by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur (1838 – 1914) was a renowned philosopher, spiritual teacher and reformer from Chaitanya Vaishnava school of Bengal. He served as district magistrate under the British Raj in Orissa. In his youth, he conducted extensive research on comparative religious and philosophical systems of both India and the West. A prolific publisher in Bengali, Sanskrit and English, he pioneered the dissemination of Gaudiya Vaishnava teachings in the West by sending copies of his works to Ralph Waldo Emerson in the United States and to Reinhold Rost in Europe. In 1896, an English publication of Bhaktivinoda, a book entitled “Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His life and Precepts” was sent to several academics and libraries in Canada, Britain and Australia.
PRITI (LOVE)
(Priti was originally published in the journal Sajjana Toshani Vol. 8 in 1896. It was translated by Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. This article has been edited for clarity)
Love is a very sweet word. When it is spoken, a very sweet mood arises in the hearts of both the speaker and the listeners. Though few are able to understand its true meaning, everyone still likes to hear the word. All beings are controlled by love. Many will even give up their lives for it.
To love is the sole purpose of human life. Many think that the fulfillment of their selfish desires is the primary purpose of their existence, but that is wrong. For love, man can sacrifice all of his own interests.
Selfishness causes one to strive only for his/her own happiness and autonomy, but love causes him/her to sacrifice all of his/her own interests for the sake of that thing or person that is dear to him/her. Whenever there is a clash between selfishness and love, love is victorious. In particular, even when selfishness is very intense it still remains subordinate to love. What is selfishness? Selfishness is to endeavour for that which is dear to oneself. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to say that human life is directed by love. Love becomes the primary purpose of one’s life, even when he/she strives to fulfill his/her selfish desires.
Love is pre-eminent on the path of transcendentalism also. Those who seek spiritual pleasure, considering worldly pleasure to be temporary, are of two kinds: those overcome by an urge to enjoy and those driven by a desire to be liberated.
Those overcome by an urge to enjoy are presently either preoccupied with their search for wealth, power, spouse or children, or encumbered with a desire for the position of Indra (king of the demigods) or any other demigod in the heavens or for happiness in the higher planets such as Brahmaloka. Because they have a love for those things, they constantly endeavour to have them.
Those who crave liberation have no love for such worldly enjoyments, but cherish instead the desire to be liberated from worldly affairs. Hence, because they have a love for liberation, they strive for it. Love is what the materialist seeks from his enjoyment and the liberationist from liberation. Hence, to attain love is the final object for both kinds of people. Love is the single aim of all spiritual endeavour.
In regard to love, the Vaishnava poet Candi Das says:
The three syllables pi-rī-ti (love) are the essence of the three planetary systems. They remain in my mind day and night. I think of nothing but them.
Concentrating deeply, Brahma (the architect of the universe) created the syllable pi. Then when the ocean of rasa was churned, the syllable ri emerged.
When the ocean was churned a second time, nectar emerged, which was prepared into the syllable ti. How can I compare anything to these three syllables, which are the abode of all happiness?
That person in whose heart the essence of these three syllables has forcibly entered finds dharma (righteousness), karma, shyness, common-sense, social status and family tradition useless.
I do not know what the nature of that love is or what its result will be. The poet Candi Dasa says, ‘The bondage of love is truly terrible.’
Objects are of two kinds: sentient objects and insentient objects. Sentient objects are original, whereas insentient objects are perversions of sentient ones. They can be called the shadows or reflections of sentient objects. Whatever is present in an object is also present in some way in its shadows. Hence, whatever is present within the original, sentient objects must also be present in their insentient counterparts.
If we examine the nature of sentient objects, we find that to love is their sole nature. This nature must also exist in some way as a reflection within insentient objects. Just as insentient objects are perversions of sentient ones, attraction and motion are perversions of love. They make up the nature of insentient objects and are present in every insentient atom. Let us now examine the nature of love.
Attraction and motion are present in their pure form within sentient objects as love. The soul is a sentient object. Here, “soul” refers to both the supreme sentient being, the Supersoul, and the minute sentient being, the soul. Their nature is to love. Pure love is found only within the soul. Only a perversion of that pure nature is to be found within the soul’s reflection – that is, within insentient objects. Hence, pure love is not to be found in any material object of this world. Rather, its perversion, which is mere attraction and motion, is to be found in them.
