Live Caitanya Caritamrta · CC Madhya 23.55
Friendship and Parental Affection Deepen
“After the mellow of servitorship, there are the mellows of friendship and parental love, which increase to subordinate spontaneous love. The greatness of the love found in friends like Subala extends to the standard of ecstatic love of Godhead.
What the purport teaches
- Neutrality increases to simple love of Godhead. Servitorship develops further into affection, counterlove—anger based on love—love and attachment.
- Friendship increases to affection, counterlove, love, attachment and subattachment. Parental affection develops in the same way.
- Friendship like Subala’s progresses from fraternal affection through counterlove, spontaneous attachment and subordinate attachment. It finally reaches ecstasy in which all the ecstatic symptoms continuously exist.
Try this today
Write down the progression of Subala’s friendship as described in the purport.
Ask yourself
What stands out to you about the special development of friendship exhibited by Subala?
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.