The document discusses the differences between advaita realization and divine love or prema bhava. It states that under advaita, God is considered ultimately unreal and there is no individual soul or bhakta. Advaita realization culminates in a state of dreamless sleep with no conscious feeling of love. However, pure love for God experienced by bhaktas in various rasas like parental or conjugal affection surpasses satisfaction of one's own self. Prema bhava cannot be attained through advaita's process of self-inquiry but only by the Lord's grace or association with devotees. While the absolute truth is one, different spiritual paths lead to different results - either a state of sleep
The document discusses the differences between advaita realization and divine love or prema bhava. It states that under advaita, God is considered ultimately unreal and there is no individual soul or bhakta. Advaita realization culminates in a state of dreamless sleep with no conscious feeling of love. However, pure love for God experienced by bhaktas in various rasas like parental or conjugal affection surpasses satisfaction of one's own self. Prema bhava cannot be attained through advaita's process of self-inquiry but only by the Lord's grace or association with devotees. While the absolute truth is one, different spiritual paths lead to different results - either a state of sleep
The document discusses the differences between advaita realization and divine love or prema bhava. It states that under advaita, God is considered ultimately unreal and there is no individual soul or bhakta. Advaita realization culminates in a state of dreamless sleep with no conscious feeling of love. However, pure love for God experienced by bhaktas in various rasas like parental or conjugal affection surpasses satisfaction of one's own self. Prema bhava cannot be attained through advaita's process of self-inquiry but only by the Lord's grace or association with devotees. While the absolute truth is one, different spiritual paths lead to different results - either a state of sleep
The document discusses the differences between advaita realization and divine love or prema bhava. It states that under advaita, God is considered ultimately unreal and there is no individual soul or bhakta. Advaita realization culminates in a state of dreamless sleep with no conscious feeling of love. However, pure love for God experienced by bhaktas in various rasas like parental or conjugal affection surpasses satisfaction of one's own self. Prema bhava cannot be attained through advaita's process of self-inquiry but only by the Lord's grace or association with devotees. While the absolute truth is one, different spiritual paths lead to different results - either a state of sleep
advaita realisation there is no Bhagavan as lshwar is considered ultimately unreal at paramarthika (absolute) state. There is also no bhakta because such identity ceases. What is left is pure attribute- less consciousness. There is no one to love anyone. Adi Shankacharya in his commentary to Brhad- aranyka Upanishad 4.3.31-32 describes brahmananda (advaita realisation) not as a spiritual platform for divine love but as a state of blissful dreamless deep sleep. Just as one on some nights experiences bliss but no conscious feeling of love in deep dreamless sleep that is how Adi Shankacharya describes the bliss of advaita realisation. Prabhu·H It's true that One's Own Self is Ver Dear to a Person but when Pure and Uncontaminated LOVE is present between TWO SELVES it surpasses the Pleasure of One's Own Self.
SB 1.7. 9: SrT Saunaka asked SOta GosvamT.· SrT
Sukadeva GosvamT was already on the path of self-realization [Brahman Ralization], and thus he was pleased with his own self. So why did he take the trouble to undergo the study of such a vast literature?
SB 1.7 .1 O: SOta GosvamT said: All different
varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in the atma, or spirit self}, especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.
"Indeed, the nature of Lord Hari is such that even
atmaramas [those who take pleasure in the atma, or spirit self] feel attracted to Him." The advaitin may take the view that one's own self is the most dearest thing in their existence and the highest bliss culminates in satisfying the self. But real love is self-less. not self-orientated. For the bhakta, greater than satisfying one's own self is
Lord. The bhakta situated in prema bhava has no
desire for attaining advaita realisation (kaivalya moksha), material opulences nor eternal residence with the Lord for their own self-satisfaction - for the latter the bhakta doesn't even consider themself eligible for any kind of liberation due to their humility. Their only existential concern is "how can I please and serve the Lord in this life and the next". This is the epitome of self-less love. The bhakta is prepared to take birth, life after life and continue serving Him in any life form, not for their own self- satisfaction but simply to please the Lord and serve His purpose. The bhakta sees everything and everyone as part of the Lord and is therefore able to universally love everyone and everything. He sees oneness in diversity. - Then Suka Deva, who was then residing as the Paramatman, the Internal controller of all the beings and with all the beings, knowing Vyasa Deva as very much fatigued, distressed, and crying, spoke out as an echo from the mountains and trees thus :-- "O Father! There is no difference between you and me, considered in the light of Atman; then why are you weeping for me?"
