Everything You Thought You Knew About Love is Wrong: The Gita’s Take
Nidhi | Apr 25, 2025, 22:43 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
In a world dominated by fleeting emotions and expectations, the Bhagavad Gita offers a transformative understanding of love. This article explores Krishna’s teachings on love, emphasizing selflessness, detachment, and spiritual equanimity. By redefining love beyond attachment, the Gita guides us toward a deeper, more profound connection with ourselves and others, offering a path to true emotional and spiritual fulfillment.
Love. The word itself evokes so many feelings—excitement, joy, passion, longing. We are raised on the idea of romantic love, of intense connections that define our lives, of relationships where our happiness is intertwined with another’s. But is that truly the nature of love? Or is everything we think we know about love a misunderstanding?
The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most profound spiritual texts ever written, offers an entirely different perspective on love. It disrupts everything we have been taught about attachment, desire, and expectation. It takes love beyond the realm of emotion and places it within a higher, spiritual context. What the Gita teaches us about love challenges our very understanding of it—shifting it from fleeting emotions to deep, soul-aligned actions.
Are you ready to rethink love? Let's explore the wisdom of the Gita and uncover a new way of loving that might just be the answer to everything you’ve been seeking.
“Tene Brahma Hridaya Adikavaye Muhyanti Yatsurayaah, Tejo Varimrdam Yatha Vinimayo Yatra Trishagyo Amritam.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Verse 20
The first big revelation from the Gita is that love is not about attachment—it’s about action. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna to act according to his dharma (duty) without worrying about the consequences. This is the foundation of Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action.
Love, then, is not about what we get from others but what we give. It’s not transactional but devotional. It’s not seeking validation but offering kindness, understanding, and care. True love, the Gita suggests, comes from selflessly serving others without any expectation of reward. You love because it’s your nature, not because you’re waiting for something in return. 
“Anityam Asukham Lokam Imam Prapya Bhajasvamaam, Nityam Anantam Achintyam Paramam Satyam Paramah.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 20
The Gita takes us a step further by telling us that true love involves detachment. This doesn’t mean we stop caring; rather, it means we no longer cling to the idea that love should fill a void or offer us security. Attachment breeds suffering, Krishna teaches us. When we are attached to someone or something, we tie ourselves to fleeting experiences, bound to the inevitable changes and losses that come with life.
Detachment in the Gita is not about emotional coldness; it's about loving with freedom. You give without expectation, and you remain peaceful, no matter the outcomes. This allows us to love others freely, not because we need them to be a certain way but because love itself is an expression of our inner nature. 
“Samatvam yoga uchyate.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna emphasizes a state of equanimity—maintaining a balance of mind regardless of external circumstances. In love, this equanimity is crucial. Relationships are often filled with highs and lows, emotional turbulence, and uncertainty.
Krishna urges Arjuna to treat both success and failure with the same composure. Love, when approached from this perspective, becomes something deeper—something that isn’t shaken by the ups and downs of life. It’s a love that’s rooted in inner peace, that doesn’t lose its foundation when conflicts arise or challenges come. The Gita teaches us that equanimity is the key to lasting love—when we remain balanced in our emotions, our love becomes steady and enduring.“Aham Sarvasya Prabhavo Matta Sarvam Pravartate, Iti Matva Bhajante Maam Budha Bhavasamanvitaah.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 8
Beyond worldly connections, the Gita teaches us to cultivate a love for the divine. Krishna, as the Supreme Being, invites us to see love as not just a human experience but as a connection to the eternal, the divine source of all creation. This is a love that transcends the physical world and connects us to something much greater.
This spiritual love brings clarity to all relationships, for when we love with the understanding that we are all connected through the divine, our interactions are transformed. We stop seeing people as separate from ourselves. Instead, we begin to recognize the divine in them. This recognition is the deepest form of love—a love that doesn’t diminish with time, doesn’t falter with distance, and doesn’t need to be proven. 
“Atmanam Rakshet, Dhanam, Graham, Dharman, Vrittim Cha.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 63
Perhaps the most revolutionary concept the Gita introduces is self-love. But this is not the type of self-love that is tied to ego or vanity. This is love rooted in self-awareness and spiritual understanding.
To love others truly, the Gita suggests, we must first love ourselves—not in the superficial sense but in a profound, self-respecting way. Self-love, in the Gita’s eyes, is recognizing our true essence as souls connected to the divine. It’s about nurturing our inner peace and honoring our own worth, irrespective of our external circumstances. This inner love becomes the foundation for all other forms of love—whether romantic, familial, or platonic. As we close this exploration of the Bhagavad Gita’s perspective on love, we are left with a simple, yet profound realization: to love is to be free. Free from attachment, free from expectations, free from the need for approval. It is to love in such a way that you nurture others and yourself, not based on the material, but on the eternal.
