The Nature of Krishna-prema, Love of Godhead
Srila Rupa Gosvami writes (B.r.s. 173.1):
suddha-sattva-viseshatma prema-suryamsu- samyabhak
rucibhis citta-masrinya-krd asau bhava ucyate
"When devotional service is situated on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a ray of the sunlight of love for Krishna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes that are called bhava (spiritual emotion)."
Further Srila Rupa Gosvami writes (B.r.s. 174.1):
samyan masrinita-svanto mamatvatisayankitah
bhavah sa eva sandratma budhaih prema nigadyate
"When that bhava softens the heart completely, it becomes endowed with a great feeling of possessiveness in relationship to the Lord. When it becomes very much condensed and intensified, learned scholars call it prema, love of Godhead."
The sattva-guna, mode of goodness, which is under the jurisdiction of the maya-sakti, is not pure but mixed goodness. Intensified compressed love and possessiveness for Krishna is the innate nature of Krishna’s internal spiritual energy, the hladini-sakti, the pleasure giving potency. So, when suddha-sattva combines with bhava it gives rise to an extraordinary and wonderful emotion in the jiva’s heart, and this is called prema, pure love of Godhead. In the material world, the combination of mundane samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti produces mundane love, which is simply a perverted reflection of spiritual love, prema.
The Caitanya-caritamrita states (Cc. Madhya 19.177-178):
sadhana bhakti haite maya ratira udaya
rati gadha haite ta’ra prema nama kaya
prema vriddhi krame nama-sneha, mana, pranaya
raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava haya
"By regularly rendering devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When that attachment is intensified, it becomes love of Godhead. The basic aspects of prema, when gradually increasing to higher states, are affection, petulance, love, attachment, deeper attachment, ecstasy and great ecstasy."
As described in the Caitanya-caritamrita (Cc. Madhya 23.20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36):
ei nava prity-ankura yanra citte haya
prakrita-kshobhe tanra kshobha nahi haya
krishna-sambandha vina kala vyartha nahi yaya
bhukti, siddhi, indriyartha tare nahi bhaya
’sarvottama’ apanake ’hina’ kari mane
’krishna kripa karibena’-dridha kari’ jane
samutkantha haya sada lalasa-pradhana
nama-gane sada ruci, laya krishna-nama
krishna-gunakhyane haya sarvada asakti
krishna-lila-sthane kare sarvada vasati
"If love for Krishna in a seedling state has fructified in one’s heart, material things do not agitate one. Not a moment should be lost. Every moment should be utilised for Krishna and connected with Him. In the material field, people are interested in material enjoyment, mystic power and sense gratification. However, these things do not appeal to the devotee at all. Although a pure devotee’s standard is above all, he still considers himself to be in the lowest stage of life. A fully surrendered devotee always hopes that Lord Krishna will be kind to him. This hope is very firm in him. This eagerness is chiefly characterised by an ardent desire to associate with the Lord. Due to having great relish for the Holy Name, one is inclined to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra constantly. At this stage of bhava, a devotee has awakened the tendency to chant and describe the Lord’s transcendental qualities. He has attachment for this process. A devotee absorbed in ecstatic emotion for Krishna always resides in a place where Krishna’s pastimes are performed."
This bhava is called the first sprout of prema, priti, and when it appears, it shows the following characteristics.
(B.r.s. 173.25-26)
kshantir avyartha-kalatvam viraktir mana- sunyata
asabandhah samutkantha nama-gane sada rucih
asaktis tad-gunakhyane pritis tad-vasati-sthale
ity adayo’ nubhavah syur jata-bhavankure jane
"When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krishna fructifies, the following symptoms manifest in one’s behaviour: forgiveness, concern that time should not be wasted, detachment, absence of false prestige, hope, eagerness, a taste for chanting the Holy Name, attachment to descriptions of the Lord’s transcendental qualities, and affection for those places where the Lord resides and performs His pastimes. These are all called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic emotions. They are visible in a person in whose heart the seed of love of Godhead has begun to fructify."
suddha-sattva-viseshatma prema-suryamsu- samyabhak
rucibhis citta-masrinya-krd asau bhava ucyate
"When devotional service is situated on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a ray of the sunlight of love for Krishna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes that are called bhava (spiritual emotion)."
