The Fruit of Bhakti

Śrī Kṛṣṇa-prema

Abstract

This article explores Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī's systematic delineation of bhakti and its progressive intensification culminating in śrī kṛṣṇa-prema, the fruit of devotion. Drawing upon Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's analogy of the bhakti creeper, the analysis traces the conceptual framework laid out in Śrī Rūpa's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu and Ujjvala-nīlāmaṇi, illuminated by the commentaries of Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī. The essay begins by examining Śrī Rūpa's definition of uttama-bhakti ("superlative bhakti") through its intrinsic (svarūpa-lakṣaṇa) and extrinsic (taṭastha-lakṣaṇa) characteristics. It then charts the stages of uttama-bhakti's manifestation: sādhana-bhakti, bhāva-bhakti, and prema-bhakti, emphasizing their shared constitution as a "speciality of śuddha-sattva", the essence of the saṁvit and hlādinī functions of Śrī Bhagavān's svarūpa-śakti. The discussion further elaborates on the taṭastha-lakṣaṇas of bhāva and prema, including the melting of the heart and the crucial role of mamatva ("my-ness") in fostering divine intimacy. Finally, the essay outlines the advanced stages of prema (sneha, māna, praṇaya, rāga, anurāga, and mahābhāva) specifically within madhura-bhāva, illustrating their increasing intensity in captivating Śrī Kṛṣṇa and highlighting prema's ultimate power to bring the mind into the very nature of divine love.