Why Love is the Last Illusion, According to the Bhagavad Gita
Riya Kumari | Jan 28, 2025, 23:29 IST
Love—it's one of the most powerful forces in our lives, shaping everything from our decisions to our identities. It’s the subject of songs, films, poetry, and more. But what if I told you that the Bhagavad Gita, one of the oldest and most revered texts in human history, calls love the "last illusion"? Yeah, it’s a bit of a plot twist.
We all know the drill: love is supposed to be the greatest thing ever. It’s what you see in movies, what you hear in songs, and what you spend your days dreaming about. But what if it’s all a little bit... off? What if love isn’t as simple as we think, or, dare I say it, even the “ultimate” thing we’re supposed to chase?
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that everything in the material world, including love, is a kind of illusion. But let’s be clear: this isn’t some dramatic “love is a lie” statement. It’s more like saying love, as we know it, is temporary and often based on attachment. We often see love as the ultimate goal of life—if we have love, we have everything, right? But here’s the thing: love, in this sense, isn’t stable. It’s fleeting, unpredictable, and often tied to our ego and desires.
When Krishna talks about love being an illusion, he’s pointing out how we get attached to these temporary feelings, thinking they define us. We base our sense of self-worth on whether we’re loved or not, or whether the people we love stay in our lives forever. That’s where the illusion lies—because love, in the way we often experience it, isn’t permanent. Relationships change, feelings shift, and what once felt all-encompassing can feel distant or empty. So love, in this context, is less about the feeling and more about what we attach to it.
So, why call love the "last" illusion? It’s because it’s the final hurdle we have to get past before we can understand a deeper truth about ourselves and the world. The truth is, we’re already whole. We’re already connected to something much bigger than ourselves, and love, in its purest form, isn’t about seeking something outside of ourselves to feel complete.
Think about it: we often believe that if we find the right person or have a perfect relationship, everything will be fine. We’ll be happy, complete, validated. But the Gita flips that on its head—it says that love, at its core, isn’t about needing someone else to make us whole. We already are. The love we seek is actually something that exists within us, waiting to be recognized.
Krishna’s teachings invite us to look at love differently. It’s not about loving someone else in a way that fills an empty space or gives us a sense of completeness. True love, according to the Gita, is about recognizing our connection to everything around us, including the divine. It’s a kind of love that transcends the ego, that isn’t about control or possession but is unconditional and free.
When you understand this, love becomes less about expecting someone else to “complete” you and more about experiencing life with an open heart. It’s a love that’s present in everything, from the way you interact with others to how you connect with the world around you. And while it can be expressed in relationships, it’s not confined to them. It’s much bigger than that—it’s an expansive force that’s already part of you.
So what does all of this mean in real terms? Well, it means that love isn’t something we “find” or “earn.” It’s not about chasing after the perfect relationship or waiting for someone to come into our lives and make us feel whole. It’s about realizing that the love we seek is already within us. It’s about living with the understanding that we are inherently whole and worthy of love, regardless of our circumstances.
This doesn’t mean you stop loving other people. Far from it. It means that when you love from a place of completeness, you love in a way that’s free of dependency and expectation. You give love, not because you need something in return, but because it’s who you are. You stop clinging to love as something that defines you or gives you purpose. You see it as an expression of your connection to the universe.
The Bhagavad Gita’s view on love isn’t a rejection—it’s an invitation to see it for what it really is. Love, in its truest form, isn’t about needing someone else to fulfill you. It’s about recognizing that you are already full, already whole. Love, as the Gita teaches, is not a fleeting emotion or a need to be filled—it’s a recognition of the deeper connection that binds everything together.
When you stop viewing love as something that defines you and instead see it as an expression of your deeper understanding of life, something shifts. Love becomes less of a goal to chase and more of a way to experience the world around you. It’s no longer the last illusion—it’s the key to seeing the truth of who you are.
The Illusion of Love
Love
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that everything in the material world, including love, is a kind of illusion. But let’s be clear: this isn’t some dramatic “love is a lie” statement. It’s more like saying love, as we know it, is temporary and often based on attachment. We often see love as the ultimate goal of life—if we have love, we have everything, right? But here’s the thing: love, in this sense, isn’t stable. It’s fleeting, unpredictable, and often tied to our ego and desires.
When Krishna talks about love being an illusion, he’s pointing out how we get attached to these temporary feelings, thinking they define us. We base our sense of self-worth on whether we’re loved or not, or whether the people we love stay in our lives forever. That’s where the illusion lies—because love, in the way we often experience it, isn’t permanent. Relationships change, feelings shift, and what once felt all-encompassing can feel distant or empty. So love, in this context, is less about the feeling and more about what we attach to it.
Why Love Is the Last Illusion
Paris
So, why call love the "last" illusion? It’s because it’s the final hurdle we have to get past before we can understand a deeper truth about ourselves and the world. The truth is, we’re already whole. We’re already connected to something much bigger than ourselves, and love, in its purest form, isn’t about seeking something outside of ourselves to feel complete.
Think about it: we often believe that if we find the right person or have a perfect relationship, everything will be fine. We’ll be happy, complete, validated. But the Gita flips that on its head—it says that love, at its core, isn’t about needing someone else to make us whole. We already are. The love we seek is actually something that exists within us, waiting to be recognized.
Real Love: Beyond the Ego
Ring
Krishna’s teachings invite us to look at love differently. It’s not about loving someone else in a way that fills an empty space or gives us a sense of completeness. True love, according to the Gita, is about recognizing our connection to everything around us, including the divine. It’s a kind of love that transcends the ego, that isn’t about control or possession but is unconditional and free.
When you understand this, love becomes less about expecting someone else to “complete” you and more about experiencing life with an open heart. It’s a love that’s present in everything, from the way you interact with others to how you connect with the world around you. And while it can be expressed in relationships, it’s not confined to them. It’s much bigger than that—it’s an expansive force that’s already part of you.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Kind
So what does all of this mean in real terms? Well, it means that love isn’t something we “find” or “earn.” It’s not about chasing after the perfect relationship or waiting for someone to come into our lives and make us feel whole. It’s about realizing that the love we seek is already within us. It’s about living with the understanding that we are inherently whole and worthy of love, regardless of our circumstances.
This doesn’t mean you stop loving other people. Far from it. It means that when you love from a place of completeness, you love in a way that’s free of dependency and expectation. You give love, not because you need something in return, but because it’s who you are. You stop clinging to love as something that defines you or gives you purpose. You see it as an expression of your connection to the universe.
Love Beyond Illusion
Universe
The Bhagavad Gita’s view on love isn’t a rejection—it’s an invitation to see it for what it really is. Love, in its truest form, isn’t about needing someone else to fulfill you. It’s about recognizing that you are already full, already whole. Love, as the Gita teaches, is not a fleeting emotion or a need to be filled—it’s a recognition of the deeper connection that binds everything together.
When you stop viewing love as something that defines you and instead see it as an expression of your deeper understanding of life, something shifts. Love becomes less of a goal to chase and more of a way to experience the world around you. It’s no longer the last illusion—it’s the key to seeing the truth of who you are.