Text 15] Life’s Ultimate Goal 9

regulative principles of devotional service, one becomes freed from all unwanted
things. In this way one becomes firmly fixed and gradually develops a taste for
devotional service. The more the taste grows, the more one desires to render ser-
vice to the Lord. In this way one becomes attached to a particular mellow in the
Lord’s service —santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhura. As a result of such at-
tachment, bhava develops. Bhava-bhakti is the platform of purified goodness. By
such purified goodness, one’s heart melts in devotional service. Bhava-bhakti is
the first seed of love of Godhead. This emotional stage is there before one attains
pure love. When that emotional stage intensifies, it is called prema-bhakti, or
transcendental love of Godhead. This gradual process is also described in the
following two verses found in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15-16).

TEXTS 14-15
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adau sraddhda tatah sadhu-
sango ‘tha bhajana-kriya

tato ‘nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha rucis tatah

athdsaktis tato bhavas
tatah premabhyudaficati
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah

SYNONYMS

ddau—in the beginning; sraddha—firm faith, or disinterest in material affairs
and interest in spiritual advancement; tatah—thereafter; sadhu-sangah—asso-
ciation with pure devotees; atha—then; bhajana-kriya—performance of devo-
tional service to Krsna (surrendering to the spiritual master and being encouraged
by the association of devotees, so that initiation takes place); tatah thereafter;
anartha-nivrttih—the diminishing of all unwanted habits; syat—there should be;
tatah—thereafter; nistha—firm faith; rucih—taste; tatah—thereafter; atha—
then; asaktih—attachment; tatah—then; bhavah—emotion or affection; tatah—
thereafter; prema—love of God; abhyudaficati—arises; sadhakanam—of the
devotees practicing Krsna consciousness; ayam—this; premnah—of love of God-
head; pradurbhave—in the appearance; bhavet—is; kramah—the chronological
order.
