Stages of development of Bhakti : From Sraddha to Prema

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada always used to refer to Krishna
Consciousness as the science of God. With ample scriptural support from the emperor of
all evidences, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Vishwanath Chakravarti Thakura, in his work,
‘Madhurya Kadambini’ (cloud bank of nectar) provides a scientific explanation of each
of the stages in the development of bhakti from sraddha to prema according to Srila Rupa
Goswami’s famous verse from Bhakti Rasamrita sindhu :

ädau çraddhä tataù sädhu-saìgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyä

tato ‘nartha-nivåttiù syät tato niñöhä rucis tataù
athäsaktis tato bhävas tataù premäbhyudaïcati
sädhakänäm ayaà premëaù prädurbhäve bhavet kramaù
“The progression in the development of bhakti in the sadhaka up to the appearance of
prema is as follows: starting with faith (sraddha), followed by association of devotees
(sadhu-sanga), doing devotional practices (bhajana-kriya), cessation of unwanted habits
(anartha-nivritti), steadiness (nishtha), taste (ruci), attachment(asakti), bhava (the stage
prior to love of God), then finally prema arises (pure love of God). [Bhakti Rasamrita
Sindhu 1.4.15-16]

The sruti states in the Taittiriya Upanishad, after discussing the different coverings (anna
maya, prana maya), that Brahman (ananda-maya) is the shelter or support of these
coverings : ‘brahma puccham pratishtha’ (2.5.2.). Then it emphatically declares that the
param-ananda-maya purusha is superior even to Brahman as the paraatpara-tattva, or
most Supreme Truth, who is the embodiment of rasa, or pleasure. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta
Sarasvaté Öhäkura quotes the following Vedic statement: raso vai saù rasaà hy eväyaà
labdhvänandé bhavati. "He Himself is rasa, the taste or mellow of a particular
relationship. And certainly one who achieves this rasa becomes änandé, filled with bliss."
(Taittiréya Upaniñad 2.7.1). Srimad Bhagavatam, the cream of Vedanta and emperor of
all evidences describes Lord Krishna as the full embodiment of rasa or mellow :

mallänäm açanir nåëäà nara-varaù stréëäà smaro mürtimän

gopänäà sva-jano 'satäà kñiti-bhujäà çästä sva-pitroù çiçuù
måtyur bhoja-pater viräò aviduñäà tattvaà paraà yoginäà
våñëénäà para-devateti vidito raìgaà gataù sägrajaù

TRANSLATION
The various groups of people in the arena regarded Kåñëa in different ways when He
entered it with His elder brother. The wrestlers saw Kåñëa as a lightning bolt, the men of
Mathurä as the best of males, the women as Cupid in person, the cowherd men as their
relative, the impious rulers as a chastiser, His parents as their child, the King of the
Bhojas as death, the unintelligent as the Supreme Lord's universal form, the yogés as the
Absolute Truth and the Våñëis as their supreme worshipable Deity.
As Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé elaborately explains in his Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, there are
five main rasas—neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental love and conjugal love—and
seven secondary rasas—amazement, humor, chivalry, compassion, fury, fear and dread.
Thus altogether there are twelve rasas, and the supreme object of them all is Çré Kåñëa
Himself. In other words, our love and affection are actually meant for Çré Kåñëa.
Unfortunately, out of ignorance we stubbornly try to squeeze happiness and love out of
material relationships, which are not directly connected to Kåñëa, and thus life becomes a
constant frustration. The solution is simple: surrender to Kåñëa, love Kåñëa, love Kåñëa's
devotees and be happy forever. [SB 10.43.17p]

How does Bhakti arise in a devotee’s heart?

Devotional service has no material cause. The Lord says, “yadrcchayaa mat kathadau
jata sraddhas tu yah puman” (SB 11.20.8) “If somehow or other a person becomes
attached to hearing about Me….”. The word ‘yadrcchayaa’ must mean by its own
independent sweet will.

Some people take the word to mean “by good fortune”. Do material pious activities
(shubha karma) cause good fortune? It will then mean bhakti is dependent on material
karma. This is against the self-manifesting nature of bhakti.

