Prem Vatika is written by Shri Raskhan that compiles 53 dohas of devotional love for God.
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The supreme essence of all the Vedas, Purāṇas, Āgamas, and Smṛtis is Love alone. Without love, the sprout of the seed of divine Love cannot germinate; in other words, divine Love can only be attained through love itself.
Śrī Raskhān says, “Enraptured by the unparalleled beauty of the nectarean pollen of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, I have dedicated this Prema-Vāṭikā, this Garden of Divine Love, at those very feet. May countless rasikas, like blissful swarms of bumblebees, roam through this garden, drinking its rasa and becoming filled with bliss.”
Though natural affection may be seen among worldly relations such as friends, spouses, siblings, and parents, it cannot truly be considered pure love. Pure love is incomparable and indescribable, for it is entirely selfless and exists only for the happiness of the beloved.
One who dies, bound in the ties of the divine love of the Lord, alone attains true and eternal life. In contrast, one who lives in this world without realizing this essence of love is regarded by the rasikas as no better than dead, and even after death, such a person does not attain true eternal life.
That love which is mixed with selfish motive is called impure love; and that which is selfless, effortlessly performed solely for the happiness of the Beloved, is known as pure love. Nārada and other exalted sages have explained these two forms of love.
Love has the power to unite two bodies into one; therefore, it stands even higher than liberation. When love awakens, all rules and restraints become irrelevant—love acknowledges no regulations.
Raskhan says — That love alone is called pure love, in which the lover constantly fears that none of his actions should ever cause the Beloved even the slightest trouble. The one who seeks nothing in return from the Beloved, whose love continues to deepen even amidst all kinds of hardships, and who remains forever immersed in the nectar of love for the one and only Beloved — that is true, selfless love.
Without which nothing can be understood, through which divine knowledge arises, and after knowing which nothing remains to be known, that very essence of all essences is Prema (love).
True love is not merely the union of two minds. Only when both the minds and the bodies unite completely, can it be truly called the highest form of love.
Knowledge, actions, and even devotional practices — all of these are rooted in ego. Unshakable faith in the Lord awakens only when one aligns oneself fully with the path of love (prema marga).
The wound of love is deep, yet sweet, filling the heart with boundless nectar. Only those who sacrifice themselves to love achieve immortality. Only by plunging into the depths of love can one rise to spiritual heights. True transformation begins when the ego is forsaken, and the soul advances toward love.
The tale of love is indescribable, known only to the lovers. Love is a blessing that unites the bodies and minds of the lover and the beloved, making them one.
Love embodies the form of Sri Hari, and Sri Hari is love itself. Despite appearing to be two, in essence, they are one, much like the Sun and its rays.
Rasik devotees say that whatever gives rise to love, makes it blossom, and matures is nothing but love itself.
Describing the extraordinary nature of love, Raskhan says that we have only heard that love is a wondrous game in which one voluntarily stakes one's very life to unite heart with heart.
While describing the significance of love, Raskhān asserts that Uddhava recognized and tasted some of the sweetness of the nectar of love. Who can ever again attain the divine love that Uddhava once attained in Braja?
One might spend a lifetime in diverse pursuits or enhance their pride through vast knowledge, yet without love, all efforts are utterly useless. Even if one tries endless expedients, the sole path to attaining God is love alone.
When describing the nature of divine love, people express it in many different ways. Some compare it to a noose, others to a sword, a spear, a dagger, an arrow released from a bow, while still others describe it as an extraordinary shield.
A wondrous play unfolds within the mirror of divine love, for in it one's own identity appears transformed and strangely unlike itself.
While glorifying the greatness of love, Raskhān says that Varuṇa became the lord of waters because he distilled the wine of love, and Śiva became worshipable because, out of love, he drank poison. Love alone is the root of all glory.