In this radical view, love is no longer a search for completion, but an expression of our already complete, divine selves. The love the Gita speaks of is one that transcends the fleeting—rooted in the eternal, the selfless, and the peaceful. It’s time we embrace this higher understanding of love. Perhaps, then, we will finally experience love not as a burden, but as a liberation.
Isn't it time to love the Gita way?
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!
The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most profound spiritual texts ever written, offers an entirely different perspective on love. It disrupts everything we have been taught about attachment, desire, and expectation. It takes love beyond the realm of emotion and places it within a higher, spiritual context. What the Gita teaches us about love challenges our very understanding of it—shifting it from fleeting emotions to deep, soul-aligned actions.
Are you ready to rethink love? Let's explore the wisdom of the Gita and uncover a new way of loving that might just be the answer to everything you’ve been seeking.
1. Love as Selfless Action: "Karma Yoga" (The Love of Duty)
Love
( Image credit : Pexels )
“Tene Brahma Hridaya Adikavaye Muhyanti Yatsurayaah, Tejo Varimrdam Yatha Vinimayo Yatra Trishagyo Amritam.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 1, Verse 20
The first big revelation from the Gita is that love is not about attachment—it’s about action. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna to act according to his dharma (duty) without worrying about the consequences. This is the foundation of Karma Yoga, the path of selfless action.
Love, then, is not about what we get from others but what we give. It’s not transactional but devotional. It’s not seeking validation but offering kindness, understanding, and care. True love, the Gita suggests, comes from selflessly serving others without any expectation of reward. You love because it’s your nature, not because you’re waiting for something in return.
2. The Paradox of Detachment: Love Without Attachment
Holding hands
( Image credit : Freepik )
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 20
The Gita takes us a step further by telling us that true love involves detachment. This doesn’t mean we stop caring; rather, it means we no longer cling to the idea that love should fill a void or offer us security. Attachment breeds suffering, Krishna teaches us. When we are attached to someone or something, we tie ourselves to fleeting experiences, bound to the inevitable changes and losses that come with life.
Detachment in the Gita is not about emotional coldness; it's about loving with freedom. You give without expectation, and you remain peaceful, no matter the outcomes. This allows us to love others freely, not because we need them to be a certain way but because love itself is an expression of our inner nature.
3. Equanimity in Love: "Samatvam Yoga Uchhye" (Balanced Love)
Radha-Krishna: Prem
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48
In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna emphasizes a state of equanimity—maintaining a balance of mind regardless of external circumstances. In love, this equanimity is crucial. Relationships are often filled with highs and lows, emotional turbulence, and uncertainty.
Krishna urges Arjuna to treat both success and failure with the same composure. Love, when approached from this perspective, becomes something deeper—something that isn’t shaken by the ups and downs of life. It’s a love that’s rooted in inner peace, that doesn’t lose its foundation when conflicts arise or challenges come. The Gita teaches us that equanimity is the key to lasting love—when we remain balanced in our emotions, our love becomes steady and enduring.
4. Spiritual Love: Love Beyond the Physical Realm
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 8
Beyond worldly connections, the Gita teaches us to cultivate a love for the divine. Krishna, as the Supreme Being, invites us to see love as not just a human experience but as a connection to the eternal, the divine source of all creation. This is a love that transcends the physical world and connects us to something much greater.
This spiritual love brings clarity to all relationships, for when we love with the understanding that we are all connected through the divine, our interactions are transformed. We stop seeing people as separate from ourselves. Instead, we begin to recognize the divine in them. This recognition is the deepest form of love—a love that doesn’t diminish with time, doesn’t falter with distance, and doesn’t need to be proven.
5. Self-Love: "Atmanam Rakshet" (Loving the Self)
Love Yourself
( Image credit : Pexels )
“Atmanam Rakshet, Dhanam, Graham, Dharman, Vrittim Cha.”
— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 18, Verse 63
Perhaps the most revolutionary concept the Gita introduces is self-love. But this is not the type of self-love that is tied to ego or vanity. This is love rooted in self-awareness and spiritual understanding.
To love others truly, the Gita suggests, we must first love ourselves—not in the superficial sense but in a profound, self-respecting way. Self-love, in the Gita’s eyes, is recognizing our true essence as souls connected to the divine. It’s about nurturing our inner peace and honoring our own worth, irrespective of our external circumstances. This inner love becomes the foundation for all other forms of love—whether romantic, familial, or platonic.
Love Transformed: A New Way of Loving
In this radical view, love is no longer a search for completion, but an expression of our already complete, divine selves. The love the Gita speaks of is one that transcends the fleeting—rooted in the eternal, the selfless, and the peaceful. It’s time we embrace this higher understanding of love. Perhaps, then, we will finally experience love not as a burden, but as a liberation.
Isn't it time to love the Gita way?
Explore the latest trends and tips in Health & Fitness, Travel, Life Hacks, Fashion & Beauty, and Relationships at Times Life!