If one proposes that the cause of bhakti is the Lord’s mercy, then one must find the cause
of that mercy. If this mercy is causeless, then why does not Lord give similar bhakti
equally everywhere to everyone? Is it due to partiality on the part of Lord? Thus the
causeless mercy of the Lord is also unacceptable as the cause of bhakti.

One can propose that the cause of bhakti is the devotee’s causeless mercy. Considering a
second class devotee, a madhyama bhakta, one finds that he does show partiality in
distributing mercy – ‘prema maitri kripa upeksha yah karoti sa madhyamah’ ‘he exhibits
prema towards the Lord, friendship to the devotees, mercy to the innocent, and disregard
for those envious to bhakti’ (SB 11.2.46).

The Lord, being subservient to His devotee, lets His mercy follow the mercy of His
devotee. Thus this proposal is not at all irregular. But even accepting the devotee’s
mercy as the cause of bhakti, still the cause of that mercy is bhakti itself residing within
his heart. Without the devotee having bhakti, there is no possibility of him giving mercy
to others. Bhakti causes devotee’s mercy, which causes bhakti in another person. Bhakti
causes bhakti. The self-manifesting independent nature of bhakti is thus concluded.
When Krishna says, ‘mat prasadat param shantim..mat-samstham adhigacchati’ (BG
18.62, 6.15), it is understood that the Lord offers His devotee, the power to deliver the
Lord’s mercy to other innocent souls. In other words, one receives the Lord’s mercy
through the mercy of the devotee who bestows it.

Step by step progress in Bhakti

As one progresses in bhakti the two symptoms -- destruction of ignorance and appearance
of good qualities -- occur.
There are five kinds of klesha or suffering that are destroyed by bhakti – ignorance, false
ego, attachment to obtaining material happiness and decreasing suffering, hatred towards
unhappiness and clinging to bodily enjoyments.

The good qualities include disinterest in material affairs, interest in the Supreme Lord,
friendliness, mercy, forgiveness, truthfulness, simplicity, equanimity, fortitude, gravity,
respectfulness, humility and being pleasing to all.

The bhakti develops by specific gradual stages. Though very subtle and difficult to note,
the wise have determined these stages by scrutiny of the various symptoms.

(1) Ädau çraddhä: (faith)

When two people see a Hare Krishna devotee, one considers that he is a fool while the
other considers him interesting or respectful. Why? Because the second one has
çraddhä; the first one lacks Sraddha. Çraddhä means “faith.” Faith really means respect.
When you respect something, you can trust it, believe in it, put your heart into it. Faith
implies a lot more than just respect, but first and foremost faith means respect. If you
respect something, you find it interesting. You want to read about it, hear about it, find
out about it. A person with a trace of respect for God or the saintly finds the sight of a
Hare Kåñëa slightly interesting; he wants to know what Hare Kåiñhëas are all about.

But why does one person have çraddhä and the other not? Sukåti. “Good deeds.”
What kind of good deeds lead to çraddhä? Deeds done for the All-Good, acts of service
to the Supreme. So service to the Supreme (sukåti) leads to respect for the Supreme
(çraddhä). Service and respect are naturally linked. The servant respects the master. Of
course, in this world the respect is usually just a facade—the “master” wants to exploit
the servant, and the “servant” just wants a paycheck. But still, respect and service are
intrinsically linked. And if you serve people who really are admirable, you’ll develop
strong respect (çraddhä) for them. Why does one have çraddhä? Because he unknowingly
did some service to the Supreme in this lifetime or in previous ones.

How does someone unknowingly perform an act of transcendental service? Well, suppose
someone already loves God and is engaged in His divine loving service. That person may
engage others in such service without their even knowing it. For example, Srila
Prabhupäda sent Hare Kåiñhëas into the streets to chant God’s names. When someone
hears the chanting, that’s devotional service—because Kåiñhëa likes it when we hear His
names. And if someone remembers the chanting, that’s service too.

