| 1. INTRODUCTION: THE SUBJECT MATTER OF NECTAR OF DEVOTION IS DEVOTIONAL SERVICE. ANALYZING IT FROM ALL POINTS OF VIEW. The title of the original book (Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu) means “The Ocean of Nectar of pure devotional service. Çréla Prabhupäda says on page xx: “Originally, in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, the ocean is divided like the watery ocean into east, south, west and north, while the subsections within these different divisions are called waves. As in the ocean there are always different waves, either on the eastern side, the southern side, the western side or the northern side, Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu similarly has different waves. In the first part there are four waves, the first being a general description of devotional service. The second concerns the regulative principles for executing devotional service, and the third wave, devotional service in ecstasy. In the fourth is the ultimate goal, love of God. These will be explicitly described along with their different symptoms. |