Sutra 66

The Narada Bhakti Sutra 66:

त्रिरूपभङ्गपूर्वकं नित्यदासनित्यकान्ताभजनात्मकं प्रेम कार्यम् प्रेमैव कार्यम् ॥ ६६॥

"Love, which is of the nature of service to the Lord and is characterized by being the Constant companion of the Lord, should be performed. Indeed, only Love should be performed."

In championing this path of devotion at its highest, the great Sage Nārada extols that which is finally to be done in this life – pursue and cultivate Love alone. Devotion to the Highest is the only path and it is its own fulfilment, for the Highest is without the triple distinction of subject, object and their relationship. It is the culmination of peace, one Infinite, Blissful beatitude of total identification with the Goal.

This Sutra emphasizes the importance of love in Devotion, specifically a love that is Constant and unwavering in its service to the Divine. It suggests that love is not just an emotion but an action – a duty or service that one performs as a devotee. This love is described as having a threefold break or transformation: from love in service (dasya), to love in friendship (sakhya), to love in conjugal affection (madhurya). The progression indicates a deepening relationship with the Divine, where the devotee moves from a servant, to a friend, to a beloved.

The highest love can be achieved by serving the Lord either in the attitude of nitya dāsa, of servant to master, or by nitya kāntā, the Constant, the continuous attitude of kāntā his beloved, his wife. Whether one’s nature is serving the Lord, either as servant or as wife, such a Devotion with no sense of distinction between Lord and yourself that alone is to be achieved.

In the context of Vedic literature, this concept of evolving love can be compared to the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna speaks to Arjuna about the various paths to the Divine, including the path of Devotion (bhakti). 

For instance, in Bhagavad Gita 12.2, Krishna says:

श्रेयो हि ज्ञानमभ्यासाज्ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं विशिष्यते |

ध्यानात्कर्मफलत्यागस्त्यागाच्छान्तिरनन्तरम् || 12-12 ||

"Knowledge is indeed better than practice; Meditation is better than Knowledge; Renunciation of the fruits of action is better than Meditation; peace immediately follows Renunciation."

Another example is found in the Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.20:

ततोऽन्यथाकिंचन यद्विषयेतरत् |

प्रायश्चित्तं विधुनोति सचराचरम् ||

"Therefore, what is the use of any other thing, or any other course of action, which cannot give one the direct perception of the Supreme Lord and which is not spontaneously attractive?"

These verses, like Narada Bhakti Sutra 66, highlight the superiority of Devotion and love for God over other forms of spiritual practice. They all point towards a singular focus on the Divine as the Ultimate Goal and the most fulfilling path. The progression from duty to love in the Narada Bhakti Sutra mirrors the evolution of the soul's relationship with the Divine as described in these texts, where the ultimate aim is to achieve a state of Constant, loving Devotion.