CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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MS

The Ecstacy of the Lord and
His Devotees

The symptoms of highly developed devotional service exhibited by the
pure devotees sometimes are imitated by persons who are not actually pure
devotees of Krishna. This is described in the Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. Such
symptoms without devotional service to Krishna are purposeful, they are not
actual. Sometimes those who are not conversant with this science of devotional
service are captivated by the exhibition of such symptoms, but those who
are in knowledge of the science of devotional service do not accept such
symptoms. They are simply imitation, or only the beginning. That is accepted
by the learned devotees.

According to the different divisions and grades of devotees, the permanent
situations of the devotional attitude are divided into five categories: 1. peace-
fulness, 2. servitude toward Krishna, 3. friendship with Krishna, 4. parental
affection toward Krishna, and 5. conjugal love for Krishna. There is a different
taste and relish in each of the different divisions of love of Godhead, and a
devotee situated in a particular type of devotional service is happy in that

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