NARAD BHAKTI SUTRAS
GLORY OF BHAKTI	THE GLORY OF BHAKTI	THE PRACTICE OF BHAKTI
DEVOTION -THE DIVINE PATH		THE GLORY OF MUKYABHAKTI
DEVOTION -THE DIVINE PATH

51. Anirvachaniyam premswarupam
The nature of Bhakti cannot be described defined or analyzed with any degree of president. The nature of love, that is Bhakti, cannot be explained by more words. The language is not adequate for this purpose. There is no way to express that love by means of mere words.

52. Mukasvadanvat
It is like a joy of taste, which a dumb person is unable to express through words. This sutra of Narad has become a general saying, Kabir talks of love, like the taste of sugar to a dumb man who cannot describe it in words. When Bhakti is experienced the tongue loses its power to express, the word loses its potency to describe. Even Narad cannot find words to describe it, so he says it is like the taste of some dainty to a dumb man; it is inexpressible.

53. Prakashate quapi patre
Whenever someone makes oneself worthy of it, Bhakti is illuminated in him. The divine love is manifested very rarely in some great soul. The light of god descends into that rare person. Chaitanya, Nanak, Kabir, Mira are such devotees who were illumined by the divine light. This was felt by the people who were around them. The light in fact, is still shinning and giving guidance to the world.

54. Gunarahitam Kamanarahitam,pratikshanavardhamanam avichhinnam sukshmataram anubhavarupam.
Such love (Bhakti) is devoid of any characteristic, it is free of any desire, it increases with time, it is subtler than the subtlest and it is of the nature of the experience. This is the definition of Bhakti that it is devoid of any characteristic. It is free to Satvika, Rajasika or Tamasika,, Gunas. It is beyond gunas. Love is free of all the shackles of the world and it is beyond it. Neither there is any desire in it nor there is any precondition. It does not require any proper support. One quality of love is god on increasing only. The difference between lust and love is that the lust decreases once the object of lust is achieved but love only grows and increases. When the object (God) is achieved it increases even more. Love is very subtle. It cannot be analyzed. It can only be experienced. It cannot be defined.

55. Tat, prapya, tadevavlokayati tadeva shrinoti, tadeva chintayati.
Reaching to that state one only hears it, talks about it and thinks only about it. The person obtaining the state of Bhakti experiences that absolute blissful state. All other pleasures become too small to him. He only hears about that bliss, talks about it and thinks about that bliss, called Bhakti.

56. Gaiuni tridha gunabhedad artadibhedad va
Secondary (Gaudi) devotion is of three types according to the natures (gunas) i.e. Satvika, Rajasika or Tamasika. It can also be divided into a cause by distress, curiosity or desire for wealth. Bhakti is one essentially. But it acquires different forms depending upon the nature of man. But such division is possible in secondary devotion only not in the pure (para) Bhakti. A Satvika man desires freedom from sins, he desires Moksha. The Bhakti which desires fame and wealth etc. is of the nature of rajasika. Similarly, the Bhakti done with intent to cause any harm to someone or some such evil purpose is called tatmasika Bhakti.

57. Uttarsmaduttarsmat purvapurva shreyay bhavati
The Bhakti of the previous kind is better than the types of Bhakti coming later. Rajasika Bhakti is better then Tamasika Bhakti and Satvika Bhakti is better then Rajasika Bhakti. The highest form of Bhakti is Parabhakti which is undertaken without any desire for any thing.

58. anyasmat saulabhyam bhaktau
This type of Bhakti (a secondary type) is easily attained than Para Bhakti (primary Bhakti) It is difficult for men to be free of their natures (gunas). Therefore, the Bhakti is coloured with their gunas. Para Bhakti is free from all the gunas. It is Gunatita State. This Bhakti is easy and no rituals or procedures are required.

59. Pranantarasyanapekshatvat svayam pramanatva
Bhakti does not require any proof. It is self-evident It does not require any proof or argument to go into the depth of Bhakti and in the proof of Bhakti lies in the experience. Once the taste of Bhakti s experience no proof is needed. Mira, Kabir, Guru Nanak and Ram-Krishna Paramhansa do not need any argument or proof for their devotion.

60. Shantirupat paramanandarupachya
Bhakti is of the nature of peace and of the form of absolute bliss. It does not long to experience the joys of Bhakti. As soon as the thought of Bhakti comes to mind. We start getting the glimpse of eternal peace and that of absolute bliss. This absolute bliss is called the attainment of the supreme state. It is called Sat, Chit and Ananda. His experience is called Sat. He is of the nature of awareness, therefore it is called Chit. Being the nature of divine bliss it is called Anand. It is Sat, Chit, Anand. That experience of Bhakti is called of the nature of Satchitanand.

61. Lokahanau Chinta na Karya nivedatatmalokavedatvat.
Bhakta is not mindful of the public censure or criticism. He has abandoned everything, all his world self as well as Vedas to the lord. This Sutra is relevant even for today?s world. Often we find that evil man are given all the honour and respect by the people and the good are censured. But it is not the nature of the Bhakta to care for the honours or censures of the public. Bhakta is deeply drunk with the experience of the supreme lord, he is beyond the world and the Vedas.

62. natatsidhau lokavyavaharau hexah kintu phalatyagah tatsadhanam cha
So long Bhakti s not attained, it is desirable to conform to the norms of the society. But there should not be any attachment to the worldly objects, constant efforts to realize Bhakti should be continued. Narad advises that the devotee should observe the rules and norms of the society to the extent possible. It is not desirable to shun the world, its attachment to its fruits should be shunned. This should be made the means of obtaining Bhakti. Not the worlds but desires for its fruit are to be given up.

63. Stridhana nastika charitam na shravaniyam.
Discussion about the beauty and conduct of women, discussion about the splendour of the richmen, discussions about atheists and the like should be shunned. It is useless for a Bhakta to waste time in such discussions.

64. Abhimandambhadikam tyajyam
Pride, egoism etc. should be shunned. This sutra says that when everything has been surrounded to the lord, nothing should be kept back. Not even one sins, pride, sense of self, lust anger, should be kept back. These are very difficult to conquer, but it surrendered to the lord once can become easily free from these. This is very easy way to rid oneself of these formidable obstacles in the way of Bhakti.

65. Tadarpitakhila charah sun Kamakrodhabhimanadikah, tasminnenva karniyam.
After surrendering everything to him lust, anger, pride etc still remain in the Bhakta, these too should be surrendered to Him. Narad makes this important pronouncement that one should absolutely become free of everything, including lust, anger, pride etc. by surrendering these, too to the lord. This is the privilege of the Bhakta. This path is not available to the practitioners of the ways of knowledge, Yogis and to those conducting sacrifices. Once Bhakta become totally free of all his burdens he is ready to do whatever is ordained by him.

66. Trirupbhamgapoorvakam nityadasya nityakanta bhajanatmakam prem karyam preemeva karyam 
Love and pure love, alone which is like that of a devoted servant or of a wife, the love that transcends all three gunas, should be practiced. Narad says that the love for God should be constant and unerring like a devoted servant has to for his master or a wife has for her husband. Such love goes beyond all the gunas. It is without any selfish desire or any desire for any reward. It is for the beloved only for his sake only. This is Bhakti.