Chapter Four: The Perfected Body and Entry into Līlā

Relationship-formed rati relates to Sri Krishna as mother, father, or friend, as in Nanda, Yashoda, and the cowherds.

Bhāva-bhakti

Devotion in feeling arises when devotional discipline ripens. It is received through Krishna's grace or the grace of his devotee. Its three forms are therefore: (1) born of complete absorption in practice, (2) born of Krishna's favour, and (3) born of a Krishna-devotee's favour.

In bhāva-bhakti, feeling has not yet reached the condition of rasa. Nor is it produced by any external effort. It manifests only through a special condition of pure being and is the first image of love: “the first radiance of prema.” Through ruci, bhāva-bhakti makes the mind tender. This taste awakens longing to attain the Lord, and outward signs begin to appear: forbearance, not wasting time, detachment, absence of pride, hope-filled confidence, intense longing, taste for singing the Name, attachment to describing the Lord's qualities, and love for the places where he dwells.

Prema-bhakti

When bhāva-bhakti ripens, loving devotion arises. Feeling becomes condensed into love; the heart grows completely tender and exclusive possessive devotion appears. Whether it develops from disciplined devotion, rāgānugā, or bhāva-bhakti, it comes only through the Lord's favour. That favour may be sheer and causeless or arise through knowledge of his greatness. Sheer favour is received through rāgānugā; favour born from knowledge of greatness belongs to the regulated path.

Its development proceeds through faith, holy company, the activity of worship, removal of hindrances, steadiness, taste, attachment, feeling, and finally love.¹

Love is the supreme human end

At the root of love is desire: the devotee's desire to meet the Lord and the Lord's desire to meet the devotee. The instant the longing for union arises in the devotee's heart, it awakens in the Lord's heart too. His desire is omnipotent, and through it union becomes possible. Love beyond duty, prosperity, pleasure, and liberation is therefore recognised as the fifth and supreme human end. Without the madhura disposition, undivided and unreserved union is impossible.