Attaining Love of God - The Supreme Goal of Human Life
In the pursuit of perfection, humanity often chases wealth, knowledge, or liberation from suffering. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the absolute pinnacle of human achievement is none of these. The true, ultimate necessity of the soul is to awaken its dormant love for the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. By understanding the superiority of this goal, the systematic process to achieve it, and the liberating results it brings, one can perfectly execute the divine mission established by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The Supreme Perfectional Stage
Vedic philosophy outlines various goals of life, but love of Godhead (prema) stands supreme above them all. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that without aiming for this ultimate destination, all other religious or philosophical pursuits are fundamentally incomplete and superfluous.
- Caitanya Mahaprabhu has said that the real goal of life is prema pum-artho mahan (Caitanya-manjusa). Prema, to attain love.
- Love of Godhead is so exalted that it is considered to be the fifth goal of human life. By awakening one's love of Godhead, one can attain the platform of conjugal love, tasting it even during the present span of life.
- But for these three items - namely, eternal relation with God, exchange of dealings with Him and the attainment of love for Him - all that is instructed in the Vedas is superfluous and that any other explanation of the Vedas is concocted.
- The path of the Vedas does not accord with any principle devoid of an eternal relation with God, attainment of His devotional service, and culmination in transcendental love for Him.
Process of Attainment
Love of God is not achieved by mental speculation or fruitive work; it is cultivated through the scientific process of devotional service (bhakti-yoga). Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how strict adherence to the regulative principles acts as the method (abhidheya) that matures into the fruit of ecstatic love.
- That process by which I (the Supreme Lord) can be attained by the living entity is called abhidheya. By it, one can attain the highest perfection of life, love of Godhead. When one attains love of Godhead, his life becomes perfect.
- The execution of duties to attain perfection is known as devotional service, and in maturity such devotional service becomes love of God, the factual goal of life for every living being.
- There are three stages of devotional service: The first is the beginning stage of cultivation, the second is the realization of service, and the third, the supreme stage, is the attainment of love of Godhead.
- Giving up all speculation and fruitive activity, one should simply worship and desire to attain to love of God.
The Power of the Holy Name
To make this highest perfection accessible in the modern age, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the congregational chanting of the holy names. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this simple yet profound practice is the chief means to rapidly elevate the soul to the platform of transcendental madness for God.
- Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead.
- Caitanya told Prakasananda Sarasvati that the holy name of Krsna, called the maha-mantra (great chanting), enables anyone who chants it to attain the stage of love of Godhead, or intensified bhava. Such love of Godhead is the ultimate human necessity.
- Anyone who sincerely chants this holy name very soon attains elevation to the platform of love of God and becomes mad after God. This madness arising from love of God is the first perfectional stage for a human being.
- Anywhere, any part of the world, at home or out of home, anywhere you can, with your ecstasy, you can chant Hare Krsna, and you attain love of God very quickly.
Liberating Result of Prema
When the fruit of love of Godhead is finally attained, the soul's relationship with the material world is permanently severed. The great ācārya describes how achieving this state grants immediate immortality, absolute liberation from bondage, and a universal love that automatically extends to all living beings.
- When a person attains to the perfectional stage of love of Godhead, he becomes liberated even in his present body and realizes his constitutional position of immortality.
- Upon attaining love of God, a person immediately becomes immortal and no longer has to change his material body.
- As one advances in devotional service, he attains love of Godhead, and as he advances in this love, he becomes free from all material bondage.
- When love of Godhead is attained, love for all other beings automatically follows.
Conclusion
In conclusion, attaining love of Godhead is not merely an optional religious sentiment; it is the absolute necessity and the ultimate constitutional destiny of every living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully explains that all other human endeavors—whether aimed at material prosperity or impersonal liberation—fall drastically short of the soul's true potential. By understanding one's eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, engaging in the prescribed duties of devotional service (abhidheya), and constantly chanting the holy names, the sincere practitioner gradually cleanses the heart of all material contamination. As this devotion matures, it blossoms into pure, unalloyed love (prema), which completely captivates the Supreme Lord Himself. Ultimately, upon reaching this perfectional stage, the devotee is instantly freed from the cycle of birth and death, realizing their immortal nature and securing an eternal life of absolute bliss and knowledge in the spiritual world.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Attaining Love of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.