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Narada's Way of divine love: The bhakti sutras
English (translation)
Hardcover
First published July 1, 1945
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 4, 2012
Simply exceptional!Words really dont do justice to the fountain of wisdom Guruji exudes from his beautiful interpretation of Narada Bhakti Sutras!
September 12, 2022
A short text explaining the basics of bhakti-yoga (particularly within the medieval Vaishnava tradition) in a beautifully poetic manner, going into the heart of things, despite the shortcomings of the sutra (aphoristic) manner of writing. Note to self: I've only read the text itself for now, and not the extensive commentary provided in this volume.
Conversing with one another with choking voice, tearful eyes, and thrilled body, they purify not only their families but the land which gave birth to them.
In them there is no distinction based on caste or culture, beauty or birth, wealth or profession and the like.
The fathers rejoice, the gods dance in joy, and this Earth gets a saviour.
Conversing with one another with choking voice, tearful eyes, and thrilled body, they purify not only their families but the land which gave birth to them.
In them there is no distinction based on caste or culture, beauty or birth, wealth or profession and the like.
The fathers rejoice, the gods dance in joy, and this Earth gets a saviour.
May 9, 2014
No words to explain. Completely different aspect of love and total bliss :)
Want to Read
February 2, 2019Love it..
September 5, 2012
If you are in love read this book, if you are with broken heart read this book, if you want to make more and more people happy read this book. This is a nice book which saved me when I was wondering what is the real meaning of Love. This book explains very easily the pure form of love. After reading this book I was inspired to watch talks by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Narada Bhakti Sutra. It is really worth reading this book.
July 4, 2008
Guruji's knowlege flooding in Bhakthi sutras
December 13, 2015
A book that epitomizes the definition of Love in all its forms .. ending in the final act of love ... "the love of and from the Devine".
March 14, 2026
Just to clarify, the 4-star rating is for the quality of the commentary, rather than the teachings themselves. While most of it was valuable, I found the style used to be overtly verbose and at times, there were comments that were distracting (such as unnecessary commentaries on history, science, etc.) I think the prose translation of the sutras was also better than the verse translation, which I thought was done rather clumsily. These are the usual pains that comes with having to read Sanskrit texts through an intermediary.
Now, the teachings of Narada Bhakti Sutra themselves are something else altogether. I will preface by saying I'm a Vedantin, but I find texts from Catholic mysticism to be quite helpful for my own sadhana; earlier this year I read "The Ascent of Mount Carmel", which in all honesty was just a longer version of Narada Bhakti Sutra with a commentary attached. It even takes the form of a poem and then an expounding of the poem; thus, it was inevitable Narada's verses reminded me of the work of St. John of the Cross.
In both texts, there is a clear division between lower bhakti and higher bhakti. Lower bhakti is when dualism still persists, while higher bhakti is when the sadhaka becomes perfected through complete identification with the Absolute. In this way, they become a siddha — someone who has perfected their sadhana and exists in a state of non-duality with God. Someone who exists in this state no longer identifies with the false notion of "I" (which does not exist), but through devotion, comes to see that what they are is the eternal, unchanging Self, which is the truth exemplified in the phrase "Tat Tvam Asi" — That Thou Art. One no longer then, performs any action with desire or identification with the false "I", freeing themselves from samsara (and earthly sorrows). This is what is also meant by "Thy will, not mine, be done." The will of the individual is ultimately an illusion created by the ego.
Narada says that out of all the paths to moksha, bhakti is the easiest as its own worth is inherent in itself: love provides the justification for love. The other yogas: karma, gyana, raja, all require some qualifications to be developed and/or sufficient material conditions. Bhakti yoga simply requires that you love. That being said, I do believe it is very difficult for most people to simply love God out of nowhere. All practices have to be cultivated, including devotion; Swami Vivekananda for that reason recommended that practices from all four paths be taken. I believe he is correct on this, vs Shankaracharya for example, who said that gyana yoga was enough (though he himself was definitely a bhakta of consideration). Without bhakti, I find it difficult to imagine how you could sustain gyana for very long; Vedanta isn't the most exciting subject to study.
