19 / Devotional Service
in Love of God

When one’s desire to love Krsna in his particular relationship be-
comes intensified, this is known as pure love of Godhead. In the be-
ginning a devotee is engaged in the regulative principles of devotional
service by the order of his spiritual master. When one thereby be-
comes completely purified of all material contamination, there de-
velops an attachment and taste for devotional service. This taste and
attachment, when gradually intensified in the course of time, be-
comes love. The word “love” can only be actually applied in relation-
ship with the Personality of Godhead. In the material world, love is
not applicable at all. What goes on under the name of love in the
material world is nothing but lust. There is a gulf of difference be-
tween love and lust, like the difference between gold and iron. In the
Narada-pajicaratra it is clearly stated that when lust is completely
transferred to the Supreme Godhead and the concept of kinship is
completely reposed in Him, such is accepted as pure love of God by
great authorities like Bhisma, Prahlada, Uddhava and Narada.

A great authority like Bhisma has explained that love of Godhead
means completely giving up all so-called love for any other person.
According to Bhisma, love means to repose one’s affection complete-
ly upon one person, withdrawing all affinities for any other person.
This pure love can be transferred to the Supreme Personality of God-
head under two conditions—out of ecstasy and out of the causeless
mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.

Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by fol-
lowing the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are pre-
scribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual mas-

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