From Krsna Karnamrita, Bilvamangala Thakura, Krsna dasa Kaviraja's commentary to verse 2.:
Bilvamangala developed a greed for Radha on hearing about Radha's anuraga for Krsna from the mouth of a prostitute. This produced his worship on the path of raganuga. On this path of raganuga, even the sadhakas who have not developed bhava produce in their minds a desired spiritual body and perform service to the Lord in that body.
That body appears spontaneously, however, in persons who have developed bhava or rati. Bilvamangala had developed bhava of the madhura type and then attained the level of anuraga (after prema, sneha and raga). At that time his spiritual body was continually present.
I thought it wasn't possible to develop anuraga while we're still here. The material body couldn't withstand the energy manifested. Is Bilvamangala a rare exception (if there's such a thing), or is there another way to understand this?
so when it says here "...and then attained the levee of anuraga (after prema, sneha and raga). At that time his spiritual body was continually present." that was after he left?
Sometimes raga/anuraga/bhakti can refer to love in general and not necessarily the intensity of bliss that the devotee experiences. One example is SB 3.25.25. In tikas as well terms applied interchangeably can be observed.
Yes Ishan Prabhu I heard this question asked before and the answer was in vastu siddhi by association of Nitya siddha gopis he attained sucssevive stages of prem , sneha, mann, pranaya, raga, anuraga , wich is the foundational platform of madhurya rasa , that anuraga when it becomes most excellent reaches mahabhava , ruddha, then Adu ruddha, modan,mohan and madanakya which is only tasted by Srimati Radhika. Up to rati or Bhava can be experienced in this body , the associates of the lord however are seen to express prem but in the development from sraddha to Bhava , prem will be expressed in vastu siddhi and mature from there. But in svarupa siddhi the identity is known , as in seva sadhaka Rupena siddha Rupena verse.