The difficulty in trying to write any treatise on bhakti is also commented on by Narada, who says it's similar to asking a mute to describe sweetness. You can give them sugar, they'll enjoy it, but to ask them what it was they just tasted is beyond their ability to articulate. It's the same when it comes to these mystical experience with bhakti. I didn't understand until I felt it; and because I could not deny my experiences, lest I became a hypocrite, I opened my mind up to the possibility of God. From that, I inquired until I accepted Advaita Vedanta. Once you have felt the overwhelming love that is bhakti, reading something like Narada Bhakti Sutra just "makes sense". If you never felt it, reading this text might be like trying to understand a color through words — it just doesn't work.
Definitely a recommended read. YMMV with the translation, but overall it's definitely worth it for any sadhaka to digest.
Now, the teachings of Narada Bhakti Sutra themselves are something else altogether. I will preface by saying I'm a Vedantin, but I find texts from Catholic mysticism to be quite helpful for my own sadhana; earlier this year I read "The Ascent of Mount Carmel", which in all honesty was just a longer version of Narada Bhakti Sutra with a commentary attached. It even takes the form of a poem and then an expounding of the poem; thus, it was inevitable Narada's verses reminded me of the work of St. John of the Cross.
In both texts, there is a clear division between lower bhakti and higher bhakti. Lower bhakti is when dualism still persists, while higher bhakti is when the sadhaka becomes perfected through complete identification with the Absolute. In this way, they become a siddha — someone who has perfected their sadhana and exists in a state of non-duality with God. Someone who exists in this state no longer identifies with the false notion of "I" (which does not exist), but through devotion, comes to see that what they are is the eternal, unchanging Self, which is the truth exemplified in the phrase "Tat Tvam Asi" — That Thou Art. One no longer then, performs any action with desire or identification with the false "I", freeing themselves from samsara (and earthly sorrows). This is what is also meant by "Thy will, not mine, be done." The will of the individual is ultimately an illusion created by the ego.
Narada says that out of all the paths to moksha, bhakti is the easiest as its own worth is inherent in itself: love provides the justification for love. The other yogas: karma, gyana, raja, all require some qualifications to be developed and/or sufficient material conditions. Bhakti yoga simply requires that you love. That being said, I do believe it is very difficult for most people to simply love God out of nowhere. All practices have to be cultivated, including devotion; Swami Vivekananda for that reason recommended that practices from all four paths be taken. I believe he is correct on this, vs Shankaracharya for example, who said that gyana yoga was enough (though he himself was definitely a bhakta of consideration). Without bhakti, I find it difficult to imagine how you could sustain gyana for very long; Vedanta isn't the most exciting subject to study.
The difficulty in trying to write any treatise on bhakti is also commented on by Narada, who says it's similar to asking a mute to describe sweetness. You can give them sugar, they'll enjoy it, but to ask them what it was they just tasted is beyond their ability to articulate. It's the same when it comes to these mystical experience with bhakti. I didn't understand until I felt it; and because I could not deny my experiences, lest I became a hypocrite, I opened my mind up to the possibility of God. From that, I inquired until I accepted Advaita Vedanta. Once you have felt the overwhelming love that is bhakti, reading something like Narada Bhakti Sutra just "makes sense". If you never felt it, reading this text might be like trying to understand a color through words — it just doesn't work.
Definitely a recommended read. YMMV with the translation, but overall it's definitely worth it for any sadhaka to digest.
August 30, 2023
I am in awe of Lord Krishna after having read the Narada Bhakti Sutra translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami and Gopiparanadhana Prabhu.
Down through the ages, highly evolved souls of both the East and West have taught that we can attain perfect, pure and eternal love only when we learn to love God. Bhakti-yoga, the science of devotion, teaches us this art. And there is no greater teacher than the Vedic sage Narada.
Narada’s eighty-four jewel like aphorisms on devotion, known as the Narada Bhakti Sutra, reveal the secrets of love of God - what it is, and isn’t; what its effects are; what helps or hinders progress along the path; and much more. These sutras are like a summary of the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
The book is divided into the following five sections:
1. The Value of Devotion: Sutra 1-14
2. Defining Bhakti: Sutra 15-33
3. The Means of Achievement: Sutra 34-50
4. Pur and Mixed Devotion: Sutra 51-73
5. Attaining Perfection: Sutra 74-84
For the sincere seeker of life’s ultimate goal, the Narada Bhakti Sutra is essential.