We have found the root of all good fortune, and we have traced the way it sprouts.
Devotion gets a person serving the Supreme. And by engaging in service he naturally
engages others (without their knowledge). They then develop a fragment of çraddhä—
faith (respect).

The more we respect something, the more we can trust in it, believe in it, surrender our
hearts to it. So the real core of faith is respect. When you respect something, you want to
hear about it, and that desire to hear brings you into the company of those who know
about it. Like this: The first time you see the Kåñëas chanting on the street, you think
they’re outlandish—but interesting. You begin to wonder what they’re all about.
Sometime later you unexpectedly spot a young American woman dressed in Indian
clothes—another Hare Kåiñhëa. Again the questions bounce up: What are they—a bunch
of lunatics? Or is there something solid behind all this weird stuff? It arouses the
Curiosity.

Sraddha means :
To have firm trust in the scriptures dealing with bhakti
To have a genuine desire to enthusiastically follow the activities (sadhana) described in
those scriptures.

These two types of faith may be either spontaneous (svabhaviki) as in the case of Narada
boy inspired by the vaishnava association of Bhaktivedantas or aroused by the forceful
preaching of another (bala utpadita) as in the case of Vidura preaching to Dhrtarashtra.

However it develops, faith leads him to take shelter of the lotus feet of the guru and to
enquire from him about proper conduct (sadachar). By following his instructions, that
person obtains the good fortune of relations with affectionate like-minded devotees and
the association of realized devotees (sadhu-sanga).

(2) Sadhu-sanga : (association of devotees)

Your faith brought you in touch with a devotee. You ask a few questions about the
clothes and the shaved heads and the paint on the nose. The conversation helps you to
appreciate the genuineness in a devotee. Your tiny bit of faith grew a little stronger. Now
you respect the devotees more. Other questions pop up quickly and nag to be answered.
Finally, another devotee, more questions asked, more answers given—clear, sensible
answers again. And then you feel that devotees are nice people. The more you talk with
them, the more your respect for them and the Bhakti scriptures that they follow increases.
The more your respect increases, the more you want to talk to them to find out more
about them. One day you spot a flier tacked to a lamppost: “Hare Krishna Temple …
Sunday Feast.”

Like this, the faith and association strengthen and push each other. You start coming to
the temple regularly, becoming fairly good friends with some of the devotees. Then, late
one Sunday night, as you relish the last few crumbs of halavä, a devotee may request you,
“Would you be interested in doing some devotional service?” and offers you the service
to wash some pots along with him. Thus now you are promoted to the third stage.

(3) Bhajana-kriya : (practicing devotional activities)

If one is sincere, he is initiated, and this stage is called bhajana-kriyä. One then actually
engages in the service of the Lord by regularly chanting the Hare Kåiñhëa mahä-mantra,
sixteen rounds daily, and refraining from illicit sex, intoxicants, meat-eating and
gambling. By bhajana-kriyä one attains freedom from the contamination of materialistic
life. At this stage he is unsteady in his devotional practice. Six different stages mark the
progression of unsteady devotional service :
1. False confidence (utsahamayi) : audacity to think that he has mastered everything.
2. Sporadic endeavor (Ghana-tarala) : sometimes practices, other times neglects
3. Indecision (Vyudha-vikalpa) : Mind oscillates between renunciation and home.
4. Struggle with senses (Vishaya-sangrah) : Battle with material desires of old habits
5. Inability to uphold vows (niyamaakshama): like avoiding gossip, chanting more etc
6. delighting in material facilities offered by bhakti (taranga-rangini)

(4) Anartha Nivrtti : (nullification of misgivings)

After Bhajana-kriya comes Anartha-nivrtti, or the clearing of unwanted habits that

obstruct the progress of bhakti. There are four types of anarthas according to their
origin :
1. arising from Past Sins (duskrtottha)
2. desire for enjoyments from pious acts (sukrtottha) as attaining heaven/liberation
3. arising from offences (aparadhotta) to holy name or devotees
4. arising from Bhakti (bhaktyutta) as wealth, position, fame overwhelm the heart

When we hear that a town is burned, we can imagine that some of it must still be existing,
or if a cloth is torn, the pieces are still existing (graamo-dagdhah pato bhagnah nyaya). In
the same manner, the anarthas in the heart do not become nullified in one stroke, but
gradually become eradicated as the devotee progresses from one stage to the higher
stage.Each of the four types of anarthas have five grades of anartha nivrtti (nullification) :
Limited/partial (eka-desha-vartini), pervasive (bahu-desha-vartini), almost complete
(praayiki), complete (purna) and absolute (atyantiki).

