Teachings to Rupa Goswami
31
pure devotional service of the Lord, does not think of anything beyond that engagement.
By these symptoms alone one can be understood to be elevated to the topmost position of devotional service. And it is with such transcendental loving service alone that one can surpass the influence of  Maya , and can relish pure love of Godhead. So long as one has the desire for material benefit, or for liberation, which are called the two witches of allurement, one cannot relish the taste of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord.
There are three stages of devotional service: the first stage is called the beginner's cultivation stage, and the second is called the realization of the service, and the third, the supreme stage, is called attainment of love of Godhead. There are nine different methods for cultivating devotional service, such as hearing, chanting, remembering, etc. All these processes are employed in the neophyte stage of cultivation. If one is engaged in the matter of chanting and hearing with devotion and faith, then gradually his material misgivings become vanquished. Gradually his faith in devotional service increases more and more, and such stages assure him a higher perfectional position. Thus, one becomes firmly fixed, increases the taste for it, becomes attached to it, and feels an ecstasy which is called the preliminary stage of love of Godhead. Attainment of ecstasy is produced by execution of the cultivation of devotional service. Such attainment, when still more developed by that same process of hearing and chanting, gradually becomes thickened, and it assumes the name of love of Godhead.
In the stage of transcendental love of God, there are further developments, which are known as transcendental affection, emotion, ecstasy, and extreme, intense attachment. These are technically known as  raga ,  anuraga ,  bhava ,  mahabhava . These are technical terms. The process is exemplified by the gradual thickness of sugarcandy juice. Sugarcandy juice in the first stage is liquid; and when by evaporation it becomes thicker and thicker, it becomes molasses, then granules, then sugar, then rock candy, and so on. These are different stages of the liquid sugar juice, and similarly there are different stages of the development of transcendental love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
When one is situated on the transcendental platform, that stage is called steady. Unless one is situated on the transcendental platform, the practice or love of Godhead may not be steady. One may fall down. But when one is situated on the transcendental platform he becomes steady, and there is no fear of falling down. This stage of understanding is technically called  sthaibhava .
There are still further developments stepping forward from the position of