For love's sake

Expressions researched:
"love somebody; for the sake of your beloved" |"love's sake" |"loving service to Him for the sake" |"sake of love" |"sake of the devotee's lovable object"

SB Canto 2

One can attain the stage of love of God by pure devotional service, or by "a learned labor of love," for the sake of the devotee's lovable object, the Personality of Godhead.

SB 2.2.31, Purport:

Attainment of love of Godhead means complete freedom from all other attractions. The conditioned soul has many aspirations such as becoming a religious man, a rich man, or a first-class enjoyer or becoming God himself, or becoming powerful like the mystics and acting wonderfully by getting anything or doing anything, but all these aspirations should be rejected by the prospective devotee who actually wants to revive his dormant love of God. The impure devotee aspires after all of the abovementioned material things by perfection of devotion. But a pure devotee has none of the tinges of the above contaminations, which are the influence of material desires, impersonal speculations and attainment of mystic powers. One can attain the stage of love of God by pure devotional service, or by "a learned labor of love," for the sake of the devotee's lovable object, the Personality of Godhead.

CC Adi-lila

The gopīs render loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa for the sake of His enjoyment.

CC Adi 4.167-169, Translation:

Social customs, scriptural injunctions, bodily demands, fruitive action, shyness, patience, bodily pleasures, self-gratification and the path of varṇāśrama-dharma, which is difficult to give up—the gopīs have forsaken all these, along with their families, and suffered their relatives' punishment and scolding, all for the sake of serving Lord Kṛṣṇa. They render loving service to Him for the sake of His enjoyment.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Just like you love somebody; for the sake of your beloved, you can do anything, and we do sometimes. Similarly, the same thing should be transferred to Kṛṣṇa. That's all.

Lecture on BG 2.6 -- London, August 6, 1973:

Everything should be done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our propaganda. Nirbandha-kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Whatever you do, it must have some relationship with the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, then you act. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇendriya tṛpti vāñchā tāra nāma prema (CC Adi 4.165). This is love. Just like you love somebody; for the sake of your beloved, you can do anything, and we do sometimes. Similarly, the same thing should be transferred to Kṛṣṇa. That's all. Try to educate yourself how to love Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa only. This is the perfection of life.

If you love something and for that love's sake, if you give up something, that is also taken into account, that you're doing the same thing on account of love.

Lecture on BG 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968:

That is simply labor of love. That's all. So here everything is recommended for understanding Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult. By Kṛṣṇa's grace it is not at all difficult, but it appears to be difficult for a person who is accustomed to do such things. Otherwise it is not difficult. Yes.

American man: But you're suggesting, I think, forgoing not just that which is the disease(?), but also that which one wants. I mean that somehow one should know that if one loves something... And yet to come to that, give it up...

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you love something and for that love's sake, if you give up something, that is also taken into account, that you're doing the same thing on account of love. The whole philosophy is for a better position you can accept some voluntary inconvenience. For better thing.

Kaṁsa was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was Kṛṣṇa conscious not directly, not for love's sake, but as an enemy. He was Kṛṣṇa conscious as enemy. So that is not devotional service.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 26, 1968:

So politically, that "For the time being this poor girl may be saved, and it may be that time will change the mind of Kaṁsa. When her sons will be born he might change his mind." But he was such a great demon that he killed all the sons of Devakī. So the eighth son... It was foretold that the eighth son of his sister would kill him. So when Kṛṣṇa was in the womb of his mother, Kaṁsa was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Now you see, he was also Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was Kṛṣṇa conscious not directly, not for love's sake, but as an enemy. He was Kṛṣṇa conscious as enemy. So that is not devotional service. One who is Kṛṣṇa conscious and Kṛṣṇa's friend, Kṛṣṇa's parent, Kṛṣṇa's servant, Kṛṣṇa's lover, that is devotion.

So here it is clearly said, mayy...mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means he..., one who wants Kṛṣṇa. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your lover. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your son. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your friend. You may want Kṛṣṇa as your master. You may want Kṛṣṇa as the supreme sublime. These five different kinds of direct relationship with Kṛṣṇa is called devotion, bhakti. Without any material profit.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Simply for the sake of love, the mother loves the child.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Devotee (3): Swamiji, Indian literature and movies, they're... The subject is quite often romantic love. But in the literature of Indian religion, it seems to me that there's no place for romantic love. It's either divine love or it's, as you say, "cats and dogs." Do you find a place for romantic love within...?

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Devotee (3): What is it?

Prabhupäda: That is in spiritual world, not in this material... In the material world there is no love. It is lust. We are making business under the name of love. In the material world there cannot be love because... Suppose a girl loves a boy or a boy loves a girl. Both of them are actuated by sense gratification. So that is not love. That is not love. When there is question of sense gratification, that is not love. Just like there is little example. Just like mother loves the child. There is no question of sense gratification. Simply for the sake of love, the mother loves the child. It is simply a little example. Similarly, love means if I love you, I don't want any return. Still, I love you. You may ill treat me. You may badly treat me. You neglect me. Still, I love you.

That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is real love. There is no separation. There is no cheating. There is no divorce. There is no sex attraction. Simply for love's sake, loving, that is real love.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2-5 -- Montreal, October 23, 1968:

Prabhupāda: So in the material world there is no love. It is impossible. There is little, little example, just like I cited the example of mother and son or similar. That is also temporary. But real love is in the spiritual... That is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is real love. There is no separation. There is no cheating. There is no divorce. There is no sex attraction. Simply for love's sake, loving, that is real love.

Devotee (3): But in the great literature, lust is not defined as love. It's more defined as something that has to do with spiritual affinity or communication or... In other words, there is a place for romantic love as distinct from lust because lust is rather elementary.

Prabhupāda: Romantic love is in the spiritual world, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is the origin of romantic love. And here we are trying to imitate, although we are on the platform of lust. It is imitation, shadow, perverted reflection. So actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are trying to reach that platform of real love, exchange of love. The example... One example can be given: just like in diseased conditioned, actually there is no enjoyment, but still, the doctor gives some diet: "You eat this." But he does not enjoy. Eating enjoyment is in healthy life, not in diseased condition.