Philosophy of Divine Love
You will be surprised to know that the bhakti which submerges
Bhaktiyoga
The path of bhakti (devotion), has been unanimously
acclaimed by all scriptures.
alocjya sarvasastra~i v,carya ca puna~ puna~
idamekam suni~pannariJ dhyeyo naraya~o hari~
(Veda Vyasa)
trisatyasya bhaktireva gariyasi bhaktireva gariyasi
(Narada Bhakti Sutras)
vede ramaya~e caiva pura~e bharate tatha
adau madhye tatha cante hari~ sarvatra giyate
(Mahabharata)
saba kara mata khaganayaka eha,
kariya rama pada parikaja neha
jahariJ lagi sadhana veda bakhani
saba kara phala ihi bhagati bhavani
(Ramayay)a)
etavaneva loke'smin pUriJsariJ ni~sreyasodaya~
tivre~a bhaktiyogena mana mayyarpitariJ sthiram
(Bhagavatam)
There is no path which is as perfectly gratifying as
devotion. The question now is, how do we practise devotion?
224
even the paramaharhsas in special ecstasy is not something
I
that can be practised nor does it come by itself. Bhakti is
actually the name of one of. the most intimate powers of
God. It is He alone who possesses this power, bhakti. There
is no price that can be paid for this priceless attainment.
The Ramaya,!a clearly states-
avirala bhakti visuddha tava, sruti pura~a jehi giiva
jehi khojata yogisa muni, prabhu prasada kou pava
(Ram iiya y) a)
The greatest sages and yogis seek bhakti, but it is attained
only by some fortunate souls and that too through Divine
grace alone. Hence it is important to understand what this
bhakti is.
The Essentials of Bhakti
In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Lord Gauranga states-
kr~~era anantasakti tate tina pradhana
cicchakti mayasakti jivasakti nama
antarariga bahirariga ta~astha kahi jare
antararigii svariipasakti sabara iipare
(Caitanya Caritamrta)
The Supreme Brahman, Sri Kr~,!a possesses innumerable
powers, of which there are three main ones. One is ~it Sakti,
the second is Maya Sakti, and the third is Jiva Sakti. Cit
Sakti is an internal power, Maya Sakti is an external power,
and Jiva Sakti is a neutral power. Cit Sakti being the internal,
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
intimate power, is the supermost." This fact has also been
mentioned in the Vi~Du Purfu:1a-
vi~'.JUsaktil:J para prokta k~etrajnakhya tatha'para
avidyakarmasariljnanya trtiya saktiri~yate
(Vi$I}u Puriil}a)
Now this Cit Sakti, also known as Svarupa Sakti, is
classified into three different categories-
sat-cit-anandamaya kr~':Jera svariipa
ataeva svariipa sakti hoya tin rupa
anandarilse hladini sadarilse sandhini
cidarilse sarilvit jare jnana kari mani
(Caitanya Caritiimrta)
hladini-sandhin i-sa ril vit tvayyeka sa rvasarilsraye
hladatapakari misra tvayi no gU':Javarjite
(Vi$I}u Puriil}o)
The three categories are Sat Cit and Ananda. This is
why Brahman is referred to as Saccidananda. From the Sat
aspect originates the power Sandhini from the Cit aspect
originates the power Sarhvit, and from the Ananda aspect
originates the power Hladini. The Hladini Sakti transcends the
other two in sweetness. It is through this power that God
remains ever blissful while creating the innumerable solar
systems and maintaining a record of each individual soul's
actions. In a worldly family consisting of perhaps a maximwn
of 5 -10 people, even the husband and wife cannot get along
without being upset with each other. What to speak of others!
Yet God keeps a record of innumerable actions, of innwnerable
souls, dUring their innwnerable lives and dispenses the reward
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Philosophy of Divine Love
for them, and still He is never disturbed. He is ever blissful
due to His personal power Hladini Sakti. Now listen to what
the Caitanya Caritamrta says about bhakti-
hladini sara arilsa tara prema nama
(Caitanya Caritiimrta)
The quintessence of this Hladini Sakti is Prema or bhakti.
The power bhakti or devotion is the most private and
dominating of all the powers of God. To swnmarize of all
the innwnerable powers of God, there are three main ones:
Svarlipa Sakti, Jiva Sakti, and Maya Sakti. Among these three,
Svarlipa Sakti is the main one, and it consists of three aspects:
Sat, Cit and Ananda. Ananda is the main power among these.
The essence of this Supreme Power Ananda, is Hladini Sakti
and the quintessence of Hladini Sakti is prema, also referred
to as bhakti. When bhakti is obviously the most intimate of
all powers, is it surprising that God is governed by it? This
is why the rasika Saints (those who have attained Divine Love
bliss), cleverly ask for this intimate power, devotion. The Lord
stands before them, yet they do not ask for Him. They only
desire that Divine Love devotion which God is often reluctant
to give but nevertheless is bound to grant if a devotee so
desires.
Now the question is, how can this rarest, most precious
of all attainments be acquired? It is not attained through
practice, nor does it come by itself. Some people are constantly
engaged in efforts to attain that devotion on the strength
of their own spiritual practice, while some sit back and do
nothing under the pretext that supreme devotion is not
something that can be practised; it will come whenever it
is supposed to come. Both of these philosophies are wrong.
Devotion can never be attained through mere spiritual practice
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
or through doing nothing. The only means as declared in
the Vedas is to practise devotion, in order to attain God s
grace in the fonn of bhakti.
tapal:aprabhavad devaprasadac ca
yamevai~a vfl:lute tena labhyas
tasyai~a atma vivfl:lute tanum'svam
(Veda)
We will have to practise devotion in order to attain that
Supreme devotion which comes only through God's grace.
The RamaYeu:ta mentions the following condition-
mana krama vacana cham!!-i caturai
bhajatahim krpa karata raghurai
(Ram aya T) a)
"Abandoning all deceit and desires one should practise
devotion. Only then will one attain God's grace, by which
is attained the essence of Hladinl Sakti, Le. bhaktL"
Sadhana Bhakti (Preliminary Devotion)
Now we need to make a deeper study of the devotion
that has to be practised by us, because perfect devotion will
automatically be attained through this. Besides, we cannot
comprehend the devotion that is attained through God s grace
because it is Divine, and therefore, an indefinable power.
First, let us examine the word 'bhakti'. One origin is
'bhajanarh bhaktil:t', perfect devotion; and the other origin is,
'bhajayate bhaktiJ:t' this is preliminary or preparatory devotion.
Let us now understand the characteristics of preliminary
devotion.
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Philosophy of Divine Love
anyabhila~itasunyam jnanakarmadyanavrtam
anukulyena kr~r:aanusilanam bhaktiruttama
(Bhakti-rasomrta-sindhu)
gur:aarahitam kamanarahitam
pratik~ar:aavarddhamanam
(Narada Bhakti Sutras)
sarvopadhivinirmuktam tatparatvena nirmalam
hr~iker:aa hr~ikesa sevanam bhaktirucyate
(Norada Pancaratra)
ahaitukyavyavahita ya bhaktil:a puru~ottame
(Bhogavatam)
There are three main points to be grasped. Firstly, one
should be devoid of all desires. Secondly, bhakti should not
be diluted by karma (action), jnana (knowledge), tapa (penance)
etc. Thirdly. one should actively serve Lord Kr~l)a in a pleasing
way, through the relationships of Santa (tranquility) Dasya
(servitude), Sakhya (friendship), Vatsalya (parent-hood) and
Madhurya (passionate-love).
Let us discuss the first requirement in detail because
in my opinion it is the reason for the individual soul's failure
to practise sadhana, and is the greatest impediment that blocks
our progress in devotional practice. Once this condition is
grasped the path of bhakti will be smooth and we will speedily
progress towards our goal.