The eradication of anarthas is absolute (atyantiki) at the following stage :

1. from Past Sins (duskrtottha) – at Asakti stage
2. from desire for enjoyments from pious acts (sukrtottha) – at Asakti stage
3. from offences (aparadhotta) – complete in Prema, absolute by Lord’s association
4. from Bhakti (bhaktyutta) – at Ruci stage

Repeatedly hearing and chanting the Lord’s name, qualities and so on should give prema,
serving the sacred tirthas should bestow perfection, and repeatedly tasting the Lord’s
prasadam should destroy all desires for sense enjoyment. So what are the grave offenses
that cancel these fruits and cause all these spiritually potent activities to appear material?
The chanting of the holy names of Krishna have a tremendous potency to eradicate all
anarthas in one stroke. But the holy name, being unhappy with offenses made against it,
does not manifest its full power in the offender. This is indeed the reason sinful
tendencies continue in the offender.

As during a high fever, losing all taste for food, a person finds it impossible to eat, so a
person who makes serious aparadhas loses scope for hearing, chanting, and other
devotional service. However, if the fever lessens with time, some taste for food develops.
With medicine, invalid’s diet and with time his former health may be restored. In the
same way, after a long period of suffering the effects of aparadha, the devotee develops a
little taste and becomes fit for bhakti again. Repeated doses of hearing and chanting the
Lord’s name and other such processes then gradually reveal everything in progression.

(5) Nishtha : (Steady determination)

The verse (srnvatam sva-kathah krishnah…SB 1.2.17) refers to the stage of unsteady or
‘anishthita-bhakti’. In the verse (SB 1.2.18), the words, ‘nashta-prayeshu abhadreshu’
(inauspiciousness is almost destroyed) is used which means that a small portion of
anarthas is still not destroyed. ‘Nishthita bhakti’ or ‘Nishtha’ stage comes after the
‘anartha nivrtti’. Thus the correct order is ‘anishthita bhana kriya’, ‘anartha-nivritti’, and
then ‘nisthita-bhajana-kriya’.

Nishtha means to have the quality of steadiness. Though a person tries for steadiness
everyday, while the anarthas are still present, he will not attain it. This is due to five
persistent obstacles :

1. laya (sleep) during kirtana, sravana and smarana (japa) in increasing order,
2. vikshepa (distraction) towards mundane, like gossiping in japa
3. apratipatti (disinterest in spiritual topics) even in the absence of laya & vikshepa,
4. kashaya (tendency towards bad habits) such as anger, greed and pride
5. rasaasvaada (inability to absorb mind in kirtana/ seva due to sense allurements).

After the stage of anartha-nivritti, when these obstacles are almost completely destroyed,
one achieves steadiness. Thus the symptom of Nishtha is the absence of these five
obstacles.
tadä rajas-tamo-bhäväù käma-lobhädayaç ca ye
ceta etair anäviddhaà sthitaà sattve prasédati
TRANSLATION
As soon as irrevocable loving service is established in the heart, the effects of nature's
modes of passion and ignorance, such as lust, desire and hankering, disappear from the
heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes completely happy.
[SB 1.2.19]

The words ‘etair anaviddham’ (no longer affected by these) indicate that these impurities
though still present to some slight degree up to the stage of bhava, they do not act as an
obstacle to bhakti.

6. Ruchi : (Attainment of Taste)

When a person develops a taste for the activities of bhakti, such as hearing and chanting,
vastly greater than attraction for anything else, that is called ‘Ruci’. Unlike the previous
stages, at ‘ruci’ constant performance of devotional service like hearing and chanting
does not cause even the least fatigue.

