On attaining knowledge there is no need of knowledge, but on acquiring love, there continues to be a need for love. The reason being, that one can get satiated with knowledge, ‒‘Aatmatruptasch maanavah’ (Gita 3/17) ‘आत्मतृप्तश्च मानव:’ (गीता ३।१७), but in Love there is never any satiation. It has come in Ramayan‒
राम चरित जे सुनत अघाहीं ।
रस
बिसेष जाना तिन्ह नाहीं ॥
(मानस, उत्तर० ५३।१)
Those who are satiated by listening to the divine plays of the Lord, they experience relish while listening, but they have not experienced and known exceptional relish. What happens on
knowing exceptional relish?
जिन्ह के श्रवन समुद्र समाना ।
कथा तुम्हारि सुभग सरि नाना ॥
भरहिं निरंतर
होहिं न पूरे ।
तिन्ह के हिय तुम्ह कहुँ गृह रूरे ॥
(मानस, अयोध्या॰ १२८।२-३)
Arjuna says to the Lord that on listening to Your nectar-filled words, I am not getting satiated ‒‘भूय: कथय तृप्तिर्हि श्रृण्वतो नास्ति मेऽमृतम्’(गीता १०।१०) । Maharaj Pruthu asks God for a boon, that bless me with 10,000 ears, so that he can go on listening to the Lord’s divine plays. ‒ ‘विधत्स्व कर्णायुतमेष मे वर:’ (श्रीमद्भा॰ ४।२०।२४) Even on listening, one is not satiated - this is ‘Nitya viyog’ (eternal separation) and there is relish in listening ‒ this is ‘Nityayog’ (eternal union). There is such relish in Love, in which something exceptional and extra-ordinary keeps on happening. For how long does this go on ‒ to this there is no end ! In knowledge, one is aware of the “self”, but in love there is constant pull towards God, God appears sweet and loving. At all times one continues to listen to the Lord’s stories, continues to talk about the Lord, there is remembrance of the Lord, singing the verses of Lord’s devotional poetry, this is the exceptional relish of Love.
Just as a greedy man is longing for money, like wise, the lover is longing for love. In knowledge, besides Nature (Prakruti), there is nothing else* and in Devotion and Love, besides God there is nothing else† In the
path of knowledge (Jnanamarg), Nature (Prakruti) is to be renounced, but in the path of Devotion (Bhaktimarg), there is no thing that is the kind to be renounced ! In Knowledge (vivek) - there remains two things - real and unreal, insentient and sentient, eternal and temporary, essence and non essence, etc., but in devotion (bhakti), only the one God remains. Therefore God has called those who realize that “Everything is only God” such a “Great Soul” as extremely rare. ‒‘वासुदेव: सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभ:’ (गीता ७।११), whereas man of knowledge has not been called a rarity. (continued)
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