(1.19) edited 4:34 PM ..//
21. Thereafter, he suddenly broke through* and soared away from the two peaks of the mountain and that excellent mountain could not obstruct his passage. 1 22. Coursing from above, the pious-souled Suka beheld the river * * Mandakini (the 5th stage in the spiritual progress. in the (Vayu-Vid.,'4-NK) and a forest full of blossoming trees. 23. In the waters of the Mandakini, a bevy of celestial damsels were indulging in sports while bathing. Those naked ladies of good form saw the formless sage. 24. Knowing that Suka was traversing ( towards Brahma) the father, overwhelmed with affection followed him closely· from behind taking to that excellent course. 25. But Suka directed his course far above the aerial region of the wind (i.e. above the sQtrdtman-NK) and having thus shown his Yogic prowess, became all-pervading ( identical with the Brahman) • 26. Vyasa, the performer of a great, austere penance, adopted the path of Yoga and within the twinkling of the eye· reached the spot where Suka alighted (with a dash). 27. He saw there the mountain peak split in two and the passage through which Suka passed. The Siddhas and sages· praised the ( yogic) passage and achievement of his son. 28. Thereafter, crying out loudly upon the name of Suka it was lamented so loudly by the father ( Vyasa) that the three worlds resounded with the cry. 29. The pious-souled Suka who had access everywhere· ( as he became one with the Brahman), was the soul of all and· hence with faces all round reseonded by uttering vibrantly the word Bhol) ( as if in an echo). 30. Thereupon, echoing the mono-syllabic sound Bho(i· ( 0 Sire ! ) , the whole world consisting of the mobiles and immobiles responded loudly to the reply of Suka. 31. Since then,cven to thisday, when sounds arc uttered· in mountain caves or plateaus they still echo them as if in answer to Suka. 41.ctJft~ 'filt-~ ~ ~P"1lcti, 'ft Sis4"1:+i q:iaw q~dfi<Ci _,if~•q...,.cft~n-~WiR lit~ !3ll '-IT,~ Jifcfic:fi-~ lq,q~ fcw(g¥idt cAA1% aiiaHcfii .£Mqtl( 4 ~ ~ qt, ~~"gt 3H'!81cl I ..oC4itf ~ 3\~q?f ~ C(qcM ffl Affl &U~Jit - ff'IIQdill lffln~- 1ff fta'j.dl«ci ijRq1=1m~ftq II ~ ft.<g~ ~ ~ ~ ~-"tzt ! ~ !' ~ ~~~~SJftU~4ffl~3ltm~m ~ I ~ ~ ~ ~{13jqi=f ~'UiMcl ~ ~ 11: \cili'4ictqfl◄MSJ!@fti(~¥- n1:s,,.a ,3'1, auf:.C.;;\d:.i ~cs111 1 1qw;1( ~ t II ~ 11 ~ ~q,:,:J•li!fff 3t~-ij When one attains prema bhava (love of God) upon liberation they experience not a state of dreamless deep sleep but one of five different rasas (mellows) in loving association with the Lord. They are namely,
• Santha (devotion in neutrality);
• Dasya (devotion in servitude);
• Sakhya (devotion in friendship);
• Vatsalya (devotion in parental affection) or
• Madhurya (devotion in conjugal love)
As advaita rejects the very personality of Godhead
to be unreal at paramarthika state the above mellows of love of God are not attained in advaita realisation and hence the advaitin is deprived of this most supreme bliss. Vedic literature is full of wonderful examples of bhaktas who have relished various rasas of divine prema bhava. In the Valmiki Ramayana, King Dasaratha relishes prema bhava in vatsalya rasa (devotion in parental affection) and declares to Kaikeya that dearer than his own life/self is Rama himself. Separately, the Ayodhyavasis were all prepared to abandon Ayodhya and accompany Rama to the forest because they couldn't bear separation from Him. Hanumana has agreed to remain living on Earth until the end of the Kali yuga in service of Sri Rama. In Vrindavana lila the residents relished love in separation for Krishna in madhurya bhava. Bhaktas never see themselves as being separate from the Lord but nor do they identify themselves to be the all pervading paramatma. So how is premananda attained? Well, certainly not through the advaita process of gyana, self-inquiry, practising silence and neti neti. Uddhava, a great disciple of the Brhaspati (guru of the devas) was already a great brahm gyani and knower of all the vedas. However, when he tried to "educate" the gopis of Vrindavana with brahm gyana and meditation he came to the realisation that the love that the gopis had for the supreme Lord eclipsed his brahman realisation. He realised that despite knowing shastra his realisation had not yet culminated in Krishna prema and therefore he felt he had failed. It dawned on him that the gopis surpass him as the topmost yogis having attained love of God. Premananda therefore cannot be attained through the advaita process of self-inquiry, silencing the mind or gyana. It can only be attained by the divine grace of the supreme Lord himself or through the association of other bhaktas as described throughout vedic literature. Krishna reveals to Uddhava in Srimad Bhagavatam: SB 11. 14.21: My dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sarikhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation.
SB 11.14.21: Only by practicing unalloyed devotional
service with full faith in Me can one obtain Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am naturally dear to My devotees, who take Me as the only goal of their loving service. By engaging in such pure devotional service, even the dog-eaters can purify themselves from the contamination of their low birth.
SB 11. 14.22: Neither religious activities endowed
with honesty and mercy nor knowledge obtained with great penance can completely purify one's consciousness if they are bereft of loving service to Me. Therefore, pure love of God lies beyond the comprehension and reach of monistic aspirants and for many advaitins, it is not even a spiritual goal. Whilst the Absolute Truth is one different realisations give different results. One can therefore decide whether they wish to attain advaita realisation/brahmananda and enjoy a state of bliss in deep sleep or get closer to the Absolute reality and relish the supreme bliss of premananda in eternal association with the Lord. Love is universally declared with the words "I love you" and the highest object of love is Shyamsundar to whom one can declare that love.