In today’s world, “love” is everywhere - on our screens, in conversations, and in the stories we share. Yet, amidst all this talk of love, many of us still feel a sense of emptiness or loneliness. So often, the love we chase or receive seems conditional and short-lived, offering fairy-tale promises that rarely withstand the realities of everyday life.
If you’ve ever wondered whether true and lasting love actually exists, you’re not alone. Swami Mukundananda, in his insightful commentary on the Narad Bhakti Sutras, speaks directly to this universal longing. He guides us on how to rise above temporary attachments and uncover a love that is pure, selfless, and eternally fulfilling - the boundless, unconditional love of the Divine.
Real Talk: Love vs. Lust (Prem vs. Kaam)
We casually use the word "love" for everything - from our favourite gadgets to our closest relationships. But Swami Mukundananda reminds us that there’s a profound difference between worldly attraction and genuine spiritual love:
- Worldly Love (Kām): This kind of love is driven by self-interest and personal happiness. It often takes the form of desire or attachment - we “love” someone for how they make us feel. But the loving connection fades when those feelings fade. Such selfish love inevitably leaves us feeling empty and restless.
- Divine Love (Prem): In contrast, divine love is marked by purity and selflessness. It gives and forgives unconditionally, expecting nothing in return. Divine love fills the heart with a bliss that surpasses all worldly happiness.
“Lust and love are as starkly apart as darkness and the sun.” Swami Mukundananda
From Lust to Love: Qualities of Divine Love
Swami Mukundananda highlights several crowning qualities of Divine Love in his commentary on the Narad Bhakti Sutras:
- Divine Love is Unconditional (Guṇa Rahitam): It transcends physical beauty, social status, and personal gain. The devotee loves God simply because loving Him is the deepest calling of the purified heart.
- Divine Love is Free from Desires (Kāmanā Rahitam): Swamiji explains that pure Bhakti renounces even the desire for Mukti (liberation), as any form of personal gain - even spiritual - is considered as selfish desire. The goal is purely the pleasure of Beloved.
- Ever-Growing (Pratikṣhaṇa Vardhamānam): Unlike worldly romance, which often fades with time, Bhakti is like an endless tide - always rising, never receding. In this love, one feels both fulfilment and an ever-deepening longing simultaneously!
- Unbroken (Avichchhinnam): This is the acid test. True love endures even when the Beloved behaves "adversely," or when life gets tough.
- Subtler than the Subtlest (Sūkṣhmataram): Divine love is subtle and inward - it does not need outward display. It is a silent force that transforms one’s very consciousness from within.
- Experiential (Anubhava rūpam). It is not just a concept or philosophy - it is a living realisation, something to be directly “tasted” within the soul through the practice of Sadhan Bhakti. As one cannot know the sweetness of honey by reading about it, the essence of Bhakti can only be understood through personal experience.
By shifting from the transactional love of the world to the selfless embrace of Para Bhakti, the seeker discovers a love that is eternal, ever fresh, and endlessly fulfilling.
The Process to Attain Divine Love: Preparing the Vessel
Swami Mukundananda explains that our mind and intellect are clouded by impressions from countless lifetimes. Through Sadhan Bhakti, we can purify ourselves and become worthy vessels for Siddha Bhakti (divine love). To receive perfect love, we must strive to become perfect lovers.
- Sadhan Bhakti (The Practice Phase) Consider this period as a time of preparatory devotion, where you consciously shape and strengthen the "vessel" of your heart to receive the nectar of divine grace. Swamiji emphasises that living a life infused with Bhakti (devotion) during this stage is absolutely vital:
- Continuous Absorption in God: Staying constantly absorbed in the remembrance of God helps shield us from distracting worldly thoughts. Swamiji explains through the example of firewood.
If you keep rubbing its twigs together, after some time, a blaze is created. But for this to happen, the temperature must be sufficiently raised by constant friction. Instead, if we rub and then stop - and again rub and again stop - the wood will wear off, but fire will not ignite. Similarly, the fire of bhakti will not manifest without continuous devotional practice.
It is akin to washing a cloth, only to then toss it back into the sand - each interruption undoes your sadhana, making it impossible for the cloth (heart) to truly become clean. - Daily Contemplation of Divine Knowledge: We are guided to read and listen to bhakti scriptures to feed our intellect with divine knowledge.
- Blazing Aspiration: Do not be lukewarm. Swamiji urges us to hasten our pace by developing a "blazing desire" to experience this love.
- Cultivating Bhavs: You can connect with God through various sentiments (servant, friend, beloved, etc.), making the relationship personal.
- The Power of Kirtan: Swamiji highlights Kirtan as the most effective way to melt a "frozen" heart and cleanse the mind.
