Category:Ecstatic Love for God
Theme Analysis
The state of transcendental absorption, or samādhi, is the natural byproduct of a heart fully saturated with love for the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that this ecstatic condition is not achieved through speculative knowledge or impersonal meditation, but through the scientific process of devotional service. This analysis explores how the practitioner, by following the guidance of a spiritual master, moves from the stage of regulated practice to a platform of spontaneous, unalloyed affection. At this level of realization, the devotee becomes immune to the material modes of nature and experiences physical symptoms of bliss that indicate a direct perception of the Divine. Whether through the Lord’s causeless mercy or the fruit of consistent service, achieving this ecstatic love marks the complete perfection of existence, ensuring the soul’s return to its eternal home in the spiritual sky.
- Spiritual Absorption: Ecstatic samādhi is attained through constant engagement in the Lord's service, leading to a state where the devotee cannot remain without Kṛṣṇa for a single moment.
- The Role of Mercy and Practice: Pure love is invoked both through the systematic following of scriptural rules and by the extraordinary, causeless mercy awarded by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
- Transcendence of Material Modes: Upon attaining the perfectional stage of bhāva, the soul is protected from the infection of the material guṇas and remains firmly situated on the transcendental platform.
- The Ultimate Destination: The final resting place for the "creeper" of devotion is at the lotus feet of the Lord in Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the soul eternally relishes the fruits of ecstatic love.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Absorption in the Divine – Understanding Ecstatic Love for God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "Ecstatic Love for God"
The following 30 pages are in this category, out of 30 total.
A
- A devotee in advanced ecstatic love exclaims, 'O my Lord Ramacandra! O my Lord Ramacandra!' But the yavanas also chant, 'ha rama, ha rama!' Just see their good fortune
- A devotee once stated, "I have already conquered the modes of ignorance, and I am now on the platform of transcendental knowledge. Therefore I shall be engaged only in searching after the SPG." This is an instance of alertness in ecstatic love
- Actually, ecstatic samadhi, or absorption in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can be achieved by constant engagement in His service
- Actually, in the Brahman effulgence there is no chance for reciprocation of loving ecstasy between the Lord and the devotee
- Aditi stood silently with folded hands, unable to offer prayers to the Lord. Because of transcendental bliss, tears filled her eyes, & the hairs on her body stood on end. Because she could see the SPG face to face, she felt ecstasy, and her body trembled
- An example of rising to the stage of ecstatic love by executing the regulative principles of devotional service is given in the life story of Narada, which is described to Vyasadeva in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
- An unalloyed devotee who has developed ecstatic love for Krsna is always engaging his words in reciting prayers to the Lord
- As far as pranayama is concerned, chanting of the holy name of the Lord and dancing in ecstasy are also considered pranayama
- At the time of His descent on earth, demigods in the form of raining clouds sounded musical instruments in the sky. The celestial musicians, the Gandharvas, sang the glories of the Lord, while celestial dancing girls danced in joyful ecstasy
C
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu is called namo maha-vadanyaya, most munificent incarnation. Why? Krsna-prema-pradaya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Even without understanding Krsna, simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra they become ecstatic for love of Krsna
- Caitanya's eyes have been compared to thirsty bumblebees & Sri Jagannatha's eyes have been compared to blossoming lotus flowers. The author has made these comparisons to describe Caitanya while the Lord was deeply absorbed in ecstatic love for Jagannatha
E
- Ecstatic love of Godhead can be potently invoked simply by following the rules and regulations of devotional service as they are prescribed in scriptures, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master
- Even at the risk of death such a devotee is never bereft of the transcendental loving service of the Lord. A glorious example of this ecstatic love was exhibited by King Pariksit when he was at the point of death
S
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said - You are Brahmananda Bharati, an advanced devotee who ecstatically loves the Supreme Lord. Therefore you see Krsna everywhere, and there is no doubt about it
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura states that there are two types of karma-kanda activities - pious and impious. Pious activities are certainly better than impious activities, but even pious activities cannot bring about ecstatic love of God, Krsna
T
- The first stage of devotional service is technically called sadhana-bhakti, or devotional service in practice. The result of sadhana-bhakti must be ecstatic love, attachment for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which is also called prema-bhakti
- The loving propensity of the asraya (devotee) toward the visaya (Lord) becomes so ecstatic that even after enjoying the company of the beloved, the devotee feels that his enjoyment is insufficient
- There (in Goloka Vrndavana) the creeper takes shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, and that is its final destination. At that time the creeper begins to grow the fruits of ecstatic love of God
- There are ten meanings for the word 'bhakti' ('devotional service'). One is sadhana-bhakti, execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles, and the other nine are varieties of prema-bhakti, ecstatic love of Godhead
- This pure love can be transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead under two conditions - out of ecstasy and out of the causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself
- To be immuned to the infection of the gunas, we have to engage in bhakti-yoga. Once we attain the perfectional stage, we attain ecstatic love of Godhead. In that state we cannot remain without Krsna for a moment. That is called bhava
- To feel the emotion of ecstatic love of God is to be on the transcendental platform. If one can keep himself in that transcendental position, he will surely return home, back to Godhead
W
- When a devotee is found to be always associated with the Lord in ecstatic love, it is to be understood that such a position has been awarded by the Lord Himself out of His causeless extraordinary mercy
- When he (Daruka) was engaged in such service (fanning Krsna with a camara), he was filled with ecstatic love, and the symptoms of ecstatic love became manifest in his body
- When Madhavendra Puri reached the temple of Gopinatha, he offered his respectful obeisances many times at the lotus feet of the Lord. In the ecstasy of love, he began to dance and sing without cessation
- When one achieves ecstatic love of Godhead, he attains the complete perfection of life
- When one is in ecstatic love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one's heart is melted by bhakti-yoga and one feels transcendental bliss. There are bodily symptoms manifest, and due to eagerness, there are tears in the eyes
- When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu passed through Radha-desa, whoever saw Him in ecstasy exclaimed, "Hari! Hari!" As they chanted this with the Lord, all the unhappiness of material existence diminished