Devotional Service in Attachment
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charatra  there is a verse in which it is stated: “When one is firmly convinced that Vishnu is the only Object of love and worship, and there is no one else and no demigod for his devotional service, it is accepted that he is feeling intimacy in love of Godhead, as is approved by such personalities as Bhisma, Prahlad, Uddhava and Narada.”
If someone, on account of some righteous activities which provoke devotional service, is influenced by such an attitude of service, and takes shelter of the good association of the pure devotees, then he develops an attachment for chanting and hearing. In such a state of mind the development of chanting and hearing makes him advance further and further in the matter of regulative devotional service to the Supreme Lord. And, as he advances in the regulative service of the Supreme Lord, so, proportionately, his misgivings for the material world diminish. Beginning with faith, and advancing in the process of hearing and chanting, the devotee becomes more and more firmly fixed in that faith. That faith gradually develops into taste, and that taste gradually develops into attachment. When the attachment becomes purer, then it is exhibited in two characteristics, which are called  Bhava  and  Rati . When this principle of  Rati  becomes deeper, it is called love of Godhead. Love of Godhead is the ultimate goal of human life.
This process is summarized in the  Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu  by Rupa Goswami: “The first thing required is faith, and from faith one associates with pure devotees, and, by such association, one develops devotional service. And when he develops devotional service, his misgivings are diminished. Then he is situated in firm conviction, and from that conviction he develops a taste and advances up to the attachment stage of life, known as the regulated principles of devotional service. And, after that stage, when he still further makes progress, it is called  Bhava , or a permanent situation. Such love of God can go further and deeper and deeper, and then is called the highest stage of love of Godhead.”
In Sanskrit, this highest stage is called  Prema . The word  Prema  can be explained as love of God without any exchange or return. Actually, the words  Prema  and  love  are not synonymous, but still one can say that  Prema  is the highest stage of love. One who has attained this stage of  Prema  is the most perfect human being.  Srimad Bhagwatam  also confirms this statement in the Third Canto, Twenty-fifth Chapter: Only by the association of pure devotees can one develop a taste for Krishna Consciousness; and when he tries to apply such developed Krishna Consciousness in his life, one can achieve all other things up to the stages of  Bhava  and  Prema .