Southern Ocean

Second Wave
Anubhäva
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Symptoms of Ecstatic Love
 BRS 2.2.1 - 21

Chapter 27 begins the Second Wave of the Southern Ocean,

describing anubhäva.

Anubhäva is an action that results from heightened affection for

Kåñëa, which serves to further enhance that affection. The
Sanskrit word has two components, anu and bhäva. Çréla
Prabhupäda says, “The bodily symptoms manifested by a devotee
in expressing ecstatic love for Kåñëa are called anubhäva (page
219).”
When one's eternal affection for Kåñëa heightens, it must be
expressed in various activities such as dancing, laughing, etc. For
example, a servant's ecstatic love heightens by seeing his master,
and outwardly expresses itself by his offering obeisances.
Offering obeisances not only expresses the servant's
affection, it further intensifies and confirms it. Thus, anubhäva is
not merely a physical action but an emotional component of itself
— which both relieves and reinforces the excessive ecstatic love
built up in the devotee's heart. Çréla Prabhupäda says, “When
there is an extraordinary excess of ecstatic love, with all these
bodily symptoms manifested, one feels relieved transcendentally
(page 219).”

Categories of Anubhäva
There are two categories of anubhäva: (1) çéta — without strong
bodily movement, and (2) kñepaëa — with strong bodily
movement. Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “These symptoms are
1

divided into two parts: one is called çéta, and the other is called
kñepaëa. When there is yawning, the symptoms are called çéta,
and when there is dancing they are called kñepaëa (page 219).”
The remainder of chapter 27 defines and illustrates the
thirteen main anubhävas, citing çästric evidence.
There are two additional çéta-anubhävas that this chapter
does not describe: (1) raktodgam — bleeding, and (2) utphulla —
swelling of the limbs. Çréla Prabhupäda explains, “Sometimes
1 Literal translations: çéta — cold, kñepaëa — tossing, throwing.
trembling of the whole body and hemorrhaging from some part of
the body are also manifested in response to ecstatic love for
Kåñëa, but such symptoms are very rare, and therefore Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé does not discuss any further on this point (page
222).”

Anubhäva
Çéta — Manifest Kñepaëa — Manifest
without great bodily with great bodily
motion motion
1. Gétä — singing 1. Nåtya — dancing
loudly
2. Jåmbhanam — 2. Viluhita — rolling on
yawning the ground
3. Çväsa bhüma — 3. Tanu-moöana —
breathing heavily stretching the body
4. Loka anapekñitä — 4. Kroçanam — crying
neglecting the loudly
presence of others
5. Läläsrava — Foaming 5. Aööa häsa —
at the mouth laughing like a madman
("drooling")
6. Huìkära — roaring 2
6. Ghürëä — staggering
("wheeling of the
head")
7. Raktodgam — 7. Hikkä — hiccups
bleeding ("belching")
8. Utphulla — swelling
of the limbs

2 The Nectar of Devotion includes the reference for hunkära under Crying Loudly: "By
hearing the vibration of Kåñëa's flute, Lord Çiva becomes very puzzled and begins to cry so
loudly into outer space that the demons become vanquished and the devotees become
overwhelmed with joy." (page 220)