Narada Bhakti Sutra - Post 86

Sutra 82. Gunamaahaatmyaasaktiroopaa sakti poojaa sakti smaranaa sakti daasyaa sakti sakhyaa sakti vaatsalyaa sakti kaantaa sakti aatmanivedanaa sakti tanmayaa sakti paramavirahaa sakti roopaikadhaapyekaadasadha bhavati.

[Bhakti, or Divine Love, though in itself one only, manifests itself in the following eleven forms:

(1) Love of the glorification of the Lord’s blessed qualities,

(2) Love of his enchanting beauty,

(3) Love of worship,

(4) Love of constant remembrance,

(5) Love of service,

(6) Love of Him as a friend,

(7) Love of Him as a son,

(8) Love for Him as that of a wife for her husband,

(9) Love of self-surrender to Him,

(10) Love of complete absorption in Him,

(11) Love of the pain of separation from Him.]

Ekadha: of one way, of one kind

Api: Even

Gunamaahatmyaasakti: love for glorifying the divine attributes

Roopaasakti: love of divine beauty

Poojasakti: love of worship

smaranaasakti: love of remembering

Daasyaa-sakti: love of service

Sakhyaasakti: Love of God as a friend

Vaatsalyasakti: love of God as that of a child

Kaantaasakti: Love of God as that of a wife

Aatmanivedanaasakti: love of self-surrender

Tanmayaasakti: love of complete absorption in Him

Paramavirahaasakti: love of the pain of separation from Him

Rupa: in the form

Ekaadasadha: of eleven forms

Bhavati: becomes.

First of all, the devotee serves the Lord as a servant serves his Master. Then he approaches Him nearer and behaves towards Him as a friend does towards a friend. The relationship is then felt to be more closely personal.

Therefore, the devotee rises higher and manifests parental affection for the loved one, as a father to his son. Lastly the little remaining remoteness between them disappears altogether. The two become one in spirit.

The devotee develops all the marks of a beloved wife’s love for her beloved husband. In Atmanivedan or complete self-surrender, there is complete self-absorption.

He feels the Living presence of God anywhere and everywhere and permanently loses himself in the Lord.

You can know you love the Lord when you feel you cannot live without Him.

The purpose of the life of a devotee is to lose all sense of distinctive personality and be dissolved in the Lord like camphor in the fire.

Narada and Vyasa, Sukadeva, Kakabhusundi, Sesha, Suta, Saunaka, Sandilya, Bhishma, Prithu, Parikshit and Janamejaya delighted themselves in singing the glories of the Lord.

The Gopis of Brindavan, the Rishis of Dandakaranya were naturally attracted by Sri Krishna's enchanting personal beauty.

Ambarisha, Lakshmi, Prithu, Bharata spent whole time in worship.

Prahlada, Dhruva, Sanaka in remembrance.

Hanuman, Akrura, Vidura in service.

Uddhava, Arjuna.. Sudama and Guha had the attribute of friendship.

Sridama, Rukmini and Satyabhama loved Sri Krishna as a husband and

Dasaratha, Kausalya, Devaki, Nanda, Yasoda, Kasyapa, Aditi, Manusatarupa, as their son.

Bali, Vibhishana, Hanuman, Ambarisha, Sibi did complete self-surrender to the Lord.

Sanatkumar, Suka, Sanaka and Yajnavalkya immersed themselves in His Bliss (Tanmayasakti).

Uddhava, Arjuna, Gopis and Radha experienced anguish of separation. Each one is characterised by a predominant attitude. All these eleven forms of Bhakti are possible for the same Bhaktas during different moods.

Viraha is the highest manifestation of love. It is a common characteristic of all devotees, because it is in the very nature of intense love that it cannot bear separation. This is one of the supreme tests of devotion in Sutra 29. This stage of love is typically manifested in Radha and the Gopis when they were separated from Sri Krishna.

If all these forms of attachments cannot be developed together, you can select one or two sentiments and cultivate love for God accordingly. Love is fundamentally one. Therefore, no distinction of higher and lower should be made among devotees, according to the difference of sentiment cultivated by them.