Attracted to Devotional Service to God - The Awakening of Spiritual Desire
The material world is driven by an endless pursuit of temporary attractions, yet the soul remains perpetually unsatisfied. The Vedic literatures reveal that ultimate satisfaction is found only when the heart is captivated by the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that developing this spiritual attraction is a rare science. It requires purification, the mercy of pure devotees, and a systematic progression through the stages of bhakti-yoga, ultimately culminating in spontaneous, unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa.
The Rarity and Prerequisites of Attraction
The mass of humanity is heavily distracted by material pleasure and fruitive rituals. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that those who are addicted to sinful life cannot naturally feel drawn to the absolute purity of devotional service without a dramatic intervention of mercy.
- King Barhisman was engaged in different types of sacrifice for elevation to the heavenly planets. People generally are attracted by these activities, and very rarely is a person attracted to devotional service, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms.
- Those who are addicted to material pleasure cannot be attracted to devotional service.
- Agriculture and cow protection are the way to become sinless and thus be attracted to devotional service. Those who are sinful cannot be attracted by devotional service.
- When the atheist Hiranyakasipu asked his son Prahlada Maharaja how it was he became attracted to devotional service, he replied, As long as one is not favored by the dust of the feet of pure devotees, he cannot even touch the path of devotional service.
The Progressive Stages of Attachment
Spiritual attraction is not merely an emotional whim; it is a mature stage of realization. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, this attraction (āsakti) blossoms only after a practitioner has steadily associated with pure devotees and successfully cleansed their heart of all misgivings.
- After the elimination of all sins or obstacles on the path of devotional service, one can become attracted, one can have steadiness, one can have perfect taste, one can have transcendental emotions, and one can be situated in loving service of the Lord.
- All these stages (elimination of obstacles, becoming attracted, steadiness, perfect taste, transcendental emotions, and being situated in loving service to God) develop by the association of pure devotees, and that is the purport of this stanza - Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.25.
- One should be more serious about seeking the mercy of the devotee than that of the Lord directly, and by one's doing so (by the good will of the devotee) the natural attraction for the service of the Lord will be revived.
- By the mercy of Krsna and by the association of devotees, one increases his attraction to and intelligence for pure devotional service; therefore one gives up everything and engages himself at the lotus feet of Krsna and His pure devotees.
Captivating the Liberated Souls
To prove that devotional service is entirely free from material contamination, the Vedic scriptures highlight its effect on self-realized sages. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that even fully liberated impersonalists are helplessly attracted to the transcendental activities of the Lord.
- Even if one is a liberated soul and is actually free from material contamination, he can still, without cause, become attracted to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord.
- Liberated impersonalists become attracted to devotional service by the various activities of Lord Krsna. Such are the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- Similarly, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananda and Sanat-kumara were all in the category of wise, saintly persons, and they were also attracted by devotional service. A similar thing happened to the assemblage in the Naimisaranya forest, headed by the sage Saunaka.
- When one approaches pure devotional service after realizing Brahman, one becomes attracted by pure devotional service. At such a time, by rendering devotional service, one gets a spiritual body with purified senses.
Spontaneous Devotional Attraction (Rāgānugā-bhakti)
The pinnacle of spiritual awakening is when a devotee no longer serves out of mere duty, but out of an overwhelming, spontaneous desire. This intense attraction, guided by the specific mood of the eternal residents of Vṛndāvana, represents the perfection of the soul.
- Devotional service is transcendental attraction for the Supreme on account of His being the source of all pleasing humors.
- Rupa Gosvami has defined raganuga-bhakti as spontaneous attraction for something while completely absorbed in thoughts of it, with an intense desire of love. Devotional service executed with such feelings of spontaneous love is called raganuga-bhakti.
- When an advanced, realized devotee hears about the affairs of the devotees of Vrndavana - in the mellows of santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya and madhurya - he becomes inclined in one of these ways, and his intelligence becomes attracted.
- Devotee should externally execute his routine devotional service in a regular way but should always inwardly think of the particular mellow in which he is attracted to the service of the Lord.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully illustrates that becoming attracted to devotional service is the ultimate cure for the diseased condition of material existence. While the ordinary masses remain addicted to mundane pleasures or heavenly elevation, the fortunate soul who receives the dust of a pure devotee's lotus feet begins a profound internal transformation. By faithfully navigating the progressive stages of bhakti-yoga—eliminating sins, acquiring steadiness, and developing spiritual taste—the heart naturally awakens to deep attraction (āsakti). The supreme, transcendental nature of this service is evidenced by its power to captivate even fully liberated Brahman-realized sages. Ultimately, this attraction blossoms into rāgānugā-bhakti, a state of spontaneous, unalloyed love where the devotee, completely absorbed in a specific transcendental mellow, achieves the absolute perfection of eternal service to the Supreme Lord.
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 Attracted to Devotional Service to God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.