Text 17]
Conversation Between Nārada and Vyāsa
293
PURPORT
The word  bhāva  is significant here. This  bhāva  stage is attained after one has transcendental affection for the Lord. The first initial stage is called  śraddhā , or a liking for the Supreme Lord, and in order to increase that liking one has to associate with pure devotees of the Lord. The third stage is to practice the prescribed rules and regulations of devotional service. This will dissipate all sorts of misgivings and remove all personal deficiencies that hamper progress in devotional service.
When all misgiving and personal deficiencies are removed, there is a standard faith in transcendental matter, and the taste for it increases in greater proportion. This stage leads to attraction, and after this there is  bhāva , or the prior stage of unalloyed love for God. All the above different states are but different stages of development of transcendental love. Being so surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a strong feeling of separation which leads to eight different kinds of ecstasies. Tears from the eyes of a devotee is an automatic reaction, and because Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous birth attained that stage very quickly after his departure from home, it was quite possible for him to perceive the actual presence of the Lord, which he tangibly experienced by his developed spiritual senses without material tinge.
TEXT 17
यमातिभरनिर्भिधपुलकाङ्गोऽतिनिर्वृतः ।  
 आनन्दसम्भुवे लीनो नापश्यमुभयं मुने ॥१७॥
premātibhara-nirbhinna  
 pulakāngo'tinirvṛtaḥ  
 ānanda-samplave līno  
 nāpaśyam ubhayam mune
premā —love;  atibhara —excessive;  nirbhinna —especially distinguished;  pulaka —feelings of happiness;  angaḥ —different bodily parts;  atinirvṛtaḥ —being fully overwhelmed;  ānanda —ecstasy;  samplave —in the ocean of;  līnaḥ —absorbed in;  na —not;  apaśyam —could see;  ubhayam —both;  mune —O Vyāsadeva.
TRANSLATION
O Vyāsadeva, at that time, being exceedingly overpowered by feelings of happiness, every part of my body became enlivened. Being absorbed in an ocean of ecstasy, I could not see both myself and the Lord.