LOVE OF GODHEAD. part 1.

ebe śuna bhakti-phala 'prema'-prayojanayāhāra śravaṇe haya bhakti-rasa-jñānaŚrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "Now hear, O Sanātana, about the result of devotional service, which is love of Godhead, life's ultimate goal. One who hears this description will be enlightened in the transcendental mellows of devotional service.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).kṛṣṇe rati gāḍha haile 'prema'-abhidhānakṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasera ei 'sthāyi-bhāva'-nāmaWhen affection for Kṛṣṇa becomes deeper, one attains love of Godhead in devotional service. Such a position is called sthāyi-bhāva, permanent enjoyment of the mellows of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmāprema-sūryāḿśu-sāmya-bhākrucibhiś citta-masṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyateWhen devotional service is executed on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a sun-ray of love for Kṛṣṇa. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and one is then situated in bhāva (emotion).(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).e dui, — bhāvera 'svarūpa', 'taṭastha' lakṣaṇapremera lakṣaṇa ebe śuna, sanātanaBhāva (emotion) has two different symptoms — constitutional and marginal. Now, My dear Sanātana, listen to the symptoms of love.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).samyań-masṛṇita-svāntomamatvātiśayāńkitaḥbhāvaḥ sa eva sāndrātmābudhaiḥ premā nigadyateWhen that bhāva softens the heart completely, becomes endowed with a great feeling of possessiveness in relation to the Lord and becomes very much condensed and intensified, it is called prema (love of Godhead) by learned scholars. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).ananya-mamatā viṣṇaumamatā prema-sańgatābhaktir ity ucyate bhīṣma-prahlādoddhava-nāradaiḥWhen one develops an unflinching sense of ownership or possessiveness in relation to Lord Viṣṇu, or, in other words, when one thinks Viṣṇu and no one else to be the only object of love, such an awakening is called bhakti (devotion) by exalted persons like Bhīṣma, Prahlāda, Uddhava and Nārada. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).kona bhāgye kona jīvera 'śraddhā' yadi hayatabe sei jīva 'sādhu-sańga' ye karayaIf, by good fortune, a living entity develops faith in Kṛṣṇa, he begins to associate with devotees.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).sādhu-sańga haite haya 'śravaṇa-kīrtana'sādhana-bhaktye haya 'sarvānartha-nivartana'When one is encouraged in devotional service by the association of devotees, one becomes free from all unwanted contamination by following the regulative principles and chanting and hearing. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).anartha-nivṛtti haile bhaktye 'niṣṭhā' hayaniṣṭhā haite śravaṇādye 'ruci' upajayaWhen one is freed from all unwanted contamination, he advances with firm faith. When firm faith in devotional service awakens, a taste for hearing and chanting also awakens. (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).ruci haite bhaktye haya 'āsakti' pracuraāsakti haite citte janme kṛṣṇe prīty-ańkuraAfter taste is awakened, a deep attachment arises, and from that attachment the seed of love for Kṛṣṇa grows in the heart.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).sei 'bhāva' gāḍha haile dhare 'prema'-nāmasei premā 'prayojana' sarvānanda-dhāmaWhen that ecstatic emotional stage intensifies, it is called love of Godhead. Such love is life's ultimate goal and the reservoir of all pleasure.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).Devotional life is divided into two stages — sādhana-bhakti and bhāva-bhakti.Sādhana-bhakti refers to the development of devotional service throughthe regulative principles. The basic principle for the execution of devotionalservice is faith. Above that, there is association with devotees, and after thatthere is initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. After initiation, when onefollows the regulative principles of devotional service, one becomes freedfrom all unwanted things. In this way one becomes firmly fixed and graduallydevelops a taste for devotional service. The more the taste grows, the moreone desires to render service to the Lord. In this way one becomes attachedto a particular mellow in the Lord's service — śānta, dāsya, sakhya, vātsalyaor madhura. As a result of such attachment, bhāva develops. Bhāva-bhakti isthe platform of purified goodness. By such purified goodness, one's heartmelts in devotional service.Bhāva-bhakti is the first seed of love of Godhead.This emotional stage is there before one attains pure love. When that emotionalstage intensifies, it is called prema-bhakti, or transcendental love of Godhead.(Sri Caitanya Caritamrta).