the good association of the pure devotees, then he develops an attachment for chanting and hearing. In such a state of mind the development of chanting and hearing makes him advance further and further in the matter of regulative devotional service to the Supreme Lord. And, as he advances in the regulative service of the Supreme Lord, so, proportionately, his misgivings for the material world diminish. Beginning with faith, and advancing in the process of hearing and chanting, the devotee becomes more and more firmly fixed in that faith. That faith gradually develops into taste, and that taste gradually develops into attachment. When the attachment becomes purer, then it is exhibited in two characteristics, which are called Bhava and Rati. When this principle of Rati becomes deeper, it is called love of Godhead. Love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of human life.    (More...)

This process is summarized in the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu [1.4.15-16] by Rupa Goswami: "The first thing required is faith, and from faith one associates with pure devotees, and, by such association, one develops devotional service. And when he develops devotional service, his misgivings are diminished. Then he is situated in firm conviction, and from that conviction he develops a taste and advances up to the attachment stage of life, known as the regulated principles of devotional service. And, after that stage, when he still further makes progress, it is called Bhava, or a permanent situation. Such love of God can go further and deeper and deeper, and then is called the highest stage of love of Godhead."    (More...)

In Sanskrit, this highest stage is called Prema. The word Prema can be explained as love of God without any exchange or return. Actually, the words Prema and love are not synonymous, but still one can say that Prema is the highest stage of love. One who has attained this stage of Prema is the most perfect human being. Srimad Bhagwatam also confirms this statement in the Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter [25]: Only by the association of pure devotees can one develop a taste for Krishna Consciousness; and when he tries to apply such developed Krishna Consciousness in his life, one can achieve all other things up to the stages of Bhava and Prema.    (More...)