- Practice Karm Yog: Many people wonder - does practising devotion mean we have to abandon our everyday responsibilities? Swami Mukundananda explains that true Bhakti is lived through Karm Yog, which beautifully blends our worldly duties (“Karm”) with a constant inner connection to God (“Yog”). A Karm Yogi continues to fulfil day-to-day obligations, but with a difference: the body is engaged in the world, while the mind remains lovingly attached to the Divine. For such a devotee, worldly things are notdistractions to be enjoyed for their own sake, but tools that can support and deepen their spiritual journey.
- Continuous Absorption in God: Staying constantly absorbed in the remembrance of God helps shield us from distracting worldly thoughts. Swamiji explains through the example of firewood.
- Siddha Bhakti (The Goal Phase)
As we practice Sadhan Bhakti, our hearts are slowly cleansed, helping us rise above the endless search for personal happiness - whether material or spiritual. Gradually, a sincere desire to serve the Beloved takes root, making the heart ready to receive Siddha Bhakti, or Perfect Love. This extraordinary form of divine love - also known as para bhakti or prema bhakti - is a rare gift from God.
Swamiji gently reminds us that Divine Love is not something we can achieve through effort alone. It comes as a gift of Grace, bestowed by God through the Guru, when our hearts are truly pure and open to receive it.
Eligibility for Divine Love: Meeting a True Guru
Although Divine Love is an energy of God, He chooses to bestow it through the medium of His devotee (Guru). A true Guru is the one who has attained Divine Love of God Himself.
In his Bhakti Sutras, Sage Narad has dedicated quite a few verses to highlight the paramount importance of a true Guru. This is because God does not manifest before us until we have purified our hearts. In contrast, the Guru helps us in the process of purifying our hearts. We learn the secrets of the scriptures and the process of sadhana from the Guru. He guides us in our practice and resolves our doubts. The Guru encourages us, points out our mistakes, and engages us in seva.
According to Sage Narad, finding a true Guru is not a matter of mere chance - it is a rare blessing bestowed by God’s special grace. However, this divine connection requires certain inner prerequisites to be fulfilled:
Intense Yearning (Lālasā) – We draw God’s grace toward us when we cultivate an intense longing to meet and serve Him - a yearning so profound that every moment apart feels like an eternity. Only when this longing fills our heart does the Supreme, who dwells within, arrange for us to encounter a true Guru.
Humility (Dinatā) – When we develop genuine humility, it naturally leads us to surrender our intellect at the lotus feet of the Guru. God also kindles our faith in the Saint, thereby fostering a deep, inner bond between the spiritual master and disciple.
The Result: Living in "Divine Intoxication."
Right at the beginning of the Narad Bhakti Sutras, Sage Narad vividly describes the transformative state one attains through Divine Love (Bhakti). Swami Mukundananda’s eloquent translations of these opening verses beautifully capture this profound state of divine intoxication.
- “That bhakti is in the form of the highest love.” (Verse #2)
- “Bhakti is of the nature of eternal bliss.” (Verse #3)
- “On attaining it, a person becomes perfect, immortal, and satisfied.” (Verse #4)
- “On attaining it, material desires do not remain, nor does lamentation. One does not hate, nor rejoices in worldly pleasures; and one has no enthusiasm for worldly gain.” (Verse #5)
- “On knowing God, one becomes divinely intoxicated, gets overwhelmed with bliss, and rejoices in Him.” (Verse #6)
Thus, engaging in bhakti and attaining Divine Love is considered the soul’s highest dharma. Swami Mukundananda beautifully encapsulates this in his concluding remarks on the Narad Bhakti Sutras (Verse #84): “…if we sincerely follow his (Sage Narad’s) guidance, we will undoubtedly receive the ultimate treasure of divine love. We will attain the Supreme Beloved and eternal beatitude.”
Ultimately, as Swami Mukundananda’s commentary on the Narad Bhakti Sutras reveals, the pursuit of divine love elevates us beyond the temporary pleasures and transient relationships of this world. True fulfilment emerges when we let go of self-centred desires and open our hearts to the boundless, unconditional love of the Divine. This journey not only transforms our relationship with God but also enriches every moment of our lives with deeper purpose, peace, and joy.
Take the Deep Dive
This blog post offers only a brief glimpse of the deep wisdom in the Narad Bhakti Sutras. In his full commentary, Swami Mukundananda explains each sutra in detail and gives clear steps for finding perfect love. He makes complex spiritual ideas easy to understand for everyone.
If you want to stop looking for “perfect love” in temporary things and find it within yourself, this book can guide you.
If you want to stop looking for “perfect love” in temporary things and find it within yourself, this book can guide you.
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