LOVE ALONE IS REAL

 My being is Love, for my being is Light

My thoughts go forth to pierce the heavens

But turn back to woo the love of my heart.

The ocean waves lash against the shores

They raise the foam of love.

My love I find everywhere.

My love has become this, that and all.

Love alone is real.

If love is not, all else is useless.

— Swami Ramdas

 

Explanation given by Pujya Swami Satchidanandaji:

When love is God, naturally Love is everything. Everybody’s being is love because our being is light — light of knowledge compared to darkness of ignorance. Our thoughts go forth higher and higher to pierce the heavens, but find everything arid and therefore returns to our heart to woo the love in it. The ocean waves lash against the shores and raise the foam of love. We find love alone everywhere as love has become this, that and everything. Love alone is real. If there is no love everything is useless. Love alone can make everything real and sweet.

 

How I understand it:

Our true being is an expression of Love and Light because Love is the Light that illumines our lives. Love brings light where there is darkness of misery; love brings joy where there is unhappiness.

In his article, GOD IS LOVE from the book DIVINE LIFE Vol. 1, Beloved Papa has explained Love thus: “God is defined as Love. Love is absolute and is perfectly impersonal; it is the pure and dazzling power of the Spirit that dwells in and pervades all beings and things. Love is infinite and eternal. Love is beyond the implications of name and form — still it works through them. Love is beyond the sense of duality — still it reveals in multifarious ways. It is the omnipotent power that guides and controls all things. Love is unaffected by the touch of time and place. The so-called right and wrong are unknown in the realm of Love. It is not coloured by the conflict of opposites and the modes of nature. Its light is of a crystal. Love is spontaneous in expression and therefore supremely blissful. Its manifestation is based upon its indivisible unity and oneness with all that exists. Love is the one truth and one power. The upward movement and the downward both belong to Love. All opposites neutralise in the undifferentiated spirit of Love. Love is the mystic solvent of all diversity.”

The power of love is so great that even when our thoughts go forth in pursuit of lofty ideals, they turn back to woo the Love within us. This is because life is dry and insipid without Love.

When we become aware that Love is the substratum of everyone and everything, then the outcome of tough situations — portrayed through lashing waves — is also Love! Hence, Love alone is real. If Love is lacking in our lives, then everything come to a nought.

 

Prem Sudha:

The Marathi translation of this poem, as enshrined in the collection called Prem Sudha, is given below:

 प्रेमचि केवळ खरें

जीवन माझें प्रकाश म्हणुनी

जीवन माझें प्रेम असे ते ।। ध्रु ।।

आकाशाचे भेदन करण्या

जरि विचार माझे जात वरी ,

मम ह्रदयंतिल प्रीतीवरती

ये प्रेम कराया परत परी.

सागर सारा उसळुनि येता

आघात थोर पडति किनारी ,

त्या योगाने प्रेम-फेन बहु

येत असे सागर पृष्ठावरि

सर्वांठायी प्रेम दिसे मम

सकाल स्वयेंची बनलें बा रे

प्रेमाचि केवळ खरे तयाविन

व्यर्थ जगांतिल इतरहि सारे.

The mp3 of the Bhajan is also attached herewith.



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