The actual conclusion can be understood by the following example. Due to jaundice
disease, the sugarcane juice becomes distasteful. Sungar candy, however, is also the
medicine to cure the disease. Understanding this a jaundiced person will take sugar
candy daily even if it tastes bitter and eventually as it cure his sickness, he will develop a
real taste for it. in the same way, the jiva’s heart, infected with ignorance and the other
sufferings, becomes cured by the medicine of repeatedly hearing, chanting and other
devotional methods. Then eventually he develops a taste for these activities.

The consciousness of a devotee repenting his former stage is illustrated below :

 “When I start to hear about the Lord, I comfortably fall asleep. But at the chance for
vulgar talk, my ears prick up and I become wide awake.”
 “I am so wicked, though I received the precious jewel of bhakti by the mercy of the
spiritual master, I am so unfortunate that I was unaware of its value. I passed my years
in vain wandering here and there; not practicing any activity of bhakti, I have simply
been lazy.”
 Then somewhere some time, the devotee becomes like a bee tasting the nectar of the
fruit of Srimad Bhagavatam. He remains constantly with devotees, sitting with them
conversing about the nectarean pastimes of the Lord relishing and glorifying them
again and again, to the exclusion of all other topics. Ignorant people think he is going
crazy, but he begins to experience extraordinary unimaginable bliss.

7. Asakti : (Attachment to the Lord)

When the taste for doing bhajana reaches extreme depth and Krishna becomes the very
object of one’s devotional service, one attains to ‘asakti’ or attachment.

The difference between ‘ruci’ and ‘asakti’ is that ‘ruci’ mainly has bhajana, devotional
practice, as its subject, while ‘asakti’ mainly has the Lord, the object of bhajana, as its
subject. Ruci is the immature stage of attachment, while asakti is the mature stage.
Asakti polishes the mirror of the heart to such a state that the reflection of the Lord
suddenly seems to be almost visible there.

Prior to asakti, on realizing that his mind has been overpowered by material objects and
desires, the devotee by his deliberate effort almost withdraws his mind from them and
tries to fix it on the Lord’s form, qualities, and so on.

At the appearance of asakti, however, absorption of the mind in the Lord is automatic,
without effort. Even at the stage of ‘Nishtha’, a devotee is unable to detect how and
when his mind withdraws from topics of the Lord’s name, form, qualities and so on and
flows towards material affairs. On the contrary, at the stage of ‘asakti’ one does not
know how and when his mind withdraws from material topics and spontaneously absorbs
itself in topics of the Lord. One below the level of asakti can never experience this. only
a devotee on this level can know what is asakti.

A person in ‘asakti’ stage will pass time drinking nectar in intimate talks and thoughts :

“The enchanting crest jewel scripture Bhagavatam under your arm makes you appear like
an angel. Kindly recite one verse from Gopi gitam and bring life to the cataka bird of my
ears awaiting the nectar raindrops of its meaning.” Hearing the devotee’s explanations
his hair will stand in ecstasy.

Going elsewhere, seeing an assembly of devotees, he will say, “Oh, today my life will be
successful, for the association of devotees will destroy all my sins.” Thinking in this
way, he pays obeisances to them falling like a stick on the ground.

Being welcomed with affection by the most erudite maha-bhagavata, the crown jewel of
all devotees, he sits before him in crouched posture. He humbly begs from him with tears
in his eyes, “Oh master, you are the crest jewel of physicians able to eradicate the grave
material disease that afflicts all living entities in the three worlds. I’m most fallen person.
Please take my pulse, diagnose my malady, and advise me what medicine and diet to
take. Nourish me with your mercy.” Overjoyed with the merciful glance of the maha-
bhagavata, he remains a few days to serve that devotee’s lotus feet.

At times wandering in the forest, full of love, he will intuitively interpret the natural
movements of the animals and birds as signs of Krishna’s favor or disfavor with him. “If
Krishna is showing His mercy to me, then the deer in the distance will come towards me
three or four steps. If He isn’t then she will turn and run away.”

