ON LOVE AND DEVOTION:

Brahman has all powers. But we are a limited being with the same Brahma inside us also. Our limitation spreads to all spheres. The nature of Brahman's desire (इच्छा) is (नित्यप्राप्ति). Brahman can get anything it wants. But we cannot do so. We can get our wishes (इच्छा) fulfilled in a limited way (सङ्कुचित शक्ति). Thus, the desire of Brahman becomes राग in us. If we continue the desire for something, it generates भावना about that subject, which is the inertia of thought. This continued inertia is called अनुराग. This is a type of मोह, which, leads to increased राग or द्वेष, depending on whether get access to it or denied access while others get access to it. According to Gita 2-62 and 63, it leads first to attachment (काम) and then to anger (क्रोध), which leads to infatuation (सम्मोह). This leads to confusion of memory (स्मृतिविभ्रमः), which leads to loss of reason (बुद्धिनाश). The ultimate fate is total ruin (प्रणश्यति).

Naarada defines devotion (भक्ति) as attachment for another (परप्रेमरूपा). When we are attached to something, it can lead to five types of behavior. If we consider the other as superior to us, then the attachment is called devotion (भक्ति). If we consider the other as inferior to us, then the attachment is called infatuation (वात्सल्य). If we consider the other as equal to us, then the attachment is called friendship (मैत्री). These three are the emotions of a living being for another living being. If the attachment is for an inert object including land, money, objects of enjoyment, male/female body, etc, it is called craving (काम). Where all these four types of attachment are combined in a single object, it is called LOVE (रति). Love is possible only between a person and his/her wife/husband or between a person and his/her God. In no other case, the conditions for love are fulfilled. Hence, नारद says: after which, the person becomes fully satisfied and does not think of or try for anything else and loses momentum (यल्लब्ध्वा पुमान् सिद्धो भवति, अमृतो भवति, तृप्तो भवति ।। यत्प्राप्य न किञ्चिद्वाञ्छति, न शोचति, न द्वेष्टि, न रमते, नोत्साही भवति ।।). Shandilya also says: It is the unshakable attachment to the Supreme God: सा पराऽनुरक्तिरीश्वरे.