By the forces of attraction and motion, atoms assemble to form objects. Through attraction, objects are drawn towards each other. Also, on account of their independent motion, the planets revolve around the sun. Anything that is present in a perverted object or shadowy nature is also present in the original object in its untainted form.
Independence and attraction to other objects are also always found within the soul. The soul exists in a state of bondage in this world. There are unlimited, minute souls (or spiritons), each possessing the nature to love. This can be seen in the attraction all souls exert upon each other. Furthermore, because of their independence, each soul wants to remain separate from the others.
In this material world, every object draws other objects towards it; and these other objects in turn, by virtue of their independent motion, try to remain separate from that object. Big objects draw small objects towards them. The sun is big, attracting the planets and their satellites towards it. But owing to their own independent motion, those planets and satellites remain at a distance from the sun and, attracted by its gravitational force, orbit it. Moreover, the planets’ attraction and motion also assist them in their orbit. What we see in this world is also found in the spiritual world in its unadulterated form.
The Chandogya Upanishad (8.1.13) states:
In the reflected creation, there are five elements, as well as the moon, the sun, lightning and the stars. All of these are present in their original form in the spiritual world. The difference between the two worlds is that in the spiritual world all the variegated affairs are pure, blissful and perfect, whereas in the material world everything is flawed, incomplete and the cause of happiness and distress.
To love is the fundamental nature of all beings in the spiritual world. Therefore, the poet Candi dasa says:
No one has seen that person who pervades the universe. Only one who knows what love is can attain Him. Priti (love) has three letters and is of three kinds, but when it becomes condensed as a result of continuous bhajana (worship), it will be of only one kind.
The transcendental enjoyer of Vrndavana (the topmost planet in the spiritual world), Sri Krishna, is the sun of the spiritual world. The souls there are His associates in His pastimes. Through the force of the attraction of His love, Krishna draws them towards Him. But, on account of their own independent motion, they try to remain distinct from Him. Hence, while the strong force of attraction drawing those souls near to that sun-like Krishna defeats their motion, that force nonetheless makes them orbit Him. This is Krishna’s eternal rasa (loving devotional feeling). In that rasa, His girlfriends who are part of His internal potency are very near to Him, and those who have attained perfection through their spiritual practice are somewhat further away. Krishna’s transcendental pastimes reveal the true nature of love.
Does Krishna attract all souls? If so, why are all souls not favourably inclined towards Him? Krishna does attract all souls. However, souls are of two kinds: the bound and the liberated. Because liberated souls experience their love clearly and keep it alive, Krishna’s force of attraction naturally acts more effectively upon them.
Souls in bondage are of two types. The pure love of those who are completely oblivious to Krishna is extremely distorted due to their association with matter. They know nothing but love for objects of enjoyment, and therefore engage in sense gratification day and night. Forgetting themselves, they remain engrossed in seeking mundane pleasure. Moreover, on account of their esteem for mundane science, which promotes mundane enjoyment, they remain absorbed in mundane worship. They continuously cheat themselves with statements like “the soul does not exist”, “deliberating upon the soul is illusory” and “any attempt to develop the self is nothing but mental agony”. Some cheat themselves of the pleasure of the plane of the soul by engaging in various pious activities with the aim of attaining the happiness of svarga (temporary heavenly realms).
Among the souls in bondage, some develop discrimination and renunciation, and attain faith in the soul. On the strength of this faith, they experience to some degree the pure attractiveness of Sri Krishna, the sun of the spiritual world, and are also drawn towards Him. Although they are engaged in various mundane, scientific or pious activities, they enjoy Krishna’s association. Sri Candi Dasa describes their moods:
Kanu (Krishna) is my life, my family, my treasure and the pupils of my eyes. He is the beloved within my heart who, in the blink of an eye, is lost to my vision.
You are women of respectable family. Serve your husbands. Do as you please. After some thought I see that I have no one but my lover Shyama (Krishna).
What more can you tell me about dharma (duty) and karma (work)? My mind is not independent. If I am indeed a virtuous woman, then who is that person I long to love?
Brahma has made arrangements according to my karma and destiny. O virtuous women, serve your husbands and stay at home with your family.
My wicked elders criticise me, but to me their criticism is like scented sandalwood paste. Out of my love for Shyama (Krishna), I have sold this body placing sesame seeds and a tulasi leaf on it.
My wicked neighbours criticise me, but I will not go to their neighbourhood. Candi Dasa says, ‘Love for Kanu (Krishna) rejects caste, family and character.
