prema vá¹›ddhi-krame nÄma — sneha, mÄna, praṇaya
rÄga, anurÄga, bhÄva, mahÄbhÄva haya
prema - ecstatic love for God; vá¹›ddhi-krame - in terms of progressive increase; nÄma - named; sneha - affection; mÄna - abhorrence; praṇaya - love; rÄga - attachment; anurÄga - further attachment; bhÄva - ecstasy; mahÄ-bhÄva - great ecstasy; haya - are.
“The basic aspects of prema, when gradually increasing to different states, are affection, abhorrence, love, attachment, further attachment, ecstasy and great ecstasy.
In the Bhakti-rasÄmá¹›ta-sindhu, (3.2.84) sneha (affection) is described as follows:
sÄndraÅ› citta-dravaá¹ kurvan premÄ sneha itÄ«ryate
ká¹£aṇikasyÄpi neha syÄd viÅ›leá¹£asya sahiṣṇutÄ
“That aspect of prema in which the melting of the heart for the lover is concentrated is called sneha, or affection. The symptom of such affection is that the lover cannot for a moment remain without the association of the beloved.†A description of mÄna can be found in Madhya-lÄ«lÄ (chapter two, verse 66). Similarly, a description of praṇaya is also there. As far as rÄga is concerned, the Bhakti-rasÄmá¹›ta-sindhu (3.2.87) says:
snehaḥ sa rÄgo yena syÄt sukhaá¹ duḥkham api sphuá¹am
tat-sambandha-lave ’py atra prÄ«tiḥ prÄṇa-vyayair api
“That stage at which affection for the beloved converts unhappiness into happiness is called rÄga, or attachment. When one has such attachment for Kṛṣṇa, he can give up his own life to satisfy his beloved Kṛṣṇa.†AnurÄga, bhÄva and mahÄbhÄva are described in the Sixth chapter of the Madhya-lÄ«lÄ, verse 13. The purport to that verse explains adhirÅ«á¸ha-mahÄbhÄva.