Thus the devotee becomes oblivious to honor and dishonor, having fallen into the current
of the great celestial river of attachment to the Lord (asakti), simply continues in the same
manner.

8. Bhava : (Ecstatic Love)

When ‘asakti’ achieves its utmost maturity it is called ‘rati’ or ‘bhava’. At Bhava one is
entering into the vishuddha sattva platform. As the juices of mango, jackfruit, sugarcane,
or grapes differ in thickness, so there are different degrees of sweetness of bhava. Thus
the devotees are of five kinds according to their bhava : shantas (neutral admirers),
daasas (servants), sakhaas (friends), pitris (elders), and preyasees (lovers).

Lord is the very essence of rasa (rasa-svarupa) : raso vai sah, rasam hy evayam
labdhvanandi bhavati, the Lord is rasa itself and attaining that rasa the jiva becomes
blissful. Though water is present in all the streams, rivers, and ponds, still the ocean is
the great reservoir of all water. So too, rasa is present in all the avataras of the Lord and
the source of avataras (avatari) attains its absolute climax in Sri Krishna as Vrajendra
nandana. When bhava first matures and begins to ripen into prema, then the
personification of rasa – Rasaraj Sri Krishna is directly realized by the devotee.
9. Prema : (Pure Love of Krishna)

Shining brilliantly, the fully blossoming flower of bhava matures and brings forth the
fruit of prema. Though previously the countless emotions of the devotees were tightly
bound by the ropes of attachment to body, family, relatives, home and wealth, ‘prema’
now effortlessly cuts those bonds. The devotee relishes the nectar flowing from the fruit
of prema in the form of concentrated bliss. The sublime nourishing potency of this nectar
is its power to attract even Krishna, Sri Krishnaakarshini.

Needless to say, when the devotee begins to taste this nectar, he takes no heed of any
obstacles. As a great demonic warrior engrossed in battle or a thief feverish for a
priceless treasure loses all sense of discretion, in the same way the devotee loses all sense
of self. If one could imagine a hunger impossible to satisfy even by eating an unlimited
amount of the most tasty foods constantly day and night, like this arises a longing for the
Lord.

The very astonishing prema simultaneously gives acute anxiety and relief from this
anxiety. Relishing the Lord’s form and pastimes, his longing for the Lord increases. He
considers friends as useless as a dry overgrown well and his household becomes like a
thorn-filled forest. Food seems totally distasteful. Praise from other devotees is like the
biting of a snake. Daily duties seem as painful as death. All the limbs of his body seem
like an unmanageable burden. Then one day in this state, the magnet of prema attracts
black iron-like Krishna making Him appear before the eyes of the devotee.

The Lord then floods His devotee’s senses with the unrivalled auspicious qualities
apringing from His own eternal being : beauty, fragrance, pleasant voice, tenderness,
tastiness, generosity, and compassion. The uncommon sweetness and ever-freshness of
these qualities create an acute ever-increasing longing in the heart as the devotee lovingly
relishes them. To describe the vast ocean of transcendental bliss appearing at this time
the words of the poet are no better than a tiny lota.
Some meager examples :
 A weary traveler on a desert pat scorched by the hot rays of the summer sun somehow
finds shelter under the cool shade of a vast banyan tree surrounded by hundreds of
vessels of ice-cold Ganga water.
 An elephant caught in a forest fire for a long time is finally bathed by unlimited streams
of water from a thick bank of rain clouds.
 A person plagued by hundreds of mortal diseases and burning with thirst ,by chance
drinks exquisitely sweet nectar. The incredible happiness that each of these three feels
gives only a tiny glimpse of the unbounded bliss felt by the devotee in prema.

The Lord first reveals His beauty (saundarya) to the eyes of the utterly astonished
devotee. The sweetness of His beauty makes all the senses and the mind become like
eyes to see the Lord. The resulting symptoms of ecstatic love such as tears, shivering and
being stunned cause the devotee to swoon in ecstasy.
To revive him, the Lord next reveals His fragrance (saurabhya) to the nostrils of His
devotee, and all the devotee’s senses and mind take on the quality of the nost to smell.
As the devotee starts swoon a second time, the Lord says, “O My devotee, I am fully
under your control. Please realize Me to your full satisfaction.”

