Chapter Summary
The following summary of the twenty-third chapter is given by ÅšrÄ«la Bhaktivinoda ṬhÄkura in his Amá¹›ta-pravÄha-bhÄá¹£ya. In this chapter ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu describes the symptoms of emotion and love and the awakening of one’s original loving relationship with the Lord, as well as the characteristics of a devotee who has actually attained that stage. He then describes the gradual increase of love of God up to the point of mahÄbhÄva. He then describes the five divisions of attraction and how they continue. He also describes the mellow derived from conjugal love, which is the supreme emotion. Conjugal love is divided into two categories — svakÄ«ya and parakÄ«ya. SvakÄ«ya refers to loving affairs between husband and wife, and parakÄ«ya refers to loving affairs between two lovers. There are a number of descriptions in this connection. There is also a description of the sixty-four transcendental qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the twenty-five transcendental qualities of ÅšrÄ«matÄ« RÄdhÄrÄṇī.ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu then describes those candidates who are eligible to taste the mellows of devotional service. Their fundamental natures and their varieties are also described. The Lord also informs SanÄtana GosvÄmÄ« about all the confidential paraphernalia of devotional service. He gives a description of Goloka Vá¹›ndÄvana, where the Lord is engaged in His eternal pastimes described in the Hari-vaá¹Å›a. There is also an opposing description and a favorable description of keÅ›a-avatÄra. All these instructions are mentioned herein.In this way ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu blessed SanÄtana GosvÄmÄ«, placing His hand on his head. Thus SanÄtana received the power to describe these subjects in books like Hari-bhakti-vilÄsa.
