Narada Bhakti Sutras

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Narada Bhakti Sutras ~ From a free translation by Swami Vivekananda in America,

found in Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 6, page 150-154 published

by Advaita Ashrama http://www.advaitaonline.com/

 

Chapter 1 (Sloka 1 - 6)

 

1. Bhakti is intense love for God.

 

2. It is the nectar of love;

 

3. Getting which man becomes perfect, immortal, and satisfied for ever;

 

4. Getting which man desires no more, does not become jealous of anything,

does not take pleasure in vanities;

 

5. Knowing which man becomes filled with spirituality, becomes calm, and

finds pleasure only in God.

 

6. It cannot be used to fill any desire, itself being the check to all

desires.

 

7. Sannyasa is giving up both the popular and the scriptural forms of

worship.

 

8. The Bhakti-Sannyasin is the one whose whole soul goes unto God, and

whatever militates against love to God, he rejects.

 

9. Giving up all other refuge, he takes refuge in God.

 

10. Scriptures are to be followed as long as one's life has not become firm;

 

11. Or else there is danger of doing evil in the name of liberty.

 

12. When love becomes established, even social forms are given up, except

those which are necessary for the preservation of life.

 

13. There have been many definitions of love, but Narada gives these as the

signs of love: When all thoughts, all words, and all deeds are given up

unto the Lord, and the least forgetfulness of God makes one intensely

miserable, then love has begun.

 

14. As the Gopis had it --

 

15. Because, although worshipping God as their lover, they never forget his

God-nature;

 

16. Otherwise they would have committed the sin of unchastity.

 

17. This is the highest form of love, because there is no desire of

reciprocity, which is in all human love.

 

Chapter 2 (Sloka 1 - 2)

 

1. Bhakti is greater than Karma, greater than Jnana, greater than Yoga

(Raja Yoga), because Bhakti itself is its result, because Bhakti is

both the means and the end (fruit).

 

2. As a man cannot satisfy his hunger by simple knowledge or sight of

food, so a man cannot be satisfied by the knowledge or even the

perception of God until love comes; therefore love is the highest.

 

Chapter 3 (Sloka 1 - 4)

 

1. These, however, the Masters have said about Bhakti:

 

2. One who wants this Bhakti must give up sense-enjoyments and even the

company of people.

 

3. Day and night he must think about Bhakti and nothing else.

 

4. (He must) go where they sing or talk of God.

 

5. The principal cause of Bhakti is the mercy of a great (or free) soul.

 

6. Meeting with a great soul is hard to obtain, and never fails to save

the soul.

 

7. Through the mercy of God we get such Gurus.

 

8. There is no difference between Him and His (own) ones.

 

9. Seek, therefore, for this.

 

10. Evil company is always to be shunned;

 

11. Because it leads to lust and anger, illusion, forgetfulness of the goal,

destruction of the will (lack of perseverence), and destruction of

everything.

 

12. These disturbances may at first be like ripples, but evil company at

last makes them like the sea.

 

13. He gets across Maya who gives up all attachment, serves the great ones,

lives alone, cuts the bondages of the world, goes beyond the qualities

of nature, and depends upon the Lord even for his living.

 

14. He who gives up the fruits of work, he who gives up all work and the

dualism of joy and misery, who gives up even the scriptures, gets that

unbroken love for God;

 

15. He crosses this river and helps others to cross it.

 

Chapter 4 (Sloka 1 - 9)

 

1. The nature of love is inexpressible.

 

2. As the dumb man cannot express what he tastes, but his actions betray

his feelings, so man cannot express this love in words, but his actions

betray it.

 

3. In some rare persons it is expressed.

 

4. Beyond all qualities, all desires, ever increasing, unbroken, the finest

perception is love.

 

5. When a man gets this love, he sees love everywhere, he hears love

everywhere, he talks love everywhere, he thiks love everywhere.

 

6. According to the qualities or conditions, this love manifests itself

differently.

 

7. The qualities are: Tamas (dullness, heaviness), Rajas (restlessness,

activity), Sattva (serenity, purity); and the conditions are: Aarta

(afflicted), Arthaarthi (wanting something), Jijnaasu (searching truth),

Jnaani (knower).

 

8. Of these the latter are higher than the preceding ones.

 

9. Bhakti is the easiest way of worship.

 

10. It is its own proof and does not require any other.

 

11. Its nature is peace and perfect bliss.

 

12. Bhakti never seeks to injure anyone or anything, not even the popular

modes of worship.

 

13. Conversation about lust, or doubt of God, or about one's enemies must

not be listened to.

 

14. Egotism, pride, etc must be given up.

 

15. If those passions cannot be controlled, place them upon God, and place

all your actions on Him.

 

16. Merging the trinity of Love, Lover, and Beloved, worship God as His

eternal servant, His eternal bride -- thus love is to be made unto God.

 

Chapter 5 (Sloka 1 - 5)

 

1. That love is highest which is concentrated upon God.

 

2. When such speak of God, their voices stick in their throats, they cry

and weep; and it is they who give holy places their holiness; they make

good works, good books better, because they are permeated with God.

 

3. When a man loves God so much, his forefathers rejoice, the gods dance,

and the earth gets a Master !

 

4. To such lovers there is no difference of caste, sex, knowledge, form,

birth or wealth;

 

5. Because they are all God's.

 

6. Arguments are to be avoided;

 

7. Because there is no end to them, and they lead to no satisfactory result.

 

8. Read books treating of this love, and do deeds which increase it.

 

9. Giving up all desires of pleasure and pain, gain and loss, worship God

day and night. Not a moment is to be spent in vain.

 

10. Ahimsa (non-killing), truthfulness, purity, mercy and godliness are

always to be kept.

 

11. Giving up all other thoughts, the whole mind should day and night

worship God. Thus being worshipped day and night, He reveals Himself

and makes His worshippers feel Him.

 

12. In past, present and future, Love is greatest!