True Love According to the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita, a timeless spiritual scripture, offers profound wisdom on the nature of true love. Unlike worldly attachments, which are driven by desire and ego, the Gita teaches that true love is selfless, eternal, and rooted in devotion to the Divine.
1. True Love is Beyond Attachment and Desire
Most human relationships are based on expectations and attachments, leading to suffering when those expectations are not met. However, the Gita teaches us that true love is free from selfish motives and unconditional in nature.
Shloka 2.47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥
Translation:
“You have the right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Do not be motivated by the results, nor be attached to inaction.”
✅ Interpretation: In love, when we expect something in return, it becomes a transaction. True love, as taught in the Gita, is selfless and unconditional. We should love and care without attachment to the outcome.
2. True Love is Rooted in Devotion (Bhakti)
Krishna explains that the highest form of love is Bhakti (devotion to God), where the soul completely surrenders to the Divine with pure love and faith. This love is eternal, beyond time and space.
Shloka 9.22
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते।
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्॥
Translation:
“To those who are constantly devoted to Me with exclusive love and worship, I provide what they lack and preserve what they have.”
✅ Interpretation: True love is selfless surrender. When we love someone truly, we care for them without conditions—just as the Supreme takes care of His devotees.
3. True Love is Without Ego and Possessiveness
The Gita teaches that attachment and possessiveness arise from false ego (Ahamkara), which is the root cause of suffering in relationships. True love is freedom from selfishness and control.
Shloka 3.27
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः।
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते॥
Translation:
“All actions are performed by the modes of material nature, but one who is deluded by the ego thinks, ‘I am the doer.’”
✅ Interpretation: Love should not be about control or possession. A truly loving person understands that they are not the “doer”, but only an instrument of love itself.
4. True Love is Unshaken in Joy and Sorrow
Worldly love is conditional—it thrives in happiness but struggles in adversity. But the Gita teaches that true love is unchanging in both joy and suffering.
Shloka 6.7
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः॥
Translation:
“For one who has conquered the mind, the Supreme Soul is already reached, for he is tranquil in heat and cold, pleasure and pain, honor and dishonor.”
✅ Interpretation: True love remains constant and unwavering, irrespective of external circumstances. It is pure and stable, just like divine love.
5. True Love is the Highest Form of Surrender
Krishna ultimately tells Arjuna that the greatest love is complete surrender to God. When we love unconditionally, we align with the Supreme, experiencing eternal bliss.
Shloka 18.66
सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज।
अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः॥
Translation:
“Abandon all varieties of duties and surrender unto Me alone. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
✅ Interpretation: The highest form of love is total surrender—not in weakness, but in divine strength. When we love selflessly, we transcend all worldly pain and experience true freedom.
Conclusion: Love as Taught by the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita reveals that true love is:
✔ Selfless – Without expectations or conditions
✔ Devotional – Focused on the Divine or higher purpose
✔ Free from Ego – Not based on control or possession
✔ Unwavering – Stays constant in joy and sorrow
✔ Liberating – Leads to ultimate peace and fulfillment
In its purest form, true love is not about gaining, but about giving—just like the eternal love between Radha and Krishna, where Radha’s love was unconditional, selfless, and without expectation.
By practicing the wisdom of the Gita, we can cultivate true, divine love in our relationships, leading to inner peace and spiritual enlightenment.
Hare Krishna! 🙏