Further Srila Rupa Gosvami writes (B.r.s. 174.1):
samyan masrinita-svanto mamatvatisayankitah
bhavah sa eva sandratma budhaih prema nigadyate
"When that bhava softens the heart completely, it becomes endowed with a great feeling of possessiveness in relationship to the Lord. When it becomes very much condensed and intensified, learned scholars call it prema, love of Godhead."
The sattva-guna, mode of goodness, which is under the jurisdiction of the maya-sakti, is not pure but mixed goodness. Intensified compressed love and possessiveness for Krishna is the innate nature of Krishna’s internal spiritual energy, the hladini-sakti, the pleasure giving potency. So, when suddha-sattva combines with bhava it gives rise to an extraordinary and wonderful emotion in the jiva’s heart, and this is called prema, pure love of Godhead. In the material world, the combination of mundane samvit-sakti and hladini-sakti produces mundane love, which is simply a perverted reflection of spiritual love, prema.
The Caitanya-caritamrita states (Cc. Madhya 19.177-178):
sadhana bhakti haite maya ratira udaya
rati gadha haite ta’ra prema nama kaya
prema vriddhi krame nama-sneha, mana, pranaya
raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava haya
"By regularly rendering devotional service, one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When that attachment is intensified, it becomes love of Godhead. The basic aspects of prema, when gradually increasing to higher states, are affection, petulance, love, attachment, deeper attachment, ecstasy and great ecstasy."
As described in the Caitanya-caritamrita (Cc. Madhya 23.20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36):
ei nava prity-ankura yanra citte haya
prakrita-kshobhe tanra kshobha nahi haya
krishna-sambandha vina kala vyartha nahi yaya
bhukti, siddhi, indriyartha tare nahi bhaya
’sarvottama’ apanake ’hina’ kari mane
’krishna kripa karibena’-dridha kari’ jane
samutkantha haya sada lalasa-pradhana
nama-gane sada ruci, laya krishna-nama
krishna-gunakhyane haya sarvada asakti
krishna-lila-sthane kare sarvada vasati
"If love for Krishna in a seedling state has fructified in one’s heart, material things do not agitate one. Not a moment should be lost. Every moment should be utilised for Krishna and connected with Him. In the material field, people are interested in material enjoyment, mystic power and sense gratification. However, these things do not appeal to the devotee at all. Although a pure devotee’s standard is above all, he still considers himself to be in the lowest stage of life. A fully surrendered devotee always hopes that Lord Krishna will be kind to him. This hope is very firm in him. This eagerness is chiefly characterised by an ardent desire to associate with the Lord. Due to having great relish for the Holy Name, one is inclined to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra constantly. At this stage of bhava, a devotee has awakened the tendency to chant and describe the Lord’s transcendental qualities. He has attachment for this process. A devotee absorbed in ecstatic emotion for Krishna always resides in a place where Krishna’s pastimes are performed."
This bhava is called the first sprout of prema, priti, and when it appears, it shows the following characteristics.
(B.r.s. 173.25-26)
kshantir avyartha-kalatvam viraktir mana- sunyata
asabandhah samutkantha nama-gane sada rucih
asaktis tad-gunakhyane pritis tad-vasati-sthale
ity adayo’ nubhavah syur jata-bhavankure jane
"When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krishna fructifies, the following symptoms manifest in one’s behaviour: forgiveness, concern that time should not be wasted, detachment, absence of false prestige, hope, eagerness, a taste for chanting the Holy Name, attachment to descriptions of the Lord’s transcendental qualities, and affection for those places where the Lord resides and performs His pastimes. These are all called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic emotions. They are visible in a person in whose heart the seed of love of Godhead has begun to fructify."
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