Devotion is possible only when all kinds of desires are
abandoned. In reality, it is the mind that has to be engaged
in devotion because the mind is the cause of bondage and
liberation. H the mind is preoccupied with worldly or celestial
desires, then how can we possibly use it in devotion? You
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
have only one mind. You can either fill it with desires for
material attainments or with the desire for Divine attainment.
It is totally impossible to have both kinds of desires in one
mind. Most people who believe in God never seriously
contemplate this fact, though it definitely needs deep reflection.
The first condition of preparatory devotion is to abandon
all kinds of desires. What do we mean by all kinds of desires?
The simplest and most satisfactory answer to this question
is that any desire apart from the desire for Lord Krsna is
to be renounced. The desires that have to be renoun~~d are
of four kinds: dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth) kama
(sensual pleasures) and mo~a Oiberation). The first three viz.
dharma artha and kama together are also referred to as
'bhukti' because they relate to the material realm. In short
it amounts to renunciation of two kinds of desires 'bhukti'
and 'mukti' (liberation).
Some may find the renunciation of the second kind of
desire, mukti, to be quite puzzling. To renounce all material
desires upto the abode of Brahma is comprehensible, but to
renounce mukti or liberation seems quite a strange condition.
Listen to what the Saints declare-
bhuktimuktisprha yavatpisaci hrdi vartate
tavadbhaktisukhasyatra kathamabhyudayo bhavet
(Rupa GosvQmi)
So long as the two witches in the form of bhukti'
and mukti reside in the heart of an individual souJ, the goddess
of devotion cannot manifest herself." Between the two, bhukti
and mukti, the Witch called bhukti is not as dangerous as
the witch called mukti, because it is possible to be free of
it. If a fortunate souJ happens to meet a realized Saint
surrenders to him and practises devotion, he can taste the
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Philosophy of Divine Love
nectar of perfect devotion. On the other hand, if anyone
haunted by the witch named mukti attains liberation and
merges into God there is absolutely no chance of drinking
the Divine nectar of devotion because liberation once attained
is eternal. There is no question of experiencing duality again.
There are millions of examples of paramaharhsas such
as Sanaka, Sa~andana, Janaka etc., who did attain the bliss
of Divine Love. But this was possible because they had not
yet attained union with God. As long as the paramahamsa
is in the physical form, he does not attain union. It is only
when the body is renounced that he merges into God.
Thereafter he cannot assume a body and without a body
it is impossible to experience the nectar of Divine Love. Thus,
the witch mukti is obviously worse than bhukti.
Coming to bhukti, that is desire for sensual material
objects it must be noted that devotion performed with these
desires in mind has a number of dangers. First it implies
that you have not yet understood whether there is happiness
in the world or in the spiritual realm. If you still think there
is happiness in the world, then what is the need of God?
And if you believe that God alone is the source of happiness
then why harbour desires for fleeting material objects? Maya
in the form of the world, and God, are mutually opposite
entities. To accept God alone as the source of happiness
and to yet desire material things is like a person who says,
'I want to go near fire to get coolness from it.' If we desire
only happiness then to leave the true source of happiness,
God and desire fuJfillment in the world which is only a source
of sorrow, implies that we believe the world to be a source
of unlimited happiness. God is in reality the true source of
happiness yet people worship Him not for Divine happiness
but for acquiring worldly happiness. This clearly reveals their
ignorance, because they believe that with God s help, they
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 Philosophy of Diuine Loue
can attain unlimited happiness in the world, which in truth
is only a source of misery. When the aim itself is wrong
how can we practise devotion? The possibility of attaining
perfection in such a case, is totally out of the question. Worldly
objects only result in multiplying desires. Their attainment leads
to growth of pride. Remember this pride is the main cause
that makes one averse to God.
The second point to remember is that, when material
possessions are acquired by people according to their samskaras
or potential tendencies they proclaim it to be due to the
grace of God. And when they do not receive these possessions
owing to their samskaras they claim it to be a result of
God sanger. Thus a person will be a believer (theist) so
long as he acquires worldly possessions and when he is
deprived of them, he will become an atheist. Therefore, it
is best for a sadhaka (spiritual aspirant) to totally renounce
all desires for material objects.
The third point is that God does not break His law
by granting possessions contrary to what is destined for each
individual. If someone claims that God always listens to his
selfish prayers and fulfills them then why does he not ask
God for 'God' once and for all so that the desire to ask
again and again comes to an end. To repeatedly ask for
the world where there is no happiness, where fulfillment of
desires results in the birth of more formidable desires only
brings about harm. It is only when we ask for God or Divine
Love that the root of desire itself will be destroyed, and the
individual soul will become contented. However, this claim of
people that God fulfills their every desire is actually a deception,
a lie. The ignorant soul thinks the benefit received due to
samskaras, to be Divine grace. There is some merit in this
belief because the individual accepts God's grace on this basis.
But the dreadful future of this belief is that when there is
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
an absence of material possessions this faith will immediately
disappear.
The fourth point is that the scriptures refer to God as
omniscient. Whatever He does is for our benefit. When we
understand this then why do we interfere and ask Him for
things. Being ignorant, we do not really know what is best
for us. Therefore, we should remember that He is aU-knowing
and leave everything to Him. In this way the disease of asking
will never be born.
The fifth point is that the scriptures declare that each
individual is in the bondage of karma. Whatever happiness
or sorrow is destined for each one according to his prarabdha
karma (part of past actions referred to as fate in the present
life), will be given to him. We read in the scriptures about
the death of Dasaratha, the father of the All-powerful, Almighty
Personality Lord Rama yet Lord Rama did not save him.
Abhimanyu the nephew of Lord Kr~Da and son of Arjuna
could not be saved from his death by both of these great
personalities put together. Surely we don't think ourselves to
be greater than DaSaratha and Abhimanyu! Then why do
we expect that the unbreakable Divine law will be broken
for us?
The sixth point is that we must firmly understand that
the absence of material possessions is an indication of God s
grace. In this state there is no intoxication due to material
things. Therefore we should desire only such a situation. What
is the use of wanting a state where there will be no
remembrance of God. The greatest ignorance is to ask for
that from God Himself.
Besides these, there are a number of other losses which
will prevent the soul from practising sadhana, or surrendering
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Philosophy of Divine Love
to a Saint. Hence, all desires including the desire for moksa
also known as mukti or liberation must be renounced. Th~
true goal of every soul is attainment of selfless Divine Love.
Tulasldasa states-
sviiratha siinca JlVa kara ehii
mana krama vacana riima pada nehii
(Ram aya r:lQ)
Our true self-interest lies in pleasing God. In reality, this
is the purest form of devotion.
Lust and love are two totally opposite feelings. The desire
to constantly receive is lust to constantly give is Love and
the process of give and take is business. Wherever there is
any desire to beg from one's beloved, it is not Love. Where
~ere is an ~ver-increasing desire to give even after having
gIven everythIng, that is Love. Hence no man in the world
can love in the true sense of the term because each and
everyone is selfish. Each one desires happiness of the self
therefore there is always a constant longing to receive and
not give. When both sides are intent on taking how long
can a friendship last? This is the reason why there are
arguments between wife, husband, father, son, etc. several
times a day. ~h~rever both the parties are set upon receiving,
clashes are IneVItable, and wherever there is a clash the
deceitful selfish love comes to an end. Love that in~ludes
~ust constantly decreases, whilst Divine Love constantly
Increases. Lust is a form of darkness, and Love is the form
of light. The Caitanya Caritamrta gives a beautiful definition
of lust and Love.
kiimera tiitparya nija sambhoga kevala,
kr~J:la-sukha tiitparya prema to prabala.
loka-dharma, veda-dharma, deha-dharma karma,
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Philosophy of Divine Love
lajjii dhairya deha-sukha atma-sukha marma
sarvatyaga kare kare kr~J:lera blv:rjana,
kr~J:la-sukhahetu kare premera sevana
ataeva kame preme bahuta antara
kama andhatama prema nirmala bhiiskara
(Caitanya Caritamrta)
"The desire for one's own happiness is lust and can
be compared to darkness while the desire to please one's
beloved alone is Love, and can be compared to sunshine.
