.
21. Yatha braja gopikanam
Like it happened to the Gopis of Brindavan. The Gopis had nothing of their own. Every move they made was for the Divine.
Like the Bhakti of the Gopis of Braja. Innumerable Gopis are the symbol of the countless souls, atmans, They are very eager to become one with Krishna. Krishna is the symbol of the supreme God. In such love, it is not at all necessary for Krishna to be physically present. It is sufficient to have his devotion in one’s heart. Like the love of Radha for Krishna, who always was in his company the love of Mira is exactly on the same footing, even though Krishna was not present with her. Whenever the fire of Bhakti is kindled in the soul, the realization of God (Krishna) is inevitable. Gopis are not able to forget Krishna even for a moment. They become very anguished when Krishna is not with them. The love of Gopis for Krishna is not the ordinary love of the mortals, it is the purest form of the love of God, which is Bhakti. They see Krishna as the Supreme Lord not as an ordinary man. Whenever, one reaches that highest peak of love, where one’s beloved is transformed into God, the love becomes Bhakti.
22. Tatrapi na mahatmya gyana vismrityapavadah.
They (the Gopis) did not forget the greatness, the respect, the glory of the Divine, while also being in Divine Love.
Even in that case (i.e. in the case of Gopis) to say that they were not aware of the divine glory of the lord, is not correct. As stated in the previous Sutra, the Gopis love Krishna as the Supreme God not as a man, this awareness of divine state of Krishna exalted the love of Gopis to the level of Bhakti. Gopis were loving Krishna all alike. There was no jealousy or heart burning among them as is common in the worldly love affairs. All of them loved Krishna alike, no one wanted to have any exclusive right over the lord. In case of ordinary love of men, lovers want to have exclusive control over their beloveds. Even more doubt of some one else’s presence causes jealousy and heartburn. Such is the difference between the love of ordinary mortals and that of Gopis.
23. Tadviheenam jaranamiva
Without that love, without that respect, love is worth nothing. It is like the love of prostitutes.
If they had not known the presence of the lord and had they (Gopis) not known his glory, their love too would have been of the nature of an adulator’s passion. The presence of the divinity exalts the love of Gopis to the state of absolute purity and glory. The absence of the divinity would have reduced the love of Gopis for Krishna, to the level of the adulator love affairs of the ordinary men and women.
24. Nastyeva tasmin tatsukh sukhitvam.
Rejoicing in the comfort of the Beloved (the Divine) is the sign of Divine Love.
In that (in the adulators love affair one’s own happiness cannot become the happiness of others. In the worldly love, driven by passion, each lover wants to derive pleasure for himself. Pleasure of one cannot become the pleasure of all. But in divine love, the pleasures and pains are shared alike. The Gopis shared their pleasured and their pains equally.
25. Sa tu karma gyana yogabhya api adhikatara
This love is higher than action, higher than any service that you may do.
If you examine, if you keenly look into the experience of love that you all have had, you will find all these characteristics hiding here and there. It is all there, it only needs a little watering, a little enrichment. That is why these Sutras - the threads.
For a kite to go high, it needs a little thread. This knowledge, this wisdom is such thread.
The divine love (Bhakti) described above, is far superior to work (Karma), knowledge (Gyana) and yoga. Following the path of work, knowledge or yoga, it is with great difficulty that the practitioners may reach the divine. But the lord himself comes to his Bhakta. Karma-yoga or the yoga of work is the way of reaching the divine by doing the work without any desire for its rewards. The way of knowledge (Gyana) is similarly lies in obtaining knowledge free from delusions and impurities. Yoga requires constant practice and renunciation to reach the state of the perfection.
Bhakti has no pre-conditions, no pre-qualifications. There is no prescribed method or formula is Bhakti. On the contrary a devotee believes that he cannot obtain anything through his own efforts. When only leaves aside all the supports and become free of ego, the divine descends into him. This is his grace. Therefore, Narad pronounces that the way of Bhakti is far superior to the ways of Karma, Gyana or yoga. Being a realized soul his pronouncement has authority and authenticity. Everyone is free to try it and experience it.
26. Phala rupatvat
That Divine love is itself an end, is itself the fruit.
Narad says that the Bhakti is of the nature of the fruit or the reward. This is a unique declaration. The depth of this Sutra should be understood clearly. It is the belief of the followers of the ways of Karma, Gyana or yoga that the seeds of these should be watered by the constant effort and practice. Then it will grow into a plant in season it will bear flowers and fruits. But in Bhakti, there is no correlation between the work and its reward or its fruit. The Supreme Being is completely free from our efforts, he is not controlled by our efforts, and He is far above these things. There is the worldly rule that one should sow the seed, water it gives it fertilizers, then it will grow in to a plant. The flowers and fruit will come and this cycle of cause and effect will continue forever. This is not the rule of the Supreme God. The Bhakti is not of the nature of a seed, it is of the nature of the fruit itself. There is no need to Strive or to make efforts, fruit is obtained directly.
27. Ishwarsya api abhimana dveshitvat dainyapriyatvat cha.
Even to God pride is not palatable. Ego is stiffness, humility is being like a feather.
Narad says that God dislikes the sense of self or ego and he likes one’s feeling of helplessness and one’s inadequacy in obtaining salvation. Narada, is again saying something of get importance. God does not like or dislike anything. How can he be concerned with these? But Narad is being subtle. He means that so long the heart is full of pride and the sense of self (ego) there is no room for God to descend into it. When the devotee is totally devoid of pride and ego, he becomes a void and then God can descend into it easily.
28. Tasyah gyanameva Sadhanmityeke.
Some people say that you can be humble only through knowledge.
Some say that knowledge alone is the means to attain it.
29. Anyonya ashrayayatvam ityante
Others say they (Love and Knowledge) complement each other.
The opinions of the sages (Archaryas) are of arguments and counter argument. Bhakti is not dependent on these disputatious. It is not essential that the Bhakta should be a person of some superior intellect or knowledge. In the same way, devotion and knowledge. In the same way, devotion and knowledge cannot be interdependent. The ways of knowledge and Bhakti are different. A follower of the path of devotion need not have any qualification of intellect. The path of knowledge is similarly, sufficient in itself. A Gautam Buddha need not be a Bhakta, too.
30. Svayam phalgrupeti brahmakumarah
But again I tell you, Love is the final. Love is the fruit. Love is the end.
According to Sanat kumar and Narada that Bhakti is itself of the nature of the fruit. Narada is not in agreement with the preposition that knowledge is the means of attaining to Bhakti. He also does not agree with the view that the knowledge and the Bhakti are interdependent. He sage Bhakti is itself a reward, it is like fruit. It does not require any prop or support. Bhakti is its own reward.
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