Symptoms of bhava bhakti in the personality of Srila Prabhupada - Part 1/2

The position of bhāva, or ecstatic devotion, on the ladder of pure devotional service is an essential and privileged phase in the development of a devotee's life and is said to be the prelude to prema; love of God.

Śrīla Prabhupāda summarizes the symptoms of one who has come to the level of ecstatic love of Godhead in Chapter 18 of his Nectar of Devotion. Śrīla Rupa Goswami explains these characteristics in his Bhakti-Rasamrta Sindhu verses 1.3.25-26.

ksantir avyartha-kalatvam viraktir mana-sunyata asa-bandhah

samutkantha nama-gane sada rucih asaktis tad-gunakhyane

pritis tad vasati-sthale ityadayo ‘nubhavah syur jata-bhavankur e jane

“When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krishna fructifies in the heart of the devotee, the following symptoms naturally manifest in his behavior: he feels forbearance; he doesn’t like to waste any time; he is detached from the mundane; he is free from pride; he lives in full hope; he is always eager to serve; he always has a taste for chanting the Lord’s Name; he loves to tell of the Divine qualities of the Lord; and he loves the Holy Abode of the Lord. These nine are called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic love.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda also explains these 9 symptoms of bhāva-bhakti in the Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2, chapter 3, verse 24 where he warns the reader about the pitfalls of cheap imitations. It is in the famous verse of the steel-framed heart, which does not melt when ecstasy takes place while chanting the Holy name of the Lord.

These symptoms of bhāva are not to be taken cheaply, but they are natural characteristics of a devotee who reaches this level on the ladder of pure devotional service. Śrīla Prabhupāda certainly was on that platform, he preached from that platform and he was pushing his followers then and now to reach this platform.

Below the first 4 symptoms of bhāva-bhakti are explained in more detail.

(1) Ksanti - Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this symptom as always reserved and perseverant. ”When a person is undisturbed even in the presence of various causes of disturbance, he is called reserved and perseverant.”

In the course of establishing the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Śrīla Prabhupāda had disturbances coming at him from all sides. Stolen manuscripts, a stolen typewriter, no stable place to live, heart attacks, petty quarrels, being cheated, land disputes, etc. Nothing dissuaded him from fulfilling the duty to his spiritual master. He himself mentioned this in a letter to Sri Krishna Pandit, on June 1, 1967: I came here with a great mission to execute my Spiritual Master's order but my heart is stabbing me. Of course, I'm not afraid of Maya; I know Maya cannot touch me, but still, if I die in this condition, my mission will remain unfulfilled. Please therefore pray to Prabhu Lord Caitanya and Vrindaban Bihar, to rescue me this time; my mission is still not finished.

He also writes to Satsvarupa from Bombay on January 5th, 1972: I was always determined that somehow I would do everything possible to fulfill the desire of my Guru Maharaja, and despite all difficulties I always remained enthusiastic.

On November 5th, 1972 he wrote again to Satsvarupa, this time from Vrindavan: My Guru Maharaja gave me a task and always I was discouraged by my god-brothers, but I did not forget him even for a moment, and I was determined to follow my duty, even though sometimes I did not like to do it.

In the famous battle with Mr. and Mrs. Nair for the Juhu land, Śrīla Prabhupāda emerged victorious. But it was not an easy fight. He writes about it to his Tamala Krishna Goswami from Los Angeles on January 11th 1974: As Nair's party was determined not to let us have the land I was more determined to take it at any cost. Krsna has helped us, but we should not strain Krsna by such action.

In the material world, there will always be obstacles and challenges. Even in the spiritual world, there are challenges in how to serve Kṛṣṇa better. One who reaches the level of bhāva-bhakti will not be disturbed by these appearances of different disturbances. They come and go and are only helping stones to reach pure prema and complete attachment to pure devotional service.

(2) Avyartha-kalatvam - Utilization of time. A person on the bhāva-bhakti level is always anxious to utilize his time in the devotional service of the Lord. He does not like to be idle. He wants service always, twenty-four hours a day, without deviation.

Throughout the 12 years that Śrīla Prabhupāda preached around the world, he wrote his books and lectured profusely every day. He has not wasted a single moment and encouraged his young followers to do the same. He was never tired of working for Kṛṣṇa. He speaks in a lecture in San Francisco on March 17, 1968: I am an old man of seventy-two years. Oh, I was ill. I went back to India. I have come again. I want to work! I want to work. Naturally, I would have retired from all these activities, but I don't feel... So far I can do, I want work. I want to..., day and night. At night I work with a dictaphone. So I am sorry... I become sorry if I cannot work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very much anxious to work. It is not that it is an idle society. No. We have got sufficient engagement. They are editing papers, they are selling papers. Just simply find out how Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be spread, this much. This is practical.

The categories and subcategories that follow are a small sample of how he tried to instill in the mind of his followers that wasting time is not good for our life, and how idle talks or an idle mind is detrimental to the spiritual health of the devotees. Just reading the page titles give us a small insight into the heart of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Wasting Time

Idle

(3) Virakti - A person on the bhāva-bhakti level is no more attracted by sense gratification. He is always detached from all material attraction. Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly explains in a room conversation with Sister Mary in London on August 14th, 1971 that : If one has become a lover of God, naturally he will be detached to material enjoyment. Love of God and love of the material world cannot go together. Either this or that.

Upon arriving in Melbourne on 25th June 1974, Śrīla Prabhupāda was challenged by the reporter: “Your Grace, your religion is a very ascetic one. Will you be living ascetically in Melbourne? We’re told you’ll be taken away in a Rolls Royce.” Śrīla Prabhupāda immediately brought everyone to a higher level of existence by saying: Our religion does not say asceticism. Our religion teaches to love God. You can love God in this dress. There is no harm...No, we don't want Rolls Royce, we can walk. But if you offer Rolls Royce, I have no objection.

He admitted that he is accepting the Rolls Royce for our benefit, he personally didn't need Rolls Royce, and he is prepared to walk, but he is doing a favor to us by accepting the Rolls Royce.

This category gives more explanation on the topic of detachment from material enjoyment:

Detachment from Material Enjoyment

(4) Mana-sunyata - Pridelessness. A person on the stage of bhāva-bhakti does not long for any material respect in return for his activities. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that in spite of possessing all the qualities of pure realization, one is not proud of his position, in other words, he is feeling humble, even though one is extremely elevated.

In a letter to Brahmananda written from Seattle on October 16, 1968, Śrīla Prabhupāda expresses his sentiments: Personally, I am nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's humility has been revealed on numerous occasions. We have captured some of them in the following category. Just reading the page titles brings tears to our eyes:

Prabhupada and His Humility

The last 5 symptoms will be explained in part 2.

(5) Asa-bandha - He is always certain that Kṛṣṇa will bestow His mercy upon him.

(6) Samutkantha - He is always very eager to serve the Lord faithfully.

(7) Nama-gane sada ruci - He is very much attached to the chanting of the holy names of the Lord.

(8) Asaktis tad-gunakhyane - He is always eager to describe the transcendental qualities of the Lord.

(9) Pritis tad-vasati sthale - He is very pleased to live in a place where the Lord's pastimes are performed, e.g., Mathurā, Vṛndāvana or Dvārakā.

All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

To be continued.....