Let us observe the cataka, a bird that lives only on the
rain water that comes from the svati constellation. This bird
is a beautiful example of selfless Love. It loves its beloved
all the year round, whereas we, the worldly people run to
temples and Saints only when we are in trouble. And the
moment our worldly desires are fulfilled we never think of
going again. We are too pre-occupied with material pleasures
to even think of God. If someone asks you, Why have you
stopped going to the temples or to the Saints?" You arrogantly
reply I have no need of all that external show. I attain
I
everything from within myself."
The reality is that we are actually worshippers of worldly
desires. We have not yet understood anything about the subject
of God. We should learn a lesson from the cataka. This bird
is always devoted to his beloved and drinks only the water
of the Svati constellation. We too must love the Lord
constantly, and our every desire should be centralized in
pleasing Him alone.
jiice biiraha miisa piye papihii sviiti jala
(Tulasidasa)
Wherever there is love in the world, there is always an
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inherent selfishness. The moment that self-interest is harmed
the love comes to an end and even results in enmity. But
the love of the cataka is different. It is unselfish-
pavi piihana diimini garaji jhari jhakon khan khijhi
do~a na priyatama ro~a lakhi, tulasi riighahi rijhi
(TuJasidasa)
Tulasidasa wrote that the beloved of the cataka bird is
very cruel-hearted. The cataka begs for a few rain drops
but his beloved makes thunder and lightning fall upon him
insults and teases him instead. But the cataka never resents
this cruel behaviour, nor is he angered by it. In fact he never
thinks about the imperfectness of his beloved but instead
derives pleasure in his every action. This should be the state
of a true devotee. We must never be upset or angry when
any worldly calamity befalls us. To continue with the story
of the cataka.
u~~a kiila aru deha khina maga panthi tana ukha
ciitaka batiyiirh nii rucirh ana jala since rukha
(TuTasidasa)
It was a hot summer day. The cataka began to feel
dizzy from thirst. He flew to a tree to rest in its shade.
When he regained his senses, he realized his mistake. This
tree under whose shade I am resting, has been nourished
by the underground water which I never drink. To take rest
in its shade means infidelity and is a direct insult to my
beloved. The scorching heat of the sun is better than the
shade of this tree. With these thoughts the cataka left the
It
tree, and again flew around in the heat of the sun. But
how long could he bear the scorching heat in that thirsty
state? He again felt dizzy and sat on the branch of another
tree, which was on the banks of the river Ganges.
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
Coincidentally, a hunter was sitting under that very tree, waiting
for a target. When he saw the cataka, he immediately shot
him with his arrow. The wounded bird fell into the river
below. In his last moments he opened his beak to quench
his thirst, with the thought that he would attain mukti
(liberation) by drinking the water of the Ganges. But before
he drank even a drop it struck him that it would be disloyal,
and a disgrace to his true Love to drink the water of the
Ganges and accept liberation. He immediately turned his beak
upwards lest the water of the Ganges should enter his mouth
and died at that very moment.
badhyo badhika paryo punya jala ulati uthiii conca
tulasi ciitaka premapata maratahurh lagi na khonca
(Tu Tasidasa)
Thus the true Love of the cataka remained unblemished
to the very end. In spite of suffering he stuck to his ideal
and did not aspire even for salvation as it would mean
disloyalty to his beloved. We too must not lose the Supreme
ecstasy of Divine Love by falling into the trap of liberation
or any material desires.
bhakti karata soi mukti gusiiirh
anaicchita iivata bariiiirh
(Ram ayaT)a)
Mukti is automatically attained by one who practises
devotion. When devotional practice itself leads to liberation
from Maya, why be deprived of the ecstasy of Divine Love?
On the other hand, if we fall into the trap of liberation,
it is impossible to attain that Supreme bliss, as liberation means
losing oneself completely in the Formless, Attributeless
Brahman.
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 Philosophy of Diuine Loue
Like the cataka our ultimate aim should be exclusive
ever-steady devotion of the mind and heart to Sri Krsna.
Our intense love and service to Him, should be entirely' for
the sake of pleasing Him. The Love should only be for Love's
sake.
A devotee should take delight in every action of his
Beloved and accept His grace in every gesture.
krodho'pi te'nugraha eva sariJmata':J
(Bhagavatam)
His anger, His indifference, and His Love are all aspects
of His grace. True Love is unconditional. One of the verses
in Lord Caitanya's 'A~tapadi' contains the most beautiful
expression of selfless Love.
iisli~ya vii piidaratiiriJ pinastu miim
adarsaniin marmahatiiriJ k~~otu vii
yathii tathii vii vidadhiitu lampato
matpriil)aniithas tu sa eva niipar~1:J
(A$tapadl)
"Whether Kr~f.la, my beloved lovingly embraces me, or
tramples me under His feet or torments me by His
indifference, gratifying His amours in whatever way He desires
there will be no abatement in my Love for Him, because
He, and He alone, is the Lord of my life." In Love there
should be no regard of virtues. We should love Lord Krsna
because He alone is the Beloved of all souls and it is' ·~u;
nature to love. If this love is unconditionally directed to Lord
Kr~f.la, we shall attain the supreme ecstasy of Divine Love.
Once a Saint in Vrindavana was engrossed in the bliss
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
of Divine Love. All of a sudden he saw his beloved Kr~f.la
standing in front of him. He ran forward to embrace Him,
but Kr~f.la ran away. The devotee followed Him, but he had
hardly run a few yards when his long matted hair became
entangled in a thick bush, and at that moment Sri Kr~f.la
disappeared from his sight. At first the devotee frantically
tried to disentangle his hair in order to qUickly resume his
search. But it suddenly occurred to him that his beloved
probably liked seeing him with his hair entangled in the bush,
as He had disappeared at that very moment. With this thought,
he never bothered to disentangle his hair, and stood in that
same position for not one day, but seven days without eating
or drinking, yearning for a vision of ,hiS beloved. On the
seventh day Lord ~f.la appeared in the guise of a traveller,
and scolded him 'I have been observing you for the last
six days. Are you so lazy that you cannot even· disentangle
your own hair? The sage was annoyed at this interference
from one who appeared to be a total stranger. He said,
Who are you to interfere in a quarrel between a husband
and wife? Please go away and don't bother me. It does not
concern you." 'It does concern Me.", said Lord Kr~f.la. "It
does concern Me, that is why I am asking you." 'I don't
understand what you mean. Who are you?" 'I am your beloved
Kr~f.la." "My beloved? You must be crazy. Just look at your
appearance in a mirror."
Lord Kr~f.la then appeared in His true form. The sage
could not believe his eyes. He was totally lost in ecstasy.
However when Lord Kr~f.la made an attempt to disentangle
his hair the sage stopped Him. He wanted to make the
best use of this opportunity and said, "I can only accept
you as my beloved, if Sri Radha testifies to this fact. Lord
Krsna had no alternative, but to call Radha. In this way,
th~ .devotee was blessed with a vision of the Divine couple.
This is a glimpse of selfless love.
