The True Nature of Love
Verse explanation from the kirtan 'Tum mere the mere ho mere rahoge' - Aa ya na aa murlivaare
If you call someone and they don't come, you feel hurt. For instance, if you were unwell and they didn't visit you, you might hold a lifelong grudge against them. But in reality, it is the doctor who must treat your illness - gathering a crowd of relatives serves no real purpose in improving your condition. In fact, because of emotional attachment, seeing them may only increase your longing and emotional pain; it will not offer true relief. But this is how the world operates: it is a give-and-take.
However, a true devotee says to God, "If coming to me gives You joy, then please come. Otherwise, do not come. I have no complaints." Just as a string connects a kite to the person flying it, a string of separation (viraha-vedanā) exists between the devotee and God. That string of separation keeps the devotee connected to God. That thread of separation keeps the devotee constantly connected to the Lord. The devotee prays, “Please keep that string unbroken so that the kite (of my heart) does not cut loose. Please grant me that pain of separation, for in that pain, my love for You will grow even deeper. I will continue to wait for You for eternity without ever losing hope."
In the path of love, despair is an enemy - nirutsāhasya dīnasya. One who gives in to despair can neither succeed in the world nor in the spiritual realm.
The devotee further says, "Whether You treat me with harshness, love, or indifference, my love for You will remain unchanged."
Gaurang Mahaprabhu says:
āśliṣya vā pādaratāṃ pinaṣṭu māmadarśanān marmahatāṃ karotu vā। yathā tathā vā vidadhātu lampaṭo matprāṇanāthas-tu sa eva nāparaḥ।
"O Shri Krishna! Whether You embrace me with love, or sever my head with Your Sudarshan chakra, or remain indifferent and act as though You don't even know me - You may do whatever brings You joy. But none of this will affect my love for You. Rather, my love will only increase further."
Because such is the nature of true love - pratikṣaṇa vardhamānaṃ - it increases with every passing moment.
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