Text 178] The Lord Instructs Srila Rapa Gosvami 357
awaken one to devotional service. Devotional service is always dormant in every-
one's heart, and by the offenseless chanting of the holy names of the Lord, one’s
original dormant Krsna consciousness is awakened. This awakening to Krsna con-
sciousness is the beginning of sadhana-bhakti. This can be divided into many dif-
ferent parts, including faith, association with devotees, initiation by the spiritual
master, engagement in devotional service under the instructions of a spiritual
master, steadiness in devotional service and the awakening of a taste for devo-
tional service. In this way, one can become attached to Krsna and His service, and
when this attachment is intensified, it results in ecstatic love for Krsna. The word
rati is explained in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.3.41) as follows:
vyaktam masrnatevantar-
laksyate rati-laksanam
mumuksu-prabhrtinam ced
bhaved esd ratir na hi
“When a tenderness of the heart is manifest, there is rati, or attachment. Those
who are interested in being liberated from material bondage must manifest this
tenderness called rati.” This attachment is not like material attachment. When one
is liberated from material contamination, the awakening of attachment for Krsna’s
service is called rati. In the material world there is attachment for material enjoy-
ment, but this is not rati. Transcendental rati can be awakened only on the
spiritual platform. Ecstatic love for Krsna (prema) is described in the Bhakti-
rasamrta-sindhu (1.41) as follows:
samyan masrnita-svanto
mamatvatisayankitah
bhavah sa eva sandratma
budhaih premd nigadyate
“When the heart is completely softened and devoid of all material desires and
when one’s emotional feelings become very strong, one becomes very much at-
tached to Krsna. Such purified emotion is known as pure love.”
TEXT 178
CUM RCA AT - CHS, .TA, ATT |
AA, HRA, STA, HASTE SA Sav li
prema vrddhi-krame nima——sneha, mana, pranaya
raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava haya