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
The second characteristic of preparatory devotion is that
it must be unhindered by karma (action), jnana (knowledge)
tapas (penance), etc. In other words, devotion is independent.
It does not require the support of karma or jnana both of
which are subservient to devotion.
The third characteristic of devotion is service to Lord
Kr~l).a in a way that pleases Him. We must not devote ourselves
only to God because in accepting Him as a Supreme Almighty
Personality there will be fear, hesitation and distance in our
devotion. The relationship cannot become strong. To avoid
this fear-inspiring association with God, Saints have emphasized
devotion to Lord Kr!?l).a through the most intimate human
relationships. These relationships of man and God are known
as Bhavas or Rasas. They are mainly five in number: Santa
Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and Madhurya. All the aspects of
Love Le. God as our king, master, friend child and beloved,
have been established in order to make us feel nearer and
nearer to God.
These bhavas appear in their ascending order of
perfection. Dasya bhava is higher than Santa bhava. Higher
than Dasya bhava is Sakhya bhava higher than Sakhya bhava
is Vatsalya bhava, and' higher than Vatsalya bhava is Madhurya
bhava. Santa bhava is the lowest, because it is the relationship
between a subject and a king. Awe and veneration dominate
this relationship hence it has generally been neglected by
Rasika Saints. In Dasya bhava the relationship is closer,
because the devotee considers himself as a servant, and the
Lord as his master. Sakhya bhava or friendship is a closer
relationship than servitude because in this the devotee
considers God as his friend. In Vatsalya bhava, the devotee
enjoys greater privileges than in Sakhya bhava, because in
this bhava the devotee regards the Lord as his little child.
Madhurya bhava is the highest expression of pure
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Phtlosophy of Divine Love
transcendental Love. It is the closest of all relationships as
it is that intensely sweet love that exists between a lover
and her beloved.
The closeness of relationships can be understood from
the material world itself. The relationship between a husband
and wife is the most intimate, followed by that of the son
and his parents. Less than a parent-child intimacy, is that
of two friends. And lastly we have the servant-master
relationship, followed by that of a subject and king.
One very important fact to be noted is that it is only
in Madhurya bhava that all the five bhavas are incorporated
and attain their perfection. Just as the element earth includes
all the properties of earth, water fire, air and ether, in the
same way, Madhurya bhava is inclusive of all the qualities
of the five bhavas. In the relationship of Madhurya we can
consider God as our beloved our son, our friend our master
or our king, as we choose. We find this all-rounded relationship
even in the material world. In her husband, a woman has
a master, friend, and child. For example, when a husband
sits to eat, her maternal feelings are often evoked, and she
urges her husband to eat more. Again a husband is also
regarded as a friend and master. There is no doubt about
these feelings. A devoted wife always serves her husband.
However, although all these feelings are present, there is a
limitation to the terminology that can be used in addressing
a person in the world. A wife will never call her husband,
'son'. This form of address can only be used in the spiritual
realm without it appearing absurd. Sri Radha addresses her
beloved Kr~l).a in the following words-
ha natha rama~a pre$~ha kvasi kvasi mahabhuja
dasyaste krPa~aya me sakhe darsaya sannidhim.
(Bhiigavatam)
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
Philosophy of Divine Love

pancatvam tanuretu bhutanivaha~ svamse visantu sphu~am

'0 Lord! 0 my dear one! 0 one with powerful arms!
dhataram praf)ipatya hanta sirasa tatrapi yace varam
o most beloved one! Where have You gone? Reveal Yourself
tadvapi~u payas tadiyamukure jyotis tadiyarigana-
to Me, Your hand-maid, distressed and heart-broken as Jam. '
vyomni vyoma tad.iyavartmani dhara tattalavrnte'nilaJ:a
(Silkti)
The feelings of majesty, servitude, friendship and those
of a lover are all evident in this verse. In short, Radha refers . 0 Lord! When I die it is my desire that all the five
to Kr~J:)a as Her all in all. elements of this material body should be utilized in service
to You. Let the element of water in it mix with the water
Vatsalya bhava is inclusive of only four bhavas. Just as You bathe in. Let the element of light (fire) mix in the mirror
the element water, is inclusive of the properties of water, You use as a looking-glass. Let the element of ether merge
fire, air and ether in Vatsalya bhava we can consider God in the space of the courtyard where You play. Let the element
as our son, friend, master or king whenever we choose. air mix with the air near You so that it serves as a breeze
But we cannot consider Him as our beloved. Sakhya bhava to cool You in summer. Let the element of earth mix with
is inclusive of three bhavas. Just as the element fire is inclusive the earth in the path upon which You tread." Thus, this
of the properties of fire, air and ether, in Sakhya bhava devotee is desiring that his body should be utilized in service
we can consider God as our friend, master, or king, whenever even after his death. This is Dasya bhava. There are more
we choose. We cannot consider Him, as our beloved or child decorums than privileges in this relationship. Bharata states
Dasya is inclusive of only two bhavas. As the element air in the RamayaJ:)a-
includes the properties of both air and ether, in Dasya bhava
we can consider God as our master or king, whenever we dignified propriety sira bala calaum ucita asa mora
~esire. We cannot consider Him as our beloved child or friend. of behavior saba te sevaka dharma ka1hora
Santa bhava like the element ether is inclusive of only one. (RiimiiyoT)o)
We can only consider God as a king and not as our beloved
child, friend or master. Usually four bhavas alone, Le. Dasya, A servant's duty is to bow his head, wherever his Lord
Sakhya, Vatsalya, and Madhurya are acceptable to Saints. Santa places His foot. This almost implies that a devotee of Dasya
bhava is rejected, because fear replaces love wherever majesty bhava should walk on his head with His Lord! This is next
predominates. Let us consider these relationships in a little to impossible. When Lak~maJ:)a accompanied Lord Rama to
detail. the forest the most he couId do was to avoid stepping on
the footprints of Lord Rama. To do this, he had to walk
As a Santa bhava devotee is devoid of all reciprocal on thorns and rugged paths. But to even do what Lak~maDa
relationship with Lord Kr~J:)a, there is no significant did is also extremely difficult-
manifestation of loving feelings. The real nectar of Divine
ecstasy begins only in Dasya bhava. One devotee expressed n"pure tvabhijanami nityam padabhivandanat
(Viilmiki RamiiyoT)O)
his desire to serve the Lord in a special way-
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 Philosophy of Divine Love
When Lak~maDa was asked to recognize Sita's jewels
he expressed his inability to do so because he could only
recognize Her anklets which he had seen when paying
obeisances to Her. Imagine, how impossible this seems.
Lak~maDa did not recognize any of Sita's other ornaments
although they stayed together day and night. His eyes alway~
remained ever devoted to Her holy feet. That is why it is
said that the decorums of servitude are difficult even for yogis
to follow.
sevadharmal;t paramagahano yoginamapyagamyah
It is almost impossible for ordinary men to follow these
difficult rules, and especially when there is an overflow of
Love, these rules are disregarded without thinking.
prabhu tarutara kapi cjara para
(Ram ayo ry 0)
All the monkeys during the descent of Lord Rama were
devotees of Dasya bhava. But they sat on trees whilst their
Lord sat below them. They were so engrossed in the bliss
of Love that they were totally unaware of their discourteous
conduct. Even Lord Rama was so engrossed in the ties of
their Love, that He did not reprimand them, nor did He
show the least sign of disapproval toward their discourteous
conduct. The Omniscient Lord forgets everything due to the
Love of His servitors. He even goes to the extent of expressing
His indebtedness for their Love.
pratyupakara karaum ka tora
sanamukha hoi na sakata mana mora
(Ramayoryo)
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Philosophy of Divine Love
"0 Hanumana, I can never free Myself of My indebtedness
to you." In the Valmiki RamayaDa he declares-
ekaikasyopakarasya prar,Jan dasyami te kape
se~asyehopakarar,Jam bhavama roino vayam
(VCilmiki RamCiyoryo)
'I can repay one of your debts by glvmg My life but
will still remain bound by countless others.' Thus in the
spiritual realm, even a Dasya bhava devotee who worships
the Lord with feelings of servitude enjoys many privileges.