Thus the Lord discloses His pleasing voice (sausvarya) to the ear of His devotee, and as
before, all the senses become like ears to hear.

As His devotee swoons a third time, the Lord mercifully gives him the touch of His lotus
feet, hands, or breast, revealing His delicate softness (saukumarya), according to different
rasas of the devotees. To those in the mood of servitude (dasya) He touches His lotus
feet to their heads, to those in the mood of friendship (sakhya) He grasps their hands with
His. For those in the mood of parental affection (vatsalya) He gives the touch of His
hands by wiping away their tears. For those in conjugal mood (preyasi) He awards His
tender softness by embracing them to His heart with His long arms. Again the devotee’s
senses all take on the sense of touch to feel His softness. The blissful swoon is so deep
the Lord can revive him only by bestowing His sixth quality, audaarya (generosity).
Audarya refers to the state where all the Lord’s qualities (beauty, fragrance, sound, touch
and taste) forcefully manifest at once to His devotee’s various senses.

Then Prema, understanding the mind of the Lord, increases to the utmost and shines like
a powerful moon in the heart of the devotee. Presiding over the ocean of bliss it creates
hundreds of waves of ecstasy. Mundane logic is useless in these inconceivable matters.
Seeing the devotee yearning to relish the saundarya and other sweet qualities of the Lord
all at once, but helpless like a cataka bird trying to catch every raindrop at once in his
beak, the Lord considers, “Oh! Why am I keeping so many wonderful qualities to
Myself.” To let the devotee partake of them all, the Lord manifests His seventh
madhurya, called karunya (compassion), the superintendent of all the Lord’s shaktis.
This karunya, also known as anugraha (kindness or favor) manifests itself in the lotus
eyes of the Lord. By this kripa-shakti the Lord’s all-pervading free will (iccha-shakti)
influences the heart and causes great astonishment even in those realized souls who are
fully self-satisfied atmaaramaas. This kripa-shakti invites one quality called bhakta-
vaatsalya (affection for His devotees) to rule as emperor over all the Lord’s auspicious,
spiritual qualities.

To completely relish the beauty and other qualities revealed by the Lord, the enlivened
devotee savors them over and over again. Most astonishingly their sweetness increases
more and more, and the devotee ascends to higher and higher peaks of experience. Then
continually realizing the unheard of sweetness of the Lord’s bhakta vatsalya, his heart
begins to melt.

The Lord, showing His kind nature, says, “O My best devotee, many births you have
given up wife, house, and wealth to attain Me. For the sake of My service you endured
untold miseries such as cold, wind, hunger, thirst, and pain. Maintaining your life by
begging, you tolerated countless insults and abuse from other men. In return for all your
sacrifice, I am unable to give you anything. I have simply become your debtor.
Rulership over the whole earth, lordship over the heavens, and mystic powers are
unsuitable for you. How can I give them to you? No, no. Grass and straw, the delight of
cows, I cannot give them to a man. Though I am unconquerable, today I have certainly
been conquered by you. Now I am taking shelter of the creeper of your excellent
character and gentle conduct.”

Receiving the sweet loving words of the Lord as ornaments on his ears, the devotee says,
“O my Lord, my master! O ocean of mercy! You glanced upon me while I was being
bitten by swarms of crocodiles, the endlesss miseries amidst the terrifying current of birth
and death. Thus mercy rose as the sun and melted Your butter-like heart. O Lord,
transcendental to all the worlds, in the form of the spiritual master You destroyed
ignorance and lust. The Sudarshana chakra of Your darshana cut apart those crocodiles
and freed me from the clutches of their terrible teeth. To fulfill my desire to serve Your
lotus feet as a maidservant (daasi), You placed the syllables of Your mantra in my ears.
Destroying my suffering, You purified me by constant hearing, chanting and
remembering Your name and glories. Through the association of Your own dear
devotees You made me understand how to render service to Yourself. Still, being
ignorant, the lowest of the low, I have never served You even one day, my Prabhu.
Though such a miserly selfish person deserves to be punished, instead You made me
drink the sweet nectar of Your darshana. O great master, You make me feel ashamed by
saying from Your lotus mouth that You have become my debtor. Now what do I do? My
offenses number five, seven or may be 8,00,000 millions. Would I be arrogant to ask
You to pardon them all? Just let all the reactions to my past sins remain – intense and
long-standing and yet to be suffered.”

