Sutra 06

The Narada Bhakti Sutra, Sutra 06 

यज्ज्ञात्वा मत्तो भवति। स्तब्धो भवति । आत्मारामो भवति॥ ६॥

"Having known That (Divine Love or Bhakti) one becomes intoxicated; becomes stunned; becomes self-enjoying."

This Sutra speaks about the transformative power of Divine Love. The term 'intoxicated' metaphorically describes the overwhelming Joy and Bliss experienced when one Realizes the Divine. This state is likened to intoxication because it is a profound alteration of one's usual state of Consciousness, filled with an indescribable sense of elation. The 'stunned' aspect refers to the stillness and peace that comes with this realization. It is a cessation of the usual mental chatter and the disturbances of the mind. Finally, 'self-enjoying' points to the contentment and fulfillment found within oneself when one is in union with the Divine. This is not a selfish enjoyment but a deep satisfaction that comes from the soul's communion with the Ultimate Reality.

With this all consuming devotion he becomes intoxicated, and therefore, ‘mad’ with his own Love Divine. He cannot behave as all others do in the world and due to his incapacity to conform to the usual mode and attitude of the worldly people, the members of the society brand him as ‘mad’. He sings the Glory of the Lord always. He cries in ecstatic joy. He laughs in his own floods of inner peace. He smiles and weeps, dances and rolls in ecstasy, ever living in a private world of Bliss, all of his own. 

Others around him have no entry into his private domain of endless jo6y and suffocating Peace. The palace of fulfilment is built on the highest peaks of satisfaction – no one can scale them and visit him there, where he lives in Divine luxury of Infinite Peace. Śrīmad Bhāgavata describes the mind of such a great devotee: ‘Hearing again and again from other bhaktas the stories of the Lord’s incarnations and His līlās, the devotee’s mind becomes overwhelmed with Love and Devotion for Him and he, with no sense of shame or reserve, bursts out chanting and singing His glorious names and his mind becomes merged with the Lord of his love. Overpowered by the rising tides of his surging Love the devotee weeps and laughs, sings and dances like a mad man (matto bhavati).’

In the context of Vedic literature, this experience of Divine Love and the resulting transformation is echoed in various texts. Here are three verses from different Vedic texts that resonate with the message of the Narada Bhakti Sutra:

Rigveda (10.129.4):

तदेकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्त्यग्निं यमं मातरिश्वानमाहुः॥

"That one Reality, the wise call by many names: Agni, Yama, Matarisvan."

This verse from the Rigveda highlights the Unity of the Divine, which can be experienced in many forms. It reflects the idea that the Ultimate Truth is One, but the paths to it are many, much like the singular experience of Divine Love described in the Narada Bhakti Sutra.

Bhagavad Gita:

यत्रोपरमते चित्तं निरुद्धं योगसेवया।

यत्र चैवात्मनात्मानं पश्यन्नात्मनि तुष्यति॥

"When the mind, restrained by the practice of yoga, attains quietude, and when, seeing the Self by the Self, one is satisfied in the Self."

The Bhagavad Gita speaks of the Peace and self-satisfaction that comes from yoga, which is similar to the Stillness and self-enjoyment mentioned in the Narada Bhakti Sutra.

Taittiriya Upanishad:

आनन्दद्ध्येव खल्विमानि भूतानि जायन्ते।

आनन्देन जातानि जीवन्ति।

"From Bliss, these beings are born, in Bliss they are sustained, and to Bliss they go and merge again."

The Taittiriya Upanishad emphasizes the role of Bliss in the existence and sustenance of all beings, resonating with the joyous State of 'intoxication' and 'Self-enjoyment' described in the Narada Bhakti Sutra.

These verses from the Vedic texts, while diverse in their focus, all converge on the central theme of the Narada Bhakti Sutra: the profound impact of Spiritual Realization and the Ultimate Joy it brings. They each describe different aspects of the Divine experience, whether it be the Unity of the Divine, the Peace of Self-Realization, or the Bliss that underpins existence. Together, they offer a multifaceted view of the spiritual journey and its culmination in Divine Love and Joy.