In Sakhya bhava there is greater intimacy and speciality
in the ecstasy of Divine Love as compared to Dasya bhava.
Although the friends of Lord Kr~Da in Braja were illiterate
rustics, Lord Kr~Da would be overjoyed, when He heard them
call 'Kanua'. Seeing them displeased or annoyed would distress
Him. He would snatch morsels of food remnants from them
and eat with great relish. Even the creator Brahma was deluded
when he saw this lila (pastime). These cowherd friends never
thought, not even in their dreams, that their friend Kr~Da
was God. They would often defeat Him in games and make
Him pretend to be a horse, so that they could enjoy riding
on His back. When they would playfully kick Him, urging
Him forward, Sri Kr~Da would be so overcome with ecstasy,
that tears of joy would flow from His eyes. If these friends
were to have the slightest inkling that Kr~Da was the Supreme
Personality their Love would not have been the same. Thus,
concealing His true identity through His intimate power
Yogamaya, Lord Kr~Da ever served and delighted these
cowherd boys. However, there are certain restrictions even
in Sakhya bhava. To deliberately violate them is not excusable.
A devotee of Vatsalya bhava definitely enjoys greater
intimacy and privileges than Sakhya bhava. The authority a
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Philosophy of Divine Love
mother has over her child is well- known to al1. Mother Yasoda
ties Lord Kr~I:la to a mortar and threatens to beat Him with
a stick. The Supreme Lord cries trembles and pleads to
be spared of this spanking. '0 Maiya (mother) forgive me
this time, I promise never to eat earth again. "
Once mother Yasoda bathed and dressed Kr~l}a, and sent
Him out to play. Kr~l}a ran straight to the muddiest part
of the courtyard and joyfully smeared Himself with mud. When
His mother saw Him in this dishevelled state only minutes
after she had bathed Him, she was furious and screamed
at Him-
pal)kabhi~iktasakalavayclVariJ vilokya
damodarariJ vadati kopavasadyasoda
tvariJ sukaro'si gatajanmani putanare-
rityuktisasmitamukho'vatu no muraril)
(SClkti)
"It seems to me that You must have been a pig in
Your last life... " Little Kr~l}a smiled to Himself remembering
His incarnation as a pig (SUkaravatara). His mother had hit
upon the truth without knowing the reality. Thus a devotee
of Vatsalya bhava reaching the heights of parental love is
totally oblivious of the majesty of Lord Kr~':la. However there
are certain decorums even in Vatsalya bhava, which a parent
has to observe towards a child.
The last and most intimate of all relationships is Madhurya
bhava in which the devotee enjoys all privileges. The Madhurya
bhava of the gopis, their selfless Divine Love is known to
all. It was this selfless Love that made the Supreme Brahman
Kr~':la forget His Godliness to become their eternal servitor.
Lord Kr~l}a yearned to hear these illiterate maidens of Braja
call Him a thief, flirt, etc., and even went to their houses
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Philosophy of Divine Love
to be thus abused. These gopis are supreme among all Saints.
Brahma, Siva and great paramaharhsas, entreat the Lord to
make them creepers, trees, etc., in Vrindavana, in order to
be blessed with the holy foot-dust of these gopis. The
Bhagavatam declares that even MahaJak~mi, the eternal consort
of Lord Vi~l}u could not attain the nectar of Divine Love,
with which the gopis were blessed.
yadvanchaya srirlalanacarattapo
vihaya kaman sucirariJ dhrtavrata
(Bhiigavatam)
Mahalaksmi could not gain entrance to the Divine dance,
even though' she performed great penance for millions of
ages. There is a beautiful verse in the Bhagavatam which
gives a glimpse of the height of the selfless Love of the
gopis.
yatte sujatacaral)amburuhariJ stane~u
bhitah sanaih priya dadhimahi karkase~u
tena'tavimat~si tad vyathate na kiriJsvit
kurpadibhir bhramati dhir bhavadayu~ariJ nal)
(Bhiigavatam)
o beloved Krsna we hold Your Lotus Feet so gently
to our breasts, lest' '~ur hard bodies should hurt Your tender
Feet. We are unable to bear the pain of seeing You walk
barefoot on the stony paths in the forest.' What tender feelings
these are! Even a stone-hearted person would be moved
hearing these words. Such is the greatness of the Love of
the gopis.
To conclude, Madhurya bhava is the sweetest, purest
and most exalted form of devotion. Devotion with this bhava
leads to attainment of the highest ecstasy of Divine Love.
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We should consciously and constantly, keep this sublime ideal
of Love before us, from the very beginning of our devotional
practice.
The fourth important characteristic of devotion is
'Ananyata' or steadfast devotion to one. It is ignorance of
this condition that debars a devotee's progress. The word
'Ananya in simple terms means 'anya nahirh' viz. none
other'. Loving only Lord Kr~rya is what 'Ananyata' is. If any
subject, apart from Kr~rya enters the mind Ananyata' is
obstructed and deprives the devotee from attaining His
beloved. This was the secret behind Lord Kr~rya's rescue of
Draupadi. When Du~sasana dragged Draupadi into the
assembly hall in order to insult her in the presence of
thousands of kings it was a moment of greatest embarrassment
for her. She first sought help from her five husbands, but
there was no response. She then frantically turned to the
great preceptors, Bhi~ma, Droryacarya etc. for protection. But
they too remained silent. When Draupadi s hopes of help
from the world dissolved before her very eyes, she decided
to use her own strength to protect herself. She clenched
her sari between her teeth and at the same time called out
to the Lord for help. At that time Lord Kr~':la was at Dvarika.
Foreseeing the calamity that had befallen His devotee, He
sat motionless. When His consort Rukrnit:li saw Him in this
strange stance she asked Him what the matter was. The
Lord replied A devotee of mine is in trouble. Well then
why don t you go and save that soul.' .' I cannot because
I am bound by My own law-
ananyascintayanto mam ye jana':a paryupasate
te~am nityabhiyuktanam yogak~emam vahamyaham
(Gita)
J take complete responsibility only of one who is
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
exclusively surrendered to Me, but this devotee still has
confidence in her own strength so I cannot protect her. "
But what strength could a helpless woman have, and
for how long could she face the mighty D~sasana, who had
the strength of ten thousand elephants? When the wicked
Duhsasana gave one jerk, the sari slipped from between her
teeth and Draupadi was totally helpless. She now abandoned
all faith in her own strength, and depended entirely upon
Lord Krsna. This was the moment of complete, unconditional
surrend~~: and the Lord immediately came to her rescue. Now
as Duhsasana pulled her robes, they seemed to be never-
ending.' He finally gave up in complete exhaustion.
Thus .Ananyata' or steadfast and exclusive devotion to
God, is the very foundation of devotion. This important
condition is most often ignored by people. Some people
worship God as well as the celestial and material beings,
and therefore they never attain Him. We should remember
that we have only one mind. Only subjects concerning Lord
Krsna should be admitted into one's mind, and all other
m'~t~rial subjects whether they are sattvika rajasika or
tamasika should be kept out. Unfortunately we never follow
this ideal. Most people worship celestial gods and goddesses
for fulfillment of selfish material desires. All this is mere
deception. When God is the principal abode of all material
and non-material powers, why bother to worship many deities?
