Asserted Topics:
The signs of love towards Bhagwan.
Main Points:
- The sign of love is acting according to the wishes of one’s beloved.
- To please Bhagwan, one should even distance oneself if necessary, but must not disobey His wishes.
Commentary:
This Vachanamrut focuses on the concept of love. In this Vachanamrut, Sachchidanand Swami asked a question: “What are the signs of love towards Bhagwan?” Swami himself had extraordinary love for Maharaj. He was a saint who could not bear separation from Maharaj, to the point where his body would show signs of extreme distress, such as blood droplets forming on his skin due to the intense pain of separation. Maharaj, responding to his question, explained that the primary sign of true love is never acting against the wishes of one’s beloved.
In reality, attachment to Paramatma (Supreme Soul) is the essence of love. However, since attachment resides deeply in the heart and is an internal emotion, others cannot quickly recognize or experience it. Therefore, to determine if true love exists, it is necessary to observe the external signs of love in the form of actions. The deeper and more intense these signs manifest in one’s behavior, the deeper their love for Paramatma can be understood. Thus, Maharaj has described the actionable signs of love.
What does love in the heart compel a person to do for their beloved? Various actionable signs of love are mentioned in the Shastras (scriptures). Let us first take a quick look at some of them. In the Narad Bhakti Sutra, according to different sages, the signs of love are described as follows:
- “Pujadishu Anuragah iti Parasharya” – Attachment to worship, according to Parashara.
- “Kathadishu iti Garga” – Attachment to divine stories, according to Garga.
- “Atmarati Avirodhena iti Shandilya” – Attachment to worship and self-bliss without any contradiction, according to Shandilya.
- “Tadarpita Akhilacharata Tadvirahae Paramvyakulata iti Naradah” – Engaging in all actions for the sake of Bhagwan and feeling extreme anguish in separation from Him, according to Narad.
Additionally, Maharaj has explained in Vach.G.M.29 that attachment to divine stories is a sign of extraordinary love. Furthermore, in Vach.G.F.44, He has described the continuous remembrance of Bhagwan as a sign of affection (love). Moreover, honoring Him from the heart, never feeling any irritation towards Him, and being pleased when offering something dear to Him are all actionable signs of love.
For someone whose heart is filled with love for Paramatma, all these signs are present either fully or according to the situation. However, the sign of love that Maharaj highlighted here — acting according to the wishes of the beloved — appears to be the most complete when examined thoroughly. This sign has a broader application of love. In comparison, the other signs seem to have a lesser scope. What is this broader application? Where there is love, this sign of following the beloved’s wishes is always present. When considering it from this perspective, wherever there is love, following the beloved’s wishes is a given. On the other hand, signs like listening to divine stories or performing worship are only fulfilled when the opportunity arises. But this sign can be present in any activity, state, or time. It can apply to both action and renunciation. Therefore, it is a far more complete sign of love than the others. Such a sign is quite rare to find in any literature.
Maharaj says, “One who has love for something will never act against the wishes of that which they love. To live according to the expectations that the beloved holds for us, or has always held, is the highest sign of love.” This then includes commands and personal preferences. In short, both positive (directive) and negative (prohibitive) signs are encompassed in following the wishes of the beloved. It includes the signs of both active engagement and withdrawal from actions.
If we want to become those who truly love Maharaj, then we should reflect on what expectations Bhagwan has of us, according to our situation. If we act completely according to His expectations, only then can we be considered to have love for Maharaj. Otherwise, we would be considered incomplete in our love. Maharaj provided the example of the Gopis. In the case of the Gopis, both their actions and inactions aligned with Bhagwan’s wishes. Any action they took should have been pleasing to Paramatma, and any restraint should also have been according to Maharaj’s wishes — not according to their own preferences. Devotees often act or withdraw from action based on their convenience or preferences. However, when both action and renunciation occur according to Bhagwan’s wishes, then it can be said that there is love for Bhagwan.
Maharaj then asked the Munis a question: “There is a devotee who has immense love for Bhagwan, to the extent that he would lose his life if separated from Him. He cannot even think of the worldly Panch Vishay; his life is completely centered around the Vishay related to Bhagwan. Now, if Bhagwan instructs him to stay away for some reason or purpose, just as he renounced worldly Panch Vishay and embraced those related to Bhagwan, should he now abandon even the Vishay related to Bhagwan when asked to stay away? This would mean that he would then have to take up worldly Vishay. Should he do this or not? If he disobeys the command, Bhagwan will be displeased. But if he obeys, the relationship may feel distant. So, how should one maintain love in such a situation? What should be done to ensure that the flow of love remains unbroken?” Maharaj then answered the question Himself, explaining that the devotee must follow Bhagwan’s command and remove the desire for Darshan. By doing so, Bhagwan will remain pleased with him.
Maharaj explains that although no Jiva (soul) can survive without the Panch Vishay (five sense objects), this devotee has renounced them as insignificant and instead remains connected to Bhagwan through all five senses. As a result, his love for Bhagwan remains constant and unbroken. Even if he is physically distant, the relationship does not sever. Maharaj says that his love is unbroken. Therefore, by following Bhagwan’s command, wherever the devotee goes, Bhagwan’s image accompanies him. Just as the devotee cannot live without Bhagwan, Bhagwan also cannot stay without such a devoted soul for even a moment. Hence, wherever the devotee goes, Maharaj follows him in His divine form, never separating from him for even a fraction of a second. This way, the command is followed, and the proximity to Bhagwan is never lost. The flow of love remains continuous.
The flow of love from the devotee’s heart towards Bhagwan’s image has two banks. One is the intense longing for Bhagwan’s presence, and the other is the deep urge to never disobey His wishes. These are the two banks of the river of love. As long as both these banks remain intact, the flow of love will reach Bhagwan uninterrupted. In most situations, both banks are preserved, and then there is no difficulty in love. However, when circumstances arise where maintaining both becomes impossible, and preserving one means compromising the other, which bank should be preserved to ensure the flow of love continues?
In such situations, Maharaj says, “If proximity cannot be maintained, it is not a problem, but Bhagwan’s wishes must never be disobeyed.” If this bank is broken, the flow of love will be shattered. Therefore, when the two banks are in conflict and preserving one means sacrificing the other, the priority should be to preserve Bhagwan’s wishes, commands, or expectations. That is the life force of love. Proximity is merely the body. We must protect the life force. The desire for proximity is the means, while Bhagwan’s love and pleasure towards us are the ultimate goal. The means should not be preserved at the expense of the goal; the goal must be preserved even if the means are sacrificed.