If there is anything in this universe that cannot be defined, it is love. If you can describe love, then it is far from the truth. Nature of love is that which you cannot express or define. You give flowers, you hug, you prostrate, you offer but still something remains unexpressed. We can only find a little expression, just a glimpse of it.

There is a story about Hanuman. He loved Lord Rama. Once Rama asked Hanuman: ‘Tell me how much you love me?’ Hanuman said: ‘My lord I cannot express my love for you, you want to see? I will tear open my heart and show you’. You can see the picture of Hanuman tearing open his heart and showing Rama: ‘Only you reside in my heart.’

There are three types of love: Satvik, rajsik and tamsik. Satvik love is that which does not expect anything in return. Rajsik love, is the love combined with feverishness and a desire to get something back. Tamsik love is love for destroying things. But Divine love is free from all these three.

Nature of love is that which you cannot express or define. Click To Tweet

When you love somebody, what do you love in them? Do you love their qualities, attributes or the person? The love for someone just because they are great, have wonderful qualities, look very beautiful or they are kind, these are all business and not Divine love.

Often love diminishes. A child loves its mother and as the child gets older, the love for the mother goes to the background because it starts loving its friends, then their husband or wife and then their own children. But Divine love is contrary to this: Every moment it grows, the more time you spend, there is a feeling of wanting more.

Sukshmataram Anubhavarupam: It’s a form of experience. You can live it, you can be it, you can shed tears of gratitude, you cannot express it. You cannot fully share it with anyone.

Sukshmataram Avichinnam: Divine love is uninterrupted, there are no gaps in it. There are no flaws there. Divine love is continual. Your love is so unconditional, it does not depend on the behaviour of the other person. It does not depend on the attributes of the other person. Does not depend upon what they do or don’t do to you. You are in love because you can’t be but in love. You have no choice as it is your very nature.

(Excerpts from Gurudev Sri Sri Shankar’s commentary on Narad Bhakti Sutras)