Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Antya 1.150
Spontaneous Love Continues Under All Circumstances
“ ‘When one hears praise from his beloved, he outwardly remains neutral but feels pain within his heart. When he hears his beloved making accusations about him, he takes them to be jokes and enjoys pleasure. When he finds faults in his beloved, they do not diminish his love, nor do the beloved’s good qualities increase his spontaneous affection. Thus spontaneous love continues under all circumstances. That is how spontaneous love of Godhead acts within the heart.’
What the purport teaches
- Hearing praise from the beloved, one outwardly remains neutral but feels pain within. Hearing accusations, one takes them as jokes and enjoys pleasure.
- Finding faults in the beloved does not diminish this love, and good qualities do not increase its spontaneous affection.
- Paurṇamāsī describes spontaneous love of Godhead as continuing under all circumstances. It does not depend on the beloved's praise or favorable qualities.
Try this today
Copy the phrase “spontaneous love continues under all circumstances” and reflect on it for one minute.
Ask yourself
What stands out to you about affection that is neither increased by good qualities nor diminished by faults?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport; the practice and question are plain words for trying the verse today.