Ecstatic Love 135
to the pure love of Krsna, because in the next verse Narada confirms
that by, the gradual process of hearing from the great sages he de-
veloped love of Godhead. In that connection, Narada continues to say
in the First Canto, 5th Chapter, 28th verse, of the Bhagavatam: “First |
passed my days in the association of the great sages during the rainy
autumn season. Every morning and evening I heard them while they
were singing and chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, and thus gradually
my heart became purified. As soon as I heard them with great atten-
tion, the influence of the modes of material ignorance and passion
disappeared, and I became firmly fixed in devotional service to the
Lord.”

These are practical examples of how one can develop to the stage
of ecstatic love simply by the association of pure devotees. It is essen-
tial, therefore, that one constantly associate with pure devotees who
are engaged morning and evening in chanting the Hare Krsna mantra.
In this way one will get the chance to purify his heart and develop
this ecstatic pure love for Krsna.

This statement is also confirmed in the Third Canto, 25th Chapter,
22nd verse, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, where Lord Kapila says, “My
dear Mother, when a person is actually in association with pure devo-
tees, the sublime potency of My devotional service can be experi-
enced.” In other words, when a pure devotee speaks, his words act
upon the hearts of the audience. What is the secret of hearing and
chanting? A professional speaker cannot impress transcendental ec-
stasy within the hearts of the listeners. However, when a realized
soul who is engaged in the service of the Lord is speaking, he has the
potency to inject spiritual life within the audience. One should, there-
fore, seek the association of such pure unalloyed devotees, and by
such association and service a neophyte devotee will certainly develop
attachment, love and devotion for the Supreme Personality of God-
head.

In the Padma Purana there is the story of a neophyte devotee who,
in order to raise himself to the ecstatic platform, danced all night to
invoke the Lord’s grace upon him.

Sometimes, however, it is found that without undergoing any de-
votional process, one all of a sudden develops devotion for Lord