Down through the ages, highly evolved souls of both the East and West have taught that we can attain perfect, pure and eternal love only when we learn to love God. Bhakti-yoga, the science of devotion, teaches us this art. And there is no greater teacher than the Vedic sage Narada.
Narada’s eighty-four jewel like aphorisms on devotion, known as the Narada Bhakti Sutra, reveal the secrets of love of God - what it is, and isn’t; what its effects are; what helps or hinders progress along the path; and much more. These sutras are like a summary of the teachings in the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
The book is divided into the following five sections:
1. The Value of Devotion: Sutra 1-14
2. Defining Bhakti: Sutra 15-33
3. The Means of Achievement: Sutra 34-50
4. Pur and Mixed Devotion: Sutra 51-73
5. Attaining Perfection: Sutra 74-84
For the sincere seeker of life’s ultimate goal, the Narada Bhakti Sutra is essential.
December 5, 2024
A wonderful treatise of sorts that go over the different forms of worship for your ishta-devata by the great sage Narada. I found myself contrasting the transactional relationship typified by mainstream interpretations of Christianity with the “love-for-its-own-sakeness” of the Bhakti (worship) discussed and elucidated in this work. God is not some sort of domineering authority figure necessarily, you can love God as a brother, as a mother, as a friend, so on and so forth. Gorgeous text and I will be integrating a lot of the thought within this book into my relation with the divine (and sadhana) moving forward.
March 30, 2026
I read the translation by the Chinmaya Mission. I'll say this isn't an easy text to understand without a teacher. So if you're interested in reading it, find a good teacher and also a good translation in English. The one by the Chinmaya Mission can be obtuse at times....most of the time.
July 10, 2025
Not my favorite translation, but still a decent study of this ancient text on devotion.
June 10, 2021
One of the Best Books I have read about Bhakti Yoga . Feeling blessed to read the translation of Swami Chinmayananda ji . Supreme Love ( Bhakti ) , towards the Lord , leads a seeker to find Oneness with the Divine . Bhakti Yoga seems to be the easiest path to Self Actualisation as it requires no specific qualities to be cultivated in the Seeker . The Compassion and Love is there with every Human Being . Just that it is divided to different objects/people etc . If one can channel all these love towards Thee, one can move ahead in the path towards the Divine easily. The book explains how to reach to the higher levels of Divine Love and surrender to the Divine , so that the Kama, Krodha,Lobha,Moha,Mada,Matsarya of mind ( six passions / desires of mind ) will not trouble a seeker . Narada , being one of the supreme devotee to Krishna , explains about Maya ( Illusion ) and how a seeker can thrive the same with complete surrender to Thee .
June 19, 2017
This is the first book I've read on bhakti yoga. It is the heart of yoga, the path of love and devotion mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. I read it on the recommendation of a swami who was giving a retreat on bhakti yoga. I bought and read it the day before the lectures so that I could ask questions. However, it really is a book to be lingered over and absorbed slowly, perhaps a verse at a time.
July 18, 2007
sebenarnya.. nyari yang punya anad krishna tapi gak ketemu..
disini kita belajar melihat kedalam diri kita sendiri. apa itu divine love, belajar menggapai cinta tak bersyarat dan tak terbatas.
read it
disini kita belajar melihat kedalam diri kita sendiri. apa itu divine love, belajar menggapai cinta tak bersyarat dan tak terbatas.
read it
October 11, 2014
This is about Bhakti (devotion/love) Yoga. I like it, but different versions have different numbers of chapters, though the material is basically the same.
Read
January 12, 2009Sri Sro
July 1, 2024
One of the most, most beautiful books ever. A rare gem. Fortunate to find it.
July 10, 2021
Beautiful book
Clear, concise translation. Elevating. Every Sanskrit word and phrase is aptly translated. Great experience reading the text. Om Tat Sat.
Clear, concise translation. Elevating. Every Sanskrit word and phrase is aptly translated. Great experience reading the text. Om Tat Sat.
September 24, 2021
Really really good. Soars like a bird in terms of inspiration.
August 4, 2022
'Always avoid bad company. The two are like waves but together can form the Ocean.'
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews