Gopis’ Standard – Examining the Topmost Varieties of Ecstatic Love
While the process of devotional service begins with faith and regulated practice, its ultimate maturation leads to a realm of spontaneous affection that defies material logic. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that among all varieties of devotion, the standard exhibited by the gopis of Vṛndāvana represents the absolute peak of ecstatic love. This love is so refined and intense that it is categorized through a specific transcendental science, distinguishing between different humors and stages of development. This article explores the hierarchies of prema, the unique characteristics of the gopis' devotion, and the internal symptoms of those who have achieved the highest platform of pure goodness.
Hierarchy of Spiritual Affection
Ecstatic love is not a singular emotion but a progression of increasingly intense spiritual states. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the journey begins with simple attraction and evolves through various stages such as affection, intimacy, and attachment, finally reaching the topmost platform of mahābhāva. These different types of love awaken according to the nature of a devotee's personal relationship with the Lord. Whether one's mood is one of neutrality or parenthood, each stage provides a unique flavor of transcendental bliss, with the direct selfless love of the liberated soul being the most desired result.
- Next are explained the symptoms of love of Godhead, which can be divided into nine varieties, beginning with attraction and extending up to ecstatic love and finally up to the topmost ecstatic love (mahabhava).
- The nine varieties of prema-bhakti are rati, prema, sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava and mahabhava - attraction, love, affection, adverse feelings, intimacy, attachment, subattachment, ecstatic love and sublime ecstatic love.
- Although one has affection for many persons, different types of ecstatic love awaken according to the nature of one's personal relationships.
- Direct ecstatic love can be divided into two groups - namely, selfish and selfless.
The Standard of Spontaneous Devotion
The gopis of Vṛndāvana set a standard of love that transcends even the highest Vedic regulations. Their devotion is characterized by complete surrender and a total disregard for popular opinion or material consequences. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī’s love is so powerful that Kṛṣṇa Himself feels more satisfied seeing Her face light up with ecstasy than by any direct union. In this kingdom of love, natural behaviors may be reversed—such as blue lotuses tasting cakravāka birds—symbolizing the impetuous and unpredictable nature of transcendental pastimes.
- One who is attracted by that ecstatic love of the gopis does not care about popular opinion or the regulative principles of Vedic life. Rather, he completely surrenders unto Krsna and renders service unto Him.
- Lord Sri Krsna is thousands upon thousands of times more satisfied when He sees Srimati Radharani's face light up from this combination of ecstatic love than He is by direct union with Her.
- The ecstasy of love experienced by the other gopis cannot be compared to that of Srimati Radharani.
- Nevertheless, in ecstatic love, the blue lotuses began to taste the cakravakas. This is a reversal of their natural behavior, but in Lord Krsna's kingdom such reversals are a principle of His pastimes.
Divisions and Humors of High-Stage Ecstasy
The study of ecstatic love includes an analysis of various "humors" or moods, such as neutrality, servitude, and conjugal love. Even seemingly negative emotions like anger or disappointment can be accepted as "preservatives" for ecstatic love in a spiritual context. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when love is direct and selfless, it can adjust all contradictory symptoms. For example, a devotee may feel "ghastliness" or "neutrality" as specific loving humors in relation to the Lord. These complex emotional states are analyzed by learned scholars to understand the true depth of a devotee's heart.
- According to Bharata Muni, this disappointment is inauspicious. But there are other learned scholars who have accepted such disappointment as being in the mood of neutrality and as being a preservative for ecstatic love.
- These selfless symptoms can again be divided into five groups: neutrality, servitude, fraternity, parenthood and conjugal love. Such ecstatic love assumes a particular mode in contact with different objects of love.
- A devotee said, "In this state of consciousness I am so condemned that I cannot relish the transcendental ecstasy of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead." In this statement there are two ecstatic loving humors, namely neutrality and ghastliness."
- Contradictory ecstatic love is called selfish. That ecstatic love which can adjust all contradictory or noncontradictory symptoms is called direct selfless love.
Transcendental Madness and Perfection
In the most elevated condition of mahābhāva, a devotee may experience divyonmāda, or transcendental madness. This is not a material mental imbalance but a state where the devotee is so intoxicated by love that they lose all connection to worldly reality. Symptoms such as dancing like a madman, laughing loudly, or even fainting from the intensity of emotion are seen in pure devotees like Advaita Ācārya or the hunter who was transformed by his spiritual master. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that achieving this platform of pure goodness and cleansing the heart of all material contamination is the true success of human life.
- There are symptoms of diseases caused by ecstatic love. This condition is credited by learned scholars as mahabhava. This highly elevated condition is also called divyonmada, or transcendental madness.
- When a devotee laughs very loudly like a madman, it is done out of an extraordinary agitation of ecstatic love within the heart.
- When one transcends the status of ecstatic love and thus becomes situated on the highest platform of pure goodness, one is understood to have cleansed the heart of all material contamination.
- When the hunter chanted the Hare Krsna maha-mantra before his spiritual master, his body trembled and tears welled up in his eyes. Filled with ecstatic love, he raised his hands and began to dance, waving his garments up and down.
Conclusion
The varieties of ecstatic love found in the Vṛndāvana pastimes represent the absolute summit of spiritual achievement. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings encourage us to look beyond the perverted reflections of love in the material world and aspire for the selfless standard of the gopis. By following the authorized process of chanting and associating with pure devotees, we can gradually awaken our own dormant propensity for love. Ultimately, when the heart is overflooded with these transcendental waves, the soul finds its perfect satisfaction in the eternal service of Kṛṣṇa, where every emotion is a celebration of divine relationship.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Ecstatic Love. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.