The Sweet Bond of Attachment: When Kṛṣṇa Becomes the Soul’s Oxygen

Having passed through ruci—the stage of taste—the devotee enters a deeper, more intimate territory: āsakti, or attachment. If ruci is the flowering of bhakti, āsakti is when the flower turns to face the sun fully—its gaze fixed, its longing uncontrollable.

In this stage, Kṛṣṇa is no longer a desire or a deity—He is everything. Thoughts of Him are not summoned—they arise spontaneously. The sādhaka’s mind becomes helplessly drawn to Kṛṣṇa, like a river to the sea.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda defines āsakti as a natural and involuntary attachment to the object of one’s affection, and Śrīla Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja describes it as “the soul’s addiction to Rādhā-Govinda.”

What is Āsakti?

Āsakti means clinging—not with force, but with love. It is deeper than ruci, where bhakti was delightful; here, bhakti is indispensable.

The sādhaka is now fully governed by spontaneous attraction to Kṛṣṇa or His service. The very thought of being separated from remembrance of Him causes sorrow. Conversely, even a moment of connection with His Name or form brings profound satisfaction.

Bābājī Mahārāja says: “Āsakti is the heart’s cry that will not stop.”

Two Dimensions of Āsakti

Cakravartīpāda explains two levels of āsakti:

1. Bhajana-viṣayā āsakti
   Attachment to the practices of bhakti—chanting, kīrtana, hearing, deity worship. The sādhaka experiences intense joy in these activities.
2. Bhajaniyā-viṣayā āsakti
   Attachment to Kṛṣṇa Himself—His form, qualities, līlās, and especially His beloveds (such as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī). This attachment is now specific and personal.

The second category is deeper and marks the threshold of rāgānugā-bhāva.

Symptoms of Āsakti

In this stage, the sādhaka:

• Constantly thinks of Kṛṣṇa without effort.
• Feels intense separation when distracted from remembrance.
• Weeps or smiles spontaneously when hearing or chanting.
• Feels irresistible pull toward certain forms or līlās of Kṛṣṇa.
• Begins to meditate with personal longing, not philosophical interest.
• Shows signs of divine madness (unmāda) in subtle ways.

Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja writes that āsakti is “the soul’s readiness to give herself entirely into Kṛṣṇa’s hands, to live and die in His service.”

The Transformation of Bhajana in Āsakti

The sādhaka no longer performs bhakti to progress. She serves because her life depends on it.

• Nāma-japa is soaked in mood. She may forget how many rounds she has done, or even what time it is.
• Līlā-smaraṇa becomes vivid. The mind naturally drifts to Vraja’s forests, to Yamunā’s banks, to the kunjas where Rādhā and Śyāma play.
• Kīrtana makes the heart tremble. Even ordinary words now echo Kṛṣṇa’s name.
• Deity-sevā is done not ritually but lovingly, as if feeding, clothing, and speaking to one’s child or lover.

The devotee may appear ordinary, but her inner world burns with rasa.

Specific Attachment to Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and One’s Bhāva

In āsakti, the sādhaka’s attraction begins to focus on one particular form of Kṛṣṇa:

• To Śyāmasundara in Vṛndāvana—not Dvārakā.
• To His flute, His smile, His crooked gait—not just His majesty.
• To Rādhārāṇī’s sweetness and moods—not merely general śakti.

More importantly, the sādhaka feels a draw to a particular relationship—dāsya, sakhya, vātsalya, or mādhurya. For the aspirant in mañjarī-bhāva, this attachment will be to Rādhikā’s feet and service to Her līlā.

Bābājī Mahārāja beautifully notes: “Here, the soul begins to remember not only Kṛṣṇa, but her self—her eternal svarūpa.”

Kṛṣṇa Responds

In ruci, the devotee relishes bhakti. In āsakti, Kṛṣṇa begins to relish the devotee.

The Lord, pleased by her intense attachment, begins to reveal subtle feelings in her heart. No visions may come yet, but her moods and desires align with Vraja.

He places her on the doorstep of bhāva, the first flash of love.

Remaining Anarthas?

Anarthas at this stage are extremely faint—like thin smoke after fire. But the sādhaka remains humble, knowing:

• Any pride can cause a fall.
• Offenses to Vaiṣṇavas or guru can still harm progress.
• One must continue under the shelter of sad-guru and nāma at every moment.

The fire of longing is now so strong that it burns the remaining debris automatically.

Rāgānugā Practice Deepens

In āsakti:

• The sādhaka may receive more direct inner guidance from the guru about one’s siddha-deha.
• Daily meditation on aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā becomes joyful and natural.
• Mental service (manasī-sevā) becomes emotionally rich and real.

This is the beginning of svarūpa-śuddhi, the inner realization of one’s eternal identity. But it is still aspirational, not yet fully manifest.

Āsakti as a Prelude to Bhāva

Cakravartīpāda explains that āsakti is the flower before fruit. The sweetness of bhāva is about to descend, but āsakti prepares the vessel.

Here, the sādhaka’s identity becomes infused with longing. Her voice may tremble during nāma. She may speak less, weep more. Her heart now beats in two places: her chest, and in the groves of Vraja.

She does not “practice bhakti” anymore—she belongs to bhakti.

Conclusion: The Soul Enters Kṛṣṇa’s Orbit

Āsakti is not the end—but it is the threshold to love. The devotee now circles Kṛṣṇa constantly in her heart, just as the gopīs once did physically.

Her devotion is fragrant. Her identity is softening. Her inner world is taking shape. And her prayer is simple:

rādhe! rādhike! rādhike!
“Let me serve You. Let me stay behind You. Let me offer just one string of jasmine at Your feet.”

She is now entering bhāva—where prema first appears like moonlight on the horizon.