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Prema Tattva
Here, in the material world everyone
desires his or her own sense gratification,
nijendriya-préti-väïchä. That is lust, käma.
If one develops the desire to give pleasure to the
senses of Kåñëa, then that is prema. There is a
hell and heaven difference between käma and
prema. They look alike in the same way as
pieces of glass and pieces of diamond look
alike. Nijendriya-préti-väïchä, the desire,
though, for giving pleasure to one’s
own senses, is lust. Kåñëendriya-prétiväïchä,
the desire to give pleasure to
the senses of Kåñëa, is prema.
When we speak about the love of
Rädhä and Kåñëa, then the topic of
the gradual development of prema,
rati, sneha, mäna, and praëaya
comes. The first rise of prema is
called rati, attraction. When prema
becomes more condensed it develops
into sneha, affection. When sneha is
condensed it becomes mäna. When
mäna becomes condensed it turns
into praëaya, attraction. Praëaya in a more condensed form
becomes räga. When räga becomes more condensed it develops
into anuräga. When anuräga is more condensed it becomes
bhäva, and when bhäva becomes still more condensed then it
ultimately becomes mahäbhäva. This mahäbhäva is the eighth
and final place of the development of transcendental love.
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