prīti kī rīti na jāne koya

English meaning

No one understands the real nature of love. That is, only a few rare souls, called rasikas, who have attained that love, are familiar with the reality about it. Although the love that exists between a fish and water is called actual love by all poets, but, in my opinion, it is not so because just as human beings etc. become extremely restless without air for the fear of losing their body, in the same way, the source of survival for a fish is water, therefore it writhes in pain without it because of the fear of losing its life. According to the principle of rasikas, it is merely selfishness. (That which aims at the fulfilment of one’s own desires is called selfishness, while love is that which aims at making only the beloved Kṛishṇa happy). Besides, another example of true love given by poets is the love of a black-bee for a lotus. But even a black-bee’s love is contaminated (not pure) because of being full of the eager desire to make itself happy and also being devoid of exclusiveness. The poets also declare the love of a chātaka for clouds to be the real love, but even this love like other previously given examples, is based on the selfishness of quenching the thirst with the water of clouds when the star Arcturus is in ascendant. Similarly, those who mention the love of a deer for musical sound and that of moths for light, while talking about the definition of real love, do not think that both of these lovers by putting an end to their lives blemish true love which gives immortality. Actually, love is something entirely unique, which is beyond both, the selfishness of any kind, and the ultimate good (i.e. beyond the desire of this world and the world beyond). It is the essence of exhilarating energy (Hlādinī Shaktī) of the Supreme Lord. Jagadguru Shrī Kripālu Jī challenges that it is impossible to attain this selfless divine love by any amount of self-effort, without the grace of rasika saints.

Complete whole-pad meaning transcribed from the supplied English edition. The source provides no separate line-by-line or word-by-word meaning.

Prem Ras Madira (English), Part 1 · PDF pages 241, 242 · printed pages 186, 187.

Meanings: Smt. Padmā Devī. English translation and transliteration: Sushrī Braj Parikarī Devī. Source details.