The Budding of Love: The First Ray of the Moon Named Prema
After āsakti, where the soul is helplessly attached to Kṛṣṇa, comes the blessed arrival of bhāva—the stage where pure love begins to awaken in the sādhaka’s heart. It is like the very first tide of prema, gentle yet overwhelmingly transformative.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartīpāda describes bhāva as the incipient stage of prema, and Śrīla Ananta Dās Bābājī Mahārāja calls it “the heartbeat of Vraja touching the sādhaka’s soul.”

What is Bhāva?

Bhāva is a ray of prema (prema-sūryāṁśu), the beginning of eternal rasa. It is not emotion alone, but a spiritual substance (sthāyi-bhāva) descending into the heart, arising from purified sādhana and the mercy of Bhagavān and His bhaktas.

As defined by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.3.1):
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk
— “Bhāva is a special manifestation of pure spiritual existence, like a ray of the sun of prema.”
This is the sādhaka’s first real contact with the realm of rasa.

The Characteristics of Bhāva

Rūpa Gosvāmī lists nine symptoms (anubhāvas) of bhāva:
1. Kṣānti – Patience and tolerance
2. Āvirakti – Detachment from worldly pleasures
3. Mano-natā – Constant mental absorption in Kṛṣṇa
4. Āsā – Deep hope for Kṛṣṇa’s mercy
5. Sammohita – Enchantment with the Lord
6. Harṣa – Joy in devotional service
7. Uttkaṇṭhā – Intense yearning
8. Nāma-gāne sadā ruci – Unquenchable taste for kīrtana
9. Āsaktis tad-guṇākhyāne – Affection for describing Kṛṣṇa’s qualities

These traits manifest naturally—not from imitation, but as the result of the soul being ignited by divine love.

How Bhāva Arises

Cakravartīpāda notes that bhāva arises by the merging of sādhana and mercy:
• From intense rāgānugā-bhajana, especially under guidance of sad-guru.
• By the grace of a mahā-bhāgavata (a pure rasika devotee).
• Through prolonged immersion in nāma, līlā-smaraṇa, and manasī-sevā.

Though the sādhaka practices sincerely, bhāva descends—it cannot be forced. It is a divine gift, the Lord offering a piece of His own heart to the devotee.

The Nature of the Bhāva-Bhakta

The bhāva-bhakta is transformed:
• His identity is now bathed in rasa. She does not just chant—he feels Kṛṣṇa’s presence in every syllable.
• Līlā-smaraṇa becomes vivid—the emotions of his siddha-rūpa begin to flicker inside him.
• Nāma becomes her breath, his song, his whisper in sleep.
• His tears are not from pain, but from the ache of love.

Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja writes: “In bhāva, the soul sees Kṛṣṇa with the eyes of the heart and begins to love Him not with the mind, but with the very self.”

Bhāva in Mañjarī Bhāva

In this stage, the rāgānugā sādhaka aspiring for mañjarī-bhāva begins to live within his spiritual identity (siddha-deha). Not as a meditation only, but as hid emotional truth.

He may experience:
• Visions or sensations of rendering service in the līlā.
• A spontaneous absorption in Rādhā’s moods—feeling separation from Kṛṣṇa as She does.
• An irresistible attraction to kathā describing Rādhikā’s beauty, shyness, and suffering.
• The desire to remain behind the scenes, only to serve Her pleasure.
The inner mañjarī form begins to breathe, waiting at the edge of Kṛṣṇa’s darśana, ever ready to offer a flower or a cloth at Śrī Rādhā’s command.

The Emotional Landscape of Bhāva

The sādhaka now lives in an internal world:
• He smiles at no apparent cause.
• Cries during kīrtana or silence.
• Forgets meals and sleeps little.
• Speaks less, for his heart is always speaking within.

Yet, externally, he may appear simple—like a humble Vaiṣṇavī doing her japa.
Śrīla Bābājī Mahārāja says: “His outer life becomes ordinary. Hid inner life is Goloka.”

Beware of Imitation

Cakravartīpāda sternly warns: bhāva cannot be imitated. Tears, trembling, and ecstatic behavior may be present in others, but only the nine qualities mentioned earlier confirm genuine bhāva.

One must remain:
• Humble like grass.
• Loyal to guru and scripture.
• Free from showmanship or spiritual pride.
Bhāva is a river that flows silently—not a thunderstorm.

Anartha-nivṛtti Complete

At the stage of bhāva, anarthas are practically gone. Offenses still remain possible, but the heart is:
• Clean,
• Soft,
• Centered on Kṛṣṇa.

The bhāva-bhakta sees everything as Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, and even pain becomes sweet, because it is from Him or for Him.

The Lord’s Role

Kṛṣṇa now becomes active in the devotee’s life—not only as the object of love, but as his protector, playmate, and secret lover.
He gives subtle realizations, creates moments of divine longing, and draws the sādhaka into mood-alignment with His associates.
He is no longer a distant Deity—He is his intimate reality.

Conclusion: The Garden Gate Opens

Bhāva is the doorway to prema—and yet it is already saturated with bliss. The sādhaka cries: “If this is not prema, then I don’t need anything more.”
But still, prema is greater—a flood where the soul dissolves in Kṛṣṇa completely.
Yet here, at bhāva, he begins to forget herself, and remember only Rādhikā’s service. His siddha-rūpa walks softly behind Her, fanning Her or catching Her tears.
He no longer wants bhakti.
He is bhakti.