It should be remembered that worship of all powers will not
amount to devotion to God, but worship of God alone, will
amount to worship of all powers.
yenarcito haris tena tarpitani jaganty~pi .
rajyante jantavas tatra sthavara jangama apt.
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
"One who worships God has worshipped everything... "
Veda Vyasa clearly states-
yatha tarormulani~ecanena
trPyanti tatskandhabhujopasakhaJ:a
prar:aopaharacca yathendriyar:aam
tathaiva sarvarhar:aamacyutejya
(Bhiigavatam)
'Just as watering the root of a tree, nourishes the trunk
branches, flowers and fruits, adoration of Lord Kr~t:la amounts
to adoration of all deities and of the whole universe." There
is no need of any other worship. On the other hand, if
we water the flowers, fruits and branches of a tree, the water
will not reach the roots. In fact, even the flowers and fruits
will not be nourished. In the same way, worship of all the
gods, men, and demons does not satisfy them, nor does it
amount to worship of God. Therefore, we must worship only
the Supreme, Ultimate, Divine Personality God, confining
ourselves to the feelings of respect towards others, like a
devoted wife who loves only her husband, but at the same
time respects her in-laws and other relations. The Gita clearly
states -
yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktaJ:a sraddhayarcitumicchati
tasya tasyacalam sraddham tameva vidadhamyaham
(Gitii)
"Whatever personality a devotee wishes to worship, he
is granted the power only of that personality. Lord Kr~t:la
I
states in the Gita-
yanti devavrata devan pitrn yanti pitrvrataJ:a
bhutani yanti bhutejya yanti madyajino'pi mam
(Gitii)
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
'Those, who worship the gods attain the gods, those
who worship the manes attain the manes, those who worship
men, spirits etc. attain them, and those who worship Me
alone, attain Me." Thus the worship of lesser beings brings
a lesser reward, whereas devotion to the Supreme Being brings
the supreme reward. Therefore Lord ~t:la advised Arjuna
to surrender to Him alone.
mameva ye prapadyante mayametam taranti te
(Gitii)
sarvadharman parityajya mamekam sarar:aam vraja
aham tvam sarvapapebhyo mok~ayi~yami ma sucaJ:a
(Gitii)
In these verses, the importance of undivided, single-minded
devotion has been emphasized again and again.
this is an example of the level to which people know the religion
There are some who declare that they worship the
Supreme Being, God in order to attain liberation, and worship
the other limited forms in order to attain material things.
This obViously implies that these people still desire the fleeting,
limited material possessions. This also proves that they do
not know for a fact that God alone is the true and only
source of bliss. Besides, the very first condition of preparatory
devotion is to renounce all desires right up to the desire
for mukti or liberation. Devotion to God alone should be our
aim. There should be no attachments elsewhere.
We are free to worship whichever descension of God
we wish. This does not hamper steadfastness. Some naIve
people transgress by differentiating between the different
descensions. This subject will be discussed later.
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Rupadhyana
The fifth condition is Rupadhyana, mental visualization
of the Divine names forms, attributes, pastimes and associates
of the Supreme Lord leading to the deepest states of
meditation. This condition is the most significant and requires
deep reflection. It has already been stated that the mind alone
is the cause of bondage and liberation. Whether it is worship
of God or the world, the mind has to be involved. H the
mind is not engaged in meditation upon God, it is bound
to go to the world, because it is the nature of the mind
that it cannot remain inactive, even for a fraction of a second.
Besides, both the world and the mind have originated from
Maya. Therefore, the mind has become well-practised in
running towards the material world as it has been doing so
since time immemorial. Therefore it is absolutely necessary
to concentrate the mind in meditation upon God.
At this point there is a question: we have never seen
God, so how can we possibly meditate upon Him, and what
do we have to do in Rupadhyana? In the world we meditate
upon a person whom we have seen. H we are blessed with
a vision of God once, then Rupadhyana will be easy.
Those who hold such a view are na·ive. It is like asking
for perfection first and practising discipline thereafter; or first
wanting to attain the reward and then making the effort. Does
this ever happen in the world? We never ask for a degree
first and then expect to appear for the examination; or want
our thirst to be quenched before drinking water. ObViously
this does not happen in worldly activities. It is totally impossible
to reap the fruits before planting the tree. It is the same
in the spiritual realm also we must practise Rupadhyana first,
and then we will see God.
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
Let us suppose for a moment that we are shown a
vision of God before we begin to meditate. The result of
this will be more harmful than beneficial. In fact, we can
even become atheists. You may not accept that seeing God
can make a person an atheist. But it is true. Once you
understand this perplexing .fact, you too will accept it.
We all imagine that the beauty of God is greater than
the beauty of innumerable kamadevas (god of beauty) put
together. When limited beauty in the world captivates the heart
we are bound to be enraptured by that infinite Divine beauty
of God if we get a chance to see Him. History is witness
to great paramaharhsas like the Sanakadikas, Janaka etc., who
were irresistably attracted by His infinite beauty. A mere
glimpse of it made these self-realized souls forget the bliss
of Brahman. How then can we who have experienced only
the insignificant fleeting material joys resist that irresistable
infinite beauty? All the paramaharhsas saw the actual Divine
form of God.
cidiinandamaya deha tumhiirr vigata vikiira jiina adhikiirr
(RiimiiyoT)o)
The form of God is Divinely blissful. That Divine form
can never be seen with material eyes. We require Divine vision
to see it. We cannot attain this Divine vision as yet because
we do not deserve it. Therefore the infinitely beautiful Divine
form of God cannot be seen by us. Instead we will see
only a material form with our material vision.
At present we have highly elevated feelings about the
all-attractive form and Divine beauty of God. However when
we see a material form with our material vision we will end
up losing even these feelings. Our reaction now will be "I
have seen God 'with my own eyes. Whatever the scriptures
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.
this project does not want the devotees to think that the animated Radha Krishna is actually them,
it is to be used as a tool, like deities, to assist them in their devotion. When their heart is pure,
Philosophy of Divine Loue Philosophy of Divine Love
God will grace them with the vision of Krishna & Radha's real Beautiful form, and they will attain
supreme bliss.
say is just nonsense, a mere fabrication of the imagination." as the highest Truth. The devotees saw Him as their beloved
We may not only destroy our own belief, but also that of Lord, the fountainhead of bliss. The emotions of Sita were
others. indescribable.

Tulasidasa had taken special care to reveal this fact. When
Lord Rama stood in the palace of King Janaka to lift the
mighty bow of Siva everyone saw Him in different forms
according to their individual purity of mind.
jiiki rahi bhiivanii jars.
prabhu murati dekhi tina taisi
dekhahim rupa mahii ra~adhirii
if he was to
manahum virarasa dharem saririi
appear in
~are kutila nrPa prabhuhim nihiiri
from of us
manahum bhayiinaka murati bhiiri
now,
rahe asura chala chonipa ve~ii
because our tinha prabhu prakata kiila sama dekhii
mind is not vidu~anha prabhu viriitamaya disii
pure, we
bahumukha kara paga locana sisii
would not joginha parama tattvamaya bhiisii
recognise siinta suddha sama sahaja prakiisii
him. haribhagatana dekhe dou bhriitii
i~tadeva iva saba sukha diitii
riimahim citava bhiiyam jehi siyii
so sanehum sukha nahim kathaniyii
ura anubhavati na kahi saka sou
kavana pt'akiira kahahi kabi kou
(Rarr. 'yol')o)
The warriors saw Him as the very embodiment of strength
and heroism. The wicked kings trembled at the very sight
of Him, as they saw a terrible form. The demons, disguised
as princes, beheld the Lord as death in personified form.