“Just one day before I was rudely comparing Your dark limbs to the fresh monsoon
cloud, the blue lotus and sapphire; Your beautiful face to the moon and the tenderness of
Your feet to newly sprouted leaves. Now seeing Your real beauty I realize that by my
poor intelligence I was clearly offending You. Thinking then, ‘I am praising the Lord’,
my inept poetry became famous among common people, but now that for one moment I
behold the splenderous beauty of Your Sri Murti before my very eyes, I am ashamed.”

In this way, the devotee praises the Lord in many ways, and the Lord becomes extremely
pleased with the devotee. Then especially for the devotee in a conjugal relation (preyasi-
bhava), the Lord reveals as far as possible His entire Vrindavana-dhama along with His
loving pastimes according to the devotee’s desire – Sri Vrindavana, the desire trees, the
maha-yoga-pitha, the chief of all his beloveds, Vrishabhanu-nandini Sri Radha, along
with Her sakhis, such as Lalita, and Her manjaris, His own friends such as Subala, the
cows herded by Him, the Yamuna River, Govardhana, Nandeeshvara Hill, and forests
such as Bhandeera. He then reveals Nanda, Yashoda, and all brothers, friends, servants,
and Vrajavasis there. Revealing all these imbued with excellent rasa the Lord plunges
His devotee in an enchanting tidal wave of bliss and then suddenly disappears with His
entire entourage.
Hankering over and over for darshana but not obtaining it, the devotee laments, weeps,
rolls on the ground, wounds his own body, faints, recovers, stands, sits, runs about and
wails like a madman. “Oh what to do! By some indescribable fortune the Lord came into
my very hands, but then due to some grave offense, He slipped away again. I am
helpless, my mind is reeling, I can’t understand. Where shall I go? What should I do
now? Whom to ask? The three worlds appear totally empty and holding nothing for me.
Without shelter, I feel like I am being devoured by a scorching forest fire. Giving up
worldly association, I will stay alone for some time to think.”

Doing this, he laments further, “O lotus-faced Lord, overflowing with streams of sweet
nectar, Your beautiful form is bedecked with a garland of fragrant forest flowers scenting
all the forest and intoxicating the bees who hum about! Just for one moment may I see
Your Lordship again? Having once tasted your madhurya, I aspire for nothing else.”

He begins to roll on the ground, breathe heavily, faint, and lose his mind. suddenly
seeing the Lord everywhere, he rejoices, embraces, laughs, dances and sings. When the
Lord again disappears, filled with remorse he weeps. He spends the rest of his life
behaving in this strange way, and no longer knows whether he has a body or not. He is
unaware when in due time his material body passes to the elements. He understands only
that his worshipable Lord, the ocean of mercy is directly manifest, leading him to His
own abode to engage him in personal service. Thus the devotee reaches the final goal of
life.

ädau çraddhä tataù sädhu-saìgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyä

tato ‘nartha-nivåttiù syät tato niñöhä rucis tataù
athäsaktis tato bhävas tataù premäbhyudaïcati
sädhakänäm ayaà premëaù prädurbhäve bhavet kramaù

“The progression in the development of bhakti in the sadhaka up to the appearance of

prema is as follows: starting with faith (sraddha), followed by association of devotees
(sadhu-sanga), doing devotional practices (bhajana-kriya), cessation of unwanted habits
(anartha-nivritti), steadiness (nishtha), taste (ruci), attachment(asakti), bhava (the stage
prior to love of God), then finally prema arises (pure love of God). [Bhakti Rasamrita
Sindhu 1.4.15-16]

Thus the Madhurya Kaadambini describes in detail the stages of devotion mentioned in
the above verse.

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