Discuss the theme of love in the essay the mad lover.

The mad lover is an essay by Dr. Das. The essay shows the connection that existed
between Sufism and bhakti movement. He in his article points out how both the
movements showed and gave the world a completely different approach towards
god. This approach was the approach of love. Earlier religion and god followed
very strict relationship; a person had to follow whatever the spiritual texts said. But
the advent of Sufi movement and bhakti movement showed people that god and
they can be lover or friend. The author shows that god and soul are two lovers.
Soul of every human waits and burns in anguish for the moment when it will meet
the god. The essay also points out that how love is an inspiration for poets for their
work. All the poems talk about the pain and wait that two lovers face to meet in the
poems of bhakti movement. It is so because as per them the main aim of life is to
make god and soul meet. As the two lovers meet, everything ends. There is nothing
after that and hence no music or literature of bhakti movement and Sufi movement
talk about it. The author also points that love was the main focus of the folk songs
and teachings of Sufi which made them popular. Stories like Heer Ranjha, Soni
Mahiwal, and Laila Majnu all focused on love. Heer says that her love for Ranjha
has combined her and Ranjha. She is no more heer bur Ranjha now. And adaption
of these stories helped Sufi and bhakti movement to spread. Love in the essay is
not the end but the means to achieve the end. It is the main reason behind
development of music and dance. Rumi in his works show dancing like madmen as
a way of expressing love. Meera when falls in love with Krishna, she dances.
Whole concept of raslila between Radha and Krishna is portrayal of story by
dance. All these stories had one thing common i.e., love. Love has been shown as a
way of worshiping. The essay also shows that where for the rest of the world the
world mad is a wrong word. For those who believe in love, that’s a compliment.
From time-to-time various saints were referred as mad. And Kabir in his works
mentions himself as a person who is in mad love with the god. He doesn’t care
about other worldly things, but only his love for god.
As one can perceive by reading the essay, love is not just a feeling or relationship.
It is a driving force; it is what makes one to do incredible force. It helps one to
achieve his goals.