The wise men saw Him in His cosmic form with many faces
hands, feet, eyes and heads. To the yogis He shone forth
We can never perceive the true Divine form of God
with our defective vision. As a person suffering from jaundice
perceives even white objects to be yellow· as an ant holding
a grain of salt in its mouth experiences only the taste of
salt, although it is moving about on a pile of sugar in the
same way, we will always be deprived of perceiving the Divine
blissful form of God, so long as our vision is material. On
the contrary seeing God with this imperfect vision will result
in the false illusion 'I have seen God and know Him. It
is all a deception a mere imagination of poets, He is worse
than a hur:nan being ... '
The same thing happened during the descent of Lord
Kr~Da -
malliiniimasanimmiiril naravarah striniiril smaro murtimiin
gopiiniiril svajan~'~atiim k~itibh~jiiril ~iistii svapitro~ sisu~
mrtYurbhojapater virii~avidu~iim tattvaril. pararil yoginiim
vr~~iniim paradevateti vidito rarigam gatal:J siigrajal:J
(Bhagovotom)
When Kr~Da accompanied by His brother Balarama
entered the palace of Karhsa, He was perceived differently
by all those assembled there according to the deservedness
and purity of their hearts. The wrestlers saw Him as thunder.
When they shook hands with Him, and failed to bend even
a tender finger of His, they did not realize that He was
none other then the Supreme Being Himself, possessing more
strength than countless wrestlers put together. The common

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Philosophy of Divine Loue
people saw Him as a strong and intelligent boy. The young
ladies, enraptured by His beauty saw Him as Kamadeva (god
of beauty) in personified form. The gopas (cowherd boys) saw
Him as their dear friend. His parents affectionately looked
at Him as their darling child. For Karhsa He was the veritable
God of death, Yamaraja, in fearful form. The wicked-minded
people saw Him as a gigantic person with thousands of heads,
thousands of eyes, thousands of hands, and the flames of
thousands of suns leaping out from His mouth. They began
trembling with fear perceiving this formidable form. The yogis
saw Him as the Supreme Paramatma. The devotees of the
Yadava clan saw Him as their Deity. Now which category
would you place yourself in ? You can perceive the Lord as
the Supreme Being or Deity only if you are a yogi or a
bhakta. On the other hand, if you happen to see Him in
His Virata (Cosmic) form, you will lose whatever devotional
sentiments you have. From this it is obvious, that we should
never wish to see God before we begin to meditate. The
first thing to do is practise devotion in order to become
deserving. Then we will attain Divine vision to see that infinitely
blissful Divine form, and will thereafter experience the sublime
beauty and sweetness described in the scriptures.
One does not experience the intoxication of alcohol before
drinking it; merely looking at a sweet does not result in
the experience of its sweetness. However one who has
experienced the taste of sugar and hears someone describing
the deliciousness of a sweet can easily become restless to
taste it. He can imagine the sweetness of a sweet and long
for it, because he has already tasted sugar. It is on this very
basis, that sadhana (preliminary devotion) can be practised.
We can use the example of a highly placed person, who
enjoys great authority in the material world, in order to imagine
what privileges we will gain upon realizing God. On realizing
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Philosophy of Divine Love
God, innumerable lndras, Varut:las Yamarajas etc., will stand
with folded hands, and Maya will never come to us again.
We will not only be rid of bondage of all disease but will
also be blessed with a Divine form and will attain Divine
bliss eternally. If we actually think about this, we will realize
that it is quite an easy Sadhana.
The next problem in rupadhyana is that, whatever we
meditate upon, is bound to be material. How can we possibly
practise Divine meditation when we don't have the slightest
idea of what the 'Divine' is. The RamaYClQa states-
go gocam jaharh lagi mana jai so saba maya jiinehu bhiii
(Riimiiya,:!a)
The 'Divine' is beyond the grasp of the senses, mind
and intellect. The Vedas emphasize the same fact-
yato vaco nivartante aprapya manasii sal:t
iinandarh brahmar:to vidviin na vibheti kutascaneti
(Veda)
The mind is a product of Maya. It is made of matter.
Even the highest thoughts of this mind are bound to be
material. God on the other hand is Divine. He is totally
beyond the senses mind and intellect. Therefore, whatever
meditation we do will only be material. How then can we
get a Divine reward for our material meditation?
This subject needs deep reflection. Once the answer to
this question is fully grasped by the spiritual aspirant, this
problem of rupadhyana will be solved. Let us understand four
important philosophies in this regard.
The first is, those who love God with the knowledge
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Philosophy of Diuine Loue
of His Divinity, see His Divine form and are gratified eternally.
The great souls such as Janaka, Uddhava etc., who knew
and saw the Lord as the Supreme Being, were rewarded
with Divine bliss.
The second are those souls who love God without knowing
and seeing His Divine form. For example-
tameva paramiitmiinam jiirabhuddyiipi sarigatiiJ:a
jahur gu~amayam deham sadyaJ:a pra~i~abandhaniiJ:a.
(Bhagouotom)
The gopis were not aware of the Almighty Divine form
of Lord Kr~':la. They selflessly loved only Him as their
paramour and were rewarded with Divine bliss because-
dadiimi buddhiyogam tam yena miimupayiinti te
(G"ita)
The aim of meditating upon the Lord with devotion,
is to make our surrender complete, i.e. our mind wholly
attached to Him. The gopis did this, and the Lord eternally
blessed them with Divine power. Even Karhsa received this
grace, because he had completely attached his mind to Lord
Kr~':la.
We can understand this through the example of fire.
Whether one deliberately jumps into fire, or one is caught
unawares, the fire bums both alike. Again, whether poison
is taken deliberately or unknowingly, the result is death. In
the same way, whether one unites the mind with God, either
knowing Him to be God, or not knowing, the result is the
same, the attainment of Divine Love bliss. However you
may say that this rule is applicable only during the descensions
of God. What do we do today? Had we been there during
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descensions of God we would certainly have benefitted by
seeing Him.
Now listen to the reality. You were there during all the
descensions of Lord Rama and Lord Kr~':la. The Vedas declare
that the individual souls are eternal. Hence, you were always
there whenever God descended on this earth, since
beginningless time. But unfortunately you were deluded by the
external worldly actions of those incomprehensible Personalities:
"This man Rama, is even worse than I am. He is so infatuated
with his wife, that such infatuation cannot be found even
in the materialistic age of Kaliyuga' ." When the demon Ravana
abducted Sita from the forest Lord Rama was submerged
in such intense grief that He even lost sense of His own
identity and whereabouts. He wandered about like a madman
and asked His brother Lak~maJ:1a who He was, and what
they were doing in the forest.
ko' ham briihi sakhe svayam sa bhagaviin....
(Valmlki RamayoT)o)
Laksmana was naturally shocked to see His brother in
this state of ignorance. When he told Rama who they were
and what they were doing in the forest, Lord Rama again
fainted in the grief of separation when He heard ~ma':la
mention the name of d"anaki (Sita). His sorrow seemed to
drown His reason to such an extent that He called out to
the trees birds rivers and mountains one by one, and
beseeched them for help.
he khaga mrga he madhukara sre~i tuma dekhi sitii mrganaini
yehi vidhi khojata vilapata svomi manahuriJ maho virahi ati komi
(RamayoT)o)
Had we seen Lord Rama in this anguished state, we
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Philosophy of Divine Love
would have never accepted Him even as an ordinary human
being. The question of accepting Him as an incarnation just
does not arise. We think of God as one who experiences
neither hunger nor thirst nor sorrow, nor suffering, nor
solitude nor separation. How can God who is eternally self-
contented lose control of Himself and suffer such intense grief,
merely on separation from His wife? Even a human being
would behave more sensibly in such a situation. We don't
find people questioning inanimate objects such as lamp-posts
or traffic lights, when they are searching for a missing person
do we? Then why did Lord Rama behave worse than an
ordinary mortal? The RamaYaJ!a clearly declares-
So morally & by the
rama dekhi sun; carita tumhare
rules of Hinduism
ja4a mohahim budha hohim sukhare
my project is
(RiimiiyoT)o) acceptable
Even the greatest intellectuals are confused, seeing the
actions of God." Hence it is a total misconception for ordinary
material beings to presume that they can love God and attain
Him during His descension.
