Text 15]
Life's Ultimate Goal
9
regulative principles of devotional service, one becomes freed from all unwanted things. In this way one becomes firmly fixed and gradually develops a taste for devotional service. The more the taste grows, the more one desires to render service to the Lord. In this way one becomes attached to a particular mellow in the Lord's service— śānta ,  dāsya ,  sakhya ,  vātsalya  and  madhura . As a result of such attachment,  bhāva  develops.  Bhāva-bhakti  is the platform of purified goodness. By such purified goodness, one's heart melts 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 emotional stage intensifies, it is called  prema-bhakti , or transcendental love of Godhead. This gradual process is also described in the following two verses found in  Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu  (1.4.15-16).
TEXTS 14-15
আদে শ্রদ্ধা ততঃ সাধুসঙ্গাহথ ভজন ক্রিয়া ।
ততোহনর্থনিবৃত্তিঃ স্মাঃ ততো নিষ্ঠা রুচিস্ততঃ ॥ ১৪ ॥
অথাসক্তিস্ততো ভাবস্ততঃ প্রেমাভ্যাদক্ততি ।
সাধকানামতঃ প্রেম্ণঃ প্রাত্মভাবে ভবেৎ ক্রমঃ ॥ ১৫ ॥
ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu- saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
SYNONYMS
ādau—in the beginning; śraddhā—firm faith, or disinterest in material affairs and interest in spiritual advancement; tataḥ—thereafter; sādhu-saṅgaḥ—association with pure devotees; atha—then; bhajana-kriyā—performance of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa (surrendering to the spiritual master and being encouraged by the association of devotees, so that initiation takes place); tataḥ—thereafter; anartha-nivṛttiḥ—the diminishing of all unwanted habits; syāt—there should be; tataḥ—thereafter; niṣṭhā—firm faith; ruciḥ—taste; tataḥ—thereafter; atha—then; āsaktiḥ—attachment; tataḥ—then; bhāvaḥ—emotion or affection; tataḥ—thereafter; prema—love of God; abhyudañcati—arises; sādhakānām—of the devotees practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness; ayaṁ—this; premṇaḥ—of love of Godhead; prādurbhāve—in the appearance; bhavet—is; kramaḥ—the chronological order.