Talk:Distinction between Ordinary Emotion and the Emotion of Bhakti

By Vishal Agarwal

Bhakti means loving devotion and service offered towards someone, who is Bhagavān in our case. In our worldly life, however, love can often lead to an irrational attachment towards another person (e.g., one's spouse) or an object (e.g., expensive cars). Attachment towards another human being to the exclusion of Bhagavān is a hindrance in achieving Moksha. Attachment to material objects leads to materialism, which is opposed to spirituality. If worldly love can sometimes have harmful effects, can Bhakti directed towards Bhagavān also not result in similar negative side effects? Our holy books and Gurus explain why this is not so:

"Emotions are generally considered as a hindrance in perfect realization, but only certain emotions are binding while certain others will liberate the jiva from bondage. The conception of God does not rouse in man any binding emotion. It is pure emotion devoid of carnality and attachment. One can develop earthly love towards God. The conception of God and love for God rouses the purest of emotions and it is far better than evil emotions which overpower man day and night. Those who cannot still all emotions must have at least pure emotions. This is the significance of divine emotion on the path of Bhakti. Love for God can never be the type of love cherished toward wives, children, and property. There is much difference, though even love for God is given an earthly coloring like that of a son, husband, father, friend, etc., by some devotees who find it difficult to break all earthly connections at a stretch."

A more recent scholar states the same in simpler language:

"Emotions are generally considered as a hindrance to Self-Realization. But only certain emotions are binding, while certain others will liberate us from bondage. Devotion to God does not rouse in us any binding emotion. It is pure emotion devoid of carnality and attachment. The love for God rouses the purest of emotions and it is far superior to the uncontrollable emotions that overpower us day and night. Those who cannot still all emotions can have at least pure emotions This is the significance of Divine emotion in Bhakti Yog. Love for God can never be of the type of love cherished toward spouse, children, and property. There is a fundamental difference between love for God and love for worldly objects. The former is unselfish, while the latter is based on selfish desires"

One desire leads to another. Love towards a human being or object leads to even more love. Eventually, this love becomes a chain or fetter that binds us. But love towards Bhagavän is different because of the following reasons:

First, Bhagavān as an object of love is different from anything else (person or material object). All humans have some flaw or the other. Our love for another person makes us overlook their flaws, and we become infatuated with their real or perceived good qualities. In contrast, only the Lord is perfect and is free of all blemishes. Therefore, love towards Bhagavān can never lead to a delusion about his glory, grandeur, and excellence because He is truly perfect to an infinite extent in every way that we can imagine.

If it is said that Bhakti must be given up eventually because it is the nature of attachment, we disagree because the object of attachment in Bhakti is the Supreme Lord. Shandilya Bhakti Sütra 21

Second, Bhakta has a permanent relationship with the Devta / Devi whereas all of our other relationships with other living or inanimate entities eventually come to an end. A verse says:

You are my mother, father, husband, friend, son, preceptor, brother, sister and my darling. Throughout this vast universe, O Lord, I have been trying to know Reality but have not succeeded in my attempt. The worldly father, mother, etc. are just artificial relations. You are my only true relation, my Lord. Garuda Purana 3.19.53-54

Third love towards another human being has an element of formality, even if it is unselfish. A scholar says-

"In our daily life, we love our friends and family. Sometimes we may indeed go out of our way to help those whom we love. We may, for example, keep awake all night to attend to the needs of our sick parents. We may walk alone in the middle of the night to a doctor to get help for a sick friend. These, however, are rare cases examples of ideal love. Human love rarely reaches the ideal of love for love's sake. More often than not, our human love is built upon selfishness. It is an external show of courtesy and manners. There is insincerity and artificiality. Pure love is natural and spontaneous... Worldly love is relative and conditional. It has its demands, obligations, and commitments. Pure love, on the other hand, is absolute and unconditional. To realize this true love, we need absolute wisdom. Wisdom and love substantiate each other."

Fourth, love towards others is binding, whereas love towards Bhagavän is liberating. This is because worldly love leads to even more desires for that person(s) or object whereas love towards the Lord leads to the extinction of all worldly desires. The Bhagvatam declares-

The desire of those whose minds are absorbed in Me does not produce desire, just as grain which is cooked or fried is not generally capable of sprouting. Bhagavata Purāņa 10.22.26

The practice of communion with Lord Väsudeva through Bhakti quickly generates dispassion for worldly objects and the intuition of the Supreme Being without the aid of the ratiocinative logic processes. Bhagavata Purāņa 1.2.7

Devarshri Narada also declares-

A Bhakta has a single focus on Bhagavān and he is indifferent towards anything that is not within the sphere of this focus. This single focus towards Bhagavān means that he relies on no other support than Bhagavan. Indifference means that the Bhakta performs only worldly and religious activities that are harmonious with this single focus and abandons all those that conflict with it. Närada Bhakti Sūtra 9-11

Bhakti is not a kind of attachment, because it is of the nature of renunciation. The renunciation is of both worldly pleasures as well as the (fruit) of Vedic ceremonies. Närada Bhakti Sūtra 7-8