Now let us come to the third philosophy. We have just
discussed that the reward of loving God knowingly or
unknowingly is Divine Love bliss, but the third philosophy
is even more astonishing. The result of loving material things
with the feelings of divinity is also the very same Divine
bliss. This may be rather difficult to accept, because it never
happens in the material world. A person who eats a sweet
made of cow-dung, with the feelings that it is a sweet, does
not experience the taste of a sweet. He only experiences
the taste of cow-dung. Again, one who does not know that
there is poison in the milk, and drinks it with the feeling
that it is only milk, will obviously die, even though he drank
it with the feeling that it is milk. How then can a person
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attain the reward for his feeling when he loves a stone or
any other material object with the feeling that it is God?
According to these examples of practical experience which
we have discussed, the reward should be according to the
object, and not the feelings.
In this context the subject of mum-worship needs to
be discussed. Let us understand the science behind it. Objects
are of two kinds: active and inert. Both are under the control
of Maya. Consider the example of a sweet made of cow-
dung and a person who is considering that sweet to be real.
In this example, both the objects the sweet made of cow-
dung, as well as the sweet being imagined are non-living
things. There is no reward for the feelings in a non-liVing
thing. Let us take up the next possiblity: the reward for
feelings of a living being in a lifeless thing. Suppose we
contemplate upon a living person in a lifeless object such
as a photograph, we will still not attain the reward for our
feeling, because the person we are thinking about ,is not a11-
pervading or all-knowing. He does not know that we are
thinking about him.
Lastly, let us consider the fourth philosophy; the reward
for feelings of divinity in animate or inanimate things. For
example, one who worships a murti of stone with the feeling
of diVinity in it attains a Divine reward. The reason is that
God is all-pervading. The sweet made of cow-dung or the
living man pictured in the photograph are not all-pervading,
so the feelings in these cases are not rewarded. God on
the other hand is present in every particle of the universe,
and is omniscient: He knows our every thought. Residing in
our hearts, He takes note of our each and every idea, and
rewards us according to our intentions. Now if someone were
to ask, "Will the reward be Divine, if we drink milk containing
poison while considering God to be present in it?", the answer
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Philosophy of Divine Loue
is that the reward depends upon the degree of our faith in
the all-pervasiveness of God. If there is total faith, the reward
will be Divine. On the other hand, if the faith is incomplete,
the reward is bound to be death. Our faith must be firm
and unswerving like that of Mira, who drank poison given
to her with the feeling of her beloved Kr~Da's presence in
it. The poison had no effect. In the same way the devotee
Prahlada was protected by the Lord when he was forced to
sit in fire. But if we perform the same action without absolute
faith, God will not alter the course of cause and effect. From
this, it is obvious that God is different from material entities,
both animate and inanimate. The first difference is that He
is all-pervading.
hari vyiipaka sarvatra samiinii
(Ramayarya)
What is lacking in us is faith. To derive spiritual benefit
the mind must be united with God who is all-pervading. The
second important difference is that, even if God were not
all-pervading, He is all-knowing. He knows all our material
thoughts. Although we cannot develop Divine feelings, if the
resolution is for the Divine, then according to the rules of
the spiritual realm, the reward will be Divine. On the other
hand, material beings and non-living things are not all-knowing.
Let us take a simple example to understand this
philosophy. Suppose you call out to a chocolate, obViously
it will not come because it is a lifeless object. It does not
have any sense organs, mind, intellect, or consciousness. Next,
if you call a conscious being, he may come, if he has heard
you. He possesses sense organs, a mind, an intellect and
is a conscious being. However if this conscious being is too
far away from you or does not want to come, then he
will not come. God, on the other hand is not far. He is
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Philosophy of Divine Love
all-pervading and at the same time omniscient. He takes note
of our every thought, and when we callout to Him, He
will come, because it is His nature and His law to do so.
Thus, we can meditate upon God using a material thing
such as, a photo, or an image, and attain our Divine goal.
It is on the basis of this philosophy that innumerable souls
have realized God, and are realizing Him through meditation.
It is a Divine law that we will be blessed with God's grace
according to our feelings when we sincerely practise devotion
even though our meditation is material. Had God judged our
meditation according to the standards set for Saints, no material
being would ever attain Him as it is impossible for anyone
to contemplate upon the Divine form of God with a material
mind.
The fourth philosophy regarding meditation is not of much
use in devotion. Like the first philosophy it is known to
all. If one attaches the mind to liVing or non-living material
things with material feelings, the reward will be material, viz.
suffering in the endless cycle of births and deaths.
These in short, are the four philosophies regarding
material meditation and the corresponding rewards. There is
one point to be noted here. It is easy to have Divine feelings
in a non-living thing, but if we centre the same feelings in
a material liVing person then this devotion will not be steady.
For one person to constantly accept another as God is
extremely difficult, because he sees imperfections in the other.
We can attain Divine benefit from a Guru or Master, but
if we frequently have material feelings towards him it is bound
to affect our devotion adversely. Only that devotion to the
Guru is true. in which we always retain a feeling of divinity
towards his personality. Otherwise to maintain steady Divine
feelings towards material beings is almost impossible. Therefore
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the system of murti-worship, devoting oneself to an inanimate
object with Divine feelings is prevalent in the world. Thus,
one can take the help of an image or picture of one's choice
in rupadhyana. Worship of external images trains the mind
in concentration. However, worship through external images
is not a must· it can be through the imagination. But the
important fact is that rupadhyana is necessary. To practise
devotion without meditation is fruitless effort. The greates
advantage of meditation upon the Divine form is that
concentration comes easily to the mind. And because the
concentration is upon God, who is all-pervading and all-
.knowing the reward will be Divine. The mind will not only
turn away from the world but will also attain eternal Divine
benefit.
GeneraJly, those who practise meditation feel the presence
of God before them or in their hearts only while they are
engaged in devotional practise, but they totally forget Him
thereafter. This kind of devotional practice is not correct
because there is no point in earning ten rupees and losing
them within a few minutes. Just as we are always conscious
of the r. we mu t add to it the consciousness that God
is always with me, everywhere. We shall now consider the
problem: Upon which descension of God should we meditate?

Some people control the mind by concentrating it upon

a point. There are two drawbacks to this kind of meditation.
Firstly the mind can never concentrate constantly without
haVing attained Supreme Divine bliss. Secondly, whatever little
concentration we achieve will be temporary as ignorance and
sarhskaras of past innumerable lives quickly pull us back into
the material world. Therefore we must concentrate the mind
upon God alone so that we can be rid of the world once
and for aU and at the same time. attain Divine benefit
eternally. Besides this it is extremely difficult to concentrate
the roving mind upon any dot or point. Whereas it is naturally
easy to attach the mind to the aU-attractive Divine form,
attributes, pastimes etc., of the supremely fascinating Lord
Sri Kr~l)a.

Whilst meditating, we must always remember that God,

upon whose form we are meditating is Divine. He possesses
unlimited beauty and sweetness. We should constantly think,
"He alone is my all in all. He is always with me and is
my eternal protector.'.
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