PURE AND MIXED FLAVORS Generally, a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa may be placed into one of three groups. One group consists of those who are completely dependent on the merciful affection of the Supreme Personality of … Read More
NEUTRALITY Neutrality can be further subdivided into general, transparent and peaceful. An attraction for Kṛṣṇa by the people in general or by children cannot take any specific or satisfactory position. It can be manifest sometimes in … Read More
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Symptoms of Continuous Ecstasy The continuous ecstasy of love can remain like a powerful king, subduing all temporary manifestations of love as well as any opposing elements of anger. It can be exhibited directly … Read More
ALERTNESS A devotee once stated, “I have already conquered the mode of ignorance, and I am now on the platform of transcendental knowledge. Therefore I shall be engaged only in searching after the Supreme Personality of … Read More
ENVY In the Padyāvalī, one of the friends of Rādhārāṇī once addressed Her thus: “My dear friend, please do not be too puffed up because Kṛṣṇa has decorated Your forehead with His own hand. It may … Read More
VIOLENCE When Kṛṣṇa was fighting with the Kāliya snake by dancing on his heads, Kāliya bit Kṛṣṇa on the leg. At that time Garuḍa became infuriated and began to murmur, “Kṛṣṇa is so powerful that simply … Read More
HAPPINESS It is described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that when Akrūra came to take Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma to Mathurā, just by seeing Their faces he became so cheerful that all over his body there were symptoms … Read More
ENDURANCE When a person is fully satisfied due to attaining knowledge, transcending all distress or achieving his desired goal of life in transcendental devotional service to God, his state of endurance or steady-mindedness is called dhṛti. … Read More
THOUGHTFULNESS In the Vaiśākha-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa a devotee states that though in some of the eighteen Purāṇas the process of glorifying Lord Viṣṇu is not mentioned and the glorifying of some demigod is … Read More
ANXIETY In the Tenth Canto, twenty-ninth chapter, verse 29 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, when Kṛṣṇa asked all the gopīs to go back to their homes, they did not like it. Because of their grief at this, they were … Read More
ARGUMENTATIVENESS Madhumaṅgala was an intimate friend of Kṛṣṇa coming from the brāhmaṇa community. Kṛṣṇa’s friends were mostly cowherd boys belonging to the vaiśya community, but there were others who belonged to the brāhmaṇa community. Actually, in … Read More
REMEMBRANCE There are many symptoms of ecstatic love caused by remembering Kṛṣṇa. For example, one friend of Kṛṣṇa informed Him, “My dear Mukunda, just after observing a bluish cloud in the sky, the lotus-eyed Rādhārāṇī immediately … Read More
CONCEALMENT There is a symptom of ecstatic love known as concealment, or trying to hide one’s real mental condition by externally showing another attitude. In this state of mind one tries to hide his mind by … Read More
BASHFULNESS When Rādhārāṇī was first introduced to Kṛṣṇa, She felt very bashful. One of Her friends addressed Her in this way: “My dear friend, You have already sold Yourself and all Your beauty to Govinda. Now … Read More
INERTNESS In the Tenth Canto, twenty-first chapter, verse 13 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, there is an appreciation by the gopīs of the inertia of the cows in Vṛndāvana. The gopīs saw that the cows were hearing the sweet … Read More
LAZINESS When, because of self-satisfaction or dislike of excessive labor, a person does not perform his duty in spite of having the energy, he is called lazy. This laziness is also manifested in ecstatic love of … Read More
CHAPTER THIRTY Further Features of Ecstatic Love for Kṛṣṇa CONFUSION There is the following statement in the Haṁsa-dūta: “One day when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was feeling much affliction because of Her separation from Kṛṣṇa, She went to … Read More
FORGETFULNESS When Kṛṣṇa was absent from Vṛndāvana and was staying in Mathurā, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī sent news to Him that His mother, the queen of Vraja, was feeling such separation from Him that there was foam coming … Read More
INTENSE EMOTION Emotion is caused by something very dear, by something very detestable, by fire, by strong wind, by strong rainfall, by some natural disturbance, by the sight of a big elephant or by the sight … Read More
