Love is founded in freedom: Suppose a boy proposes to a girl saying, “I love you. Will you marry me?” Suppose she declines. And he pulls out a gun and points it at her head, “Say that you love me and will marry me or I will shoot you.” Such force would be the antithesis of love. 

Love needs to be freely offered — this principle holds true for the human-divine relationship too. If we compare the Bhagavad-gita to Divinity’s love-letter to humanity, then Krishna makes a persuasive proposal through the Gita’s several hundred verses. Yet he respects our freedom and leaves the final decision to us (18.63). 

Freedom is fulfilled in love: When we are free, what do we want to do? Love the people we find attractive. And how do we express that love? By sacrificing some of our freedom to do the things that will please them and to avoid the things that will displease them. It is only when we are ready to focus our love by relinquishing some of our liberty can we relish a richer relationship with anyone. Love is a bond that seems to curtail freedom but actually fulfills freedom.

How does this principle apply to our relationship with Krishna? As he is complete in himself, he doesn’t need anything from us. His love is supremely selfless: all he wants is our ultimate welfare. To please him, we need only give up the things that block our evolution toward life eternal and take up the things that accelerate that evolution. That’s the essence of his call to us for surrender (18.66).

When we understand the nuanced relationship between freedom and love, we can avoid over-emphasizing one at the expense of the other and integrate both in our quest for life’s supreme fulfillment. 

One-sentence summary:

Freedom is the foundation of love; love is the culmination of freedom; their harmonization is the perfection of life.

Think it over:

  • How is love founded in freedom?
  • How is freedom fulfilled in love? 
  • Do you overvalue either freedom or love? How can you harmonize them?

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18.63: Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.