The soul in this world has forgotten his/her own identity because she/he identifies with matter. She/he forms various relationships with various people and behaves towards them in various ways. She/he identifies himself with her/his subtle body, and has imagined a new body consisting of mind, intelligence and ego. Because of that relationship with her/his subtle body, she/he values psychology and material science, considering them her/his wealth, and consequently becomes deluded. Moreover, on account of identifying himself with his/her gross body, consisting of the five elements, he/she thinks “I am a scholar” or “I am a gentleman/lady”, and thus he/she lives a life of abandon. He/she is sometimes born and sometimes dies. Sometimes he/she is unable to contain his/her joy, and sometimes he/she is stricken with grief. Glory to this transformation and glory to Maya’s (illusory energy) games! Sometimes the soul is born as a man and marries a woman, and sometimes it is born as a woman and marries a man and establishes for itself a large cycle of worldly concerns. When one enters that cycle one honours his/her superiors and takes care of his/her dependants. He/she fears the ruler, and he/she hates his/her enemies. He/she fears disgrace and criticism when he/she is born as a woman or a man in a respectable family. He/she remains far from his true identity when he/she establishes these false relationships in this world. What a horrible condition the soul endures in such a self-imposed life! Considering the various established rules of this world as his/her master, he/she has completely forgotten his/her eternal master, Krishna.
At this point a particular mood may arise in relation to Krishna, expressed by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the following verse:
“An unchaste wife internally relishes newer and newer meetings with her lover even while engaged in her household chores.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Madhya-lila 1.211)
This kind of prior attraction (purva-raga) develops in a soul bound to the rules of this world before pure love for Krishna awakens in him. Eventually this soul will go for a rendezvous and meet Krishna. Prior attraction appears by hearing about Krishna’s nature and qualities, seeing a picture of His transcendental form, remembering His attractiveness and hearing the sound of His flute. One in whom this prior attraction has appeared meets Krishna by the help of like-minded girlfriends. Gradually the mutual love between this soul and the supreme enjoyer Sri Krishna, who is the embodiment of eternity, knowledge and bliss, becomes deep.
Krishna’s transcendental pastimes in the spiritual world, Vraja, are eternal. The soul is a minute sentient particle, and is therefore eligible to participate in those pastimes. When the soul is in bondage, his transcendental identity appears in an illusory form as his subtle and gross bodies. Similarly, the pure love for Krishna that is found within that transcendental identity appears in an illusory form as love for mundane science or mundane objects. Therefore, bodily love or mental love are simply distortions of pure love for God. They are not true love. But because the soul has mistaken his own identity he considers them to be real love. Actual love, however, is the love that exists between two souls.
The Brhad-Aranyaka Upanishad (4.5.6) states:
When Yajnavalkya’s wife Maitreyi became detached from both the gross and the subtle planes, she approached her husband and requested him to give her some instruction.
Yajnavalkya replied: “O Maitreyī, a wife does not in fact love her husband for his sake. Rather, in every instance she does so for her own sake. Similarly, a husband loves his wife only for his own interests. This so-called love for husband, son, wealth and so on, is simply deceit. By completely rejecting this dishonesty you should worship Bhagavān (God), the eternal object of love and the soul of all souls, and love Him solely for love’s own sake. Therefore, one who has become detached from the material world and the subtle body should look at, think of and inquire about that Soul who is the most beloved of the living beings. By that he will come to know everything.”
The import of this highly authoritative statement of the Vedas is that there is no love on the gross and subtle planes. Whatever semblance of love is found here is experienced only in relation to the soul. The pure soul is transcendental, and the love that exists between souls is pure love. Only that love is worthy of being searched after. Worldly love, or the love that exists between humans, is but a distortion of the soul’s love. The love that exists between souls is the only true love.
In the Srimad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.55) it is stated:
Sri Krishna, who possesses sixty-four excellent attributes, is the soul of all souls. The love that all souls have for Krishna is free from mundane designations and is superlative. Those who have written about psychology and the intricacies of love without knowing love’s true nature have simply wasted their time, despite all their reasoning, as if mixing ghee (clarified butter) into ashes. Out of pride, such persons have simply endeavoured for fame. Rather than benefit the world, they have brought it great misfortune. Brothers! Stop listening to those people’s grandiloquent talk and develop pure attachment for the soul, thus making your soul’s nature shine by experiencing that love which is free from designations.