evaá¹-vrataḥ sva-priya-nÄma-kÄ«rtyÄ
jÄtÄnurÄgo druta-citta uccaiḥ
hasaty atho roditi rauti gÄyaty
unmÄda-van ná¹›tyati loka-bÄhyaḥ

10 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: CC(5) , MM(2) , NBS(1) , TLC(2)

 evam-vrataḥ - when one thus engages in the vow to chant and dance; sva - own; priya - very dear; nÄma - holy name; kÄ«rtya - by chanting; jÄta - in this way develops; anurÄgaḥ - attachment; druta-cittaḥ - with a melted heart; uccaiḥ - loudly; hasati - laughs; atho - also; roditi - cries; rauti - becomes agitated; gÄyati - chants; unmÄda-vat - like a madman; ná¹›tyati - dancing; loka-bÄhyaḥ - without caring for outsiders.


Text

By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion.

Purport

In this verse, pure love of God is being described. ÅšrÄ«la ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ« has described this spiritual situation as samprÄpta-prema-laká¹£ana-bhakti-yogasya saá¹sÄra-dharmÄtÄ«tÄá¹ gatim, or the perfectional stage of life in which one’s devotional service to the Supreme Lord is enriched by ecstatic love. At that time, one’s spiritual duties are entirely beyond the scope of worldly affairs.

In ÅšrÄ« Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Ä€di 7.78), there is the following statement by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu:

dhairya dharite nÄri, hailÄma unmatta
 hÄsi, kÄndi, nÄci, gÄi, yaiche mada-matta

“While chanting the holy name of the Lord in pure ecstasy, I lose myself, and thus I laugh, cry, dance and sing just like a madman.†Caitanya MahÄprabhu immediately approached His spiritual master to ask him why He had apparently become mad by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. His guru replied:

kṛṣṇa-nÄma-mahÄ-mantrera ei ta’ svabhÄva
 yei jape, tÄra kṛṣṇe upajaye bhÄva

“It is the nature of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahÄ-mantra that anyone who chants it immediately develops his loving ecstasy for Kṛṣṇa.†(Cc. Ä€di 7.83) In this connection ÅšrÄ«la PrabhupÄda has commented, “These symptoms are very prominently manifest in the body of a pure devotee. Sometimes when our students of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement chant and dance, even in India people are astonished to see how these foreigners have learned to chant and dance in this ecstatic fashion. As explained by Caitanya MahÄprabhu, however, actually this is not due to practice, for without extra endeavor these symptoms become manifest in anyone who sincerely chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahÄ-mantra.â€

ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura has warned us in this regard about the ungodly sahajiyÄs who imitate the pastimes of the Supreme Lord in an unauthorized way, neglecting the standard injunctions of Vedic scriptures, foolishly trying to take the position of Kṛṣṇa as Puruá¹£ottama, and thus making a cheap farce of the exalted pastimes of the Lord. Their so-called ecstatic symptoms like crying, shivering and falling on the ground are not to be confused with the advanced features of devotional service described by ÅšrÄ«dhara SvÄmÄ« as samprÄpta-prema-laká¹£aṇa-bhakti-yoga. ÅšrÄ«la PrabhupÄda comments in this regard, “One who has attained this bhÄva stage is no longer under the clutches of the illusory energy.†Similarly, KṛṣṇadÄsa KavirÄja states:

pañcama puruá¹£Ärtha — premÄnandÄmá¹›ta-sindhu
 moká¹£Ädi Änanda yÄra nahe eka bindu

“For a devotee who has actually developed bhÄva [love of Godhead], the pleasure derived from dharma, artha, kÄma and moká¹£a appears like a drop in the presence of the sea.†(Cc. Ä€di 7.85) As already stated in the previous verse of this chapter, gÄyan vilajjo vicared asaá¹…gaḥ: one exhibits the ecstatic symptoms of love of Godhead when he is asaá¹…ga, free from all attachment to material sense gratification.

The word loka-bÄhyaḥ in this verse indicates that a pure devotee on the platform of prema, love of Godhead, is not at all concerned with ridicule, praise, respect or criticism from ordinary people in the bodily concept of life. Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and when He reveals Himself to a surrendered servant, all doubt and speculation about the nature of the Absolute are vanquished forever.

In this connection ÅšrÄ«pÄda MadhvÄcÄrya has quoted a verse from the VarÄha PurÄṇa:

kecid unmÄda-vad bhaktÄ
 bÄhya-liá¹…ga-pradarÅ›akÄḥ
kecid Äntara-bhaktÄḥ syuḥ
 kecic caivobhayÄtmakÄḥ
mukha-prasÄdÄd dÄrá¸hyÄc ca
 bhaktir jñeyÄ na cÄnyataḥ

“Some devotees of the Lord exhibit external symptoms, acting like madmen, others are introspective devotees, and still others partake of both natures. It is by one’s steadfastness and by the merciful vibrations emanating from one’s mouth that one’s devotion can be judged, not otherwise.â€

ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« ṬhÄkura has given a very nice example to illustrate ecstatic laughing and other symptoms of love of Godhead: “‘Oh, that thief Kṛṣṇa, the son of YaÅ›odÄ, has entered the house to steal the fresh butter. Grab Him! Keep Him away!’ Hearing these menacing words spoken by the elderly gopÄ« JaratÄ«, Kṛṣṇa immediately prepares to leave the house. The devotee to whom this transcendental pastime is revealed laughs in ecstasy. But suddenly he can no longer see Kṛṣṇa. He then cries in great lamentation, ‘Oh! I achieved the greatest fortune in the world, and now it has suddenly slipped from my hands!’ Thus the devotee cries loudly, ‘O my Lord! Where are You? Give me Your answer!’ The Lord answers, ‘My dear devotee, I heard your loud complaint, and so I have again come before you.’ Upon seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa again, the devotee begins to sing, ‘Today my life has become perfect.’ Thus overwhelmed with transcendental bliss, he begins to dance like a madman.â€

ÅšrÄ«la ViÅ›vanÄtha CakravartÄ« ṬhÄkura also notes that the word druta-cittaḥ or “with a melted heart,†indicates that one’s heart, melted by the fire of anxiety to see the Lord, becomes like JambÅ«nadÄ«, a river of roseapple juice. The ÄcÄrya further points out, nÄma-kÄ«rtanasya sarvotkará¹£am: the present and previous verse clearly distinguish the exalted position of Å›ravaṇaá¹ kÄ«rtanaá¹ viṣṇoḥ, chanting and hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Caitanya MahÄprabhu also emphasized this by quoting:

harer nÄma harer nÄma
 harer nÄmaiva kevalam
kalau nÄsty eva nÄsty eva
 nÄsty eva gatir anyathÄ

“In this Age of Kali there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress but the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.†In his purports to Caitanya-caritÄmá¹›ta (Ä€di 7.76), ÅšrÄ«la PrabhupÄda has given an elaborate explanation of this verse.

ÅšrÄ«la BhaktisiddhÄnta SarasvatÄ« ṬhÄkura recommends that we study the following verse in this connection:

parivadatu jano yathÄ tathÄ vÄ
 nanu mukharo na vayaá¹ vicÄrayÄmaḥ
hari-rasa-madirÄ-madÄti-mattÄ
 bhuvi viluá¹­hÄmo naá¹­Ämo nirviÅ›Ämaḥ

“Let the garrulous populace say whatever they like; we shall pay them no regard. Thoroughly maddened by the ecstasy of the intoxicating beverage of love for Kṛṣṇa, we shall enjoy life running about, rolling on the ground and dancing in ecstasy.†(PadyÄvalÄ« 73)