Bhakti, Shraddha and Prema

[Chelluri at AOL.COM]

                                               Om
Namaste!

What is Bhakti?  What is Shraddha?  What is Love?   These are questions that
bothered me a long time.   I asked so many learned people.  Here are their
responses.

Bhakti:     Shankaracharya of Kamakoti Peetham told me to read a slokam in
sivanandalahari where adishankara explains what bhakti is.   He immediately
asked one of his close followers to recite the slokam.  That slokam explains
how bhakti should be.

Prema:  Amritanandamayi told me that prema can not be put in words. One has to
feel it.

We do perform our work with shraddha (Sincereity) 'cause our lives depend on
it.  If we dont there is no other way except to get a pink slip.   We do
everything with a cause behind.

When young we used to return home by dusk, 'cause of fear of dad.

We do everything with bhakti, shraddha because of a reason.   I can think of
three reasons.   Fear, possession, desire.

When young we used to do things out fear of parents, teachers and when old
fear of god.   Fear is the catalyst that develops shraddha.  If I dont do this
puja according to the book I will be in trouble.  So we go to any extent to do
it right not with real shraddha but fearful of doing it any otherway.

We do things with shraddha to win what we desire.  For instance to win the
attention of a young maiden one will perform with so much shraddha any thing
that pleases her.  Possession that's what makes it happen.  Back in the recess
of his mind the thought is hidden there.  Here I like to quote maitreyee from
upanishads.
She said woman loves her husband and make him happy because when he is happy
she feels happy too.  There is the selfish motto.  For her to feel happy she
has to make the husband happy first.

Cultivating bhakti, shraddha and prema out of fear, possession and desire are
not the right definitions for these words.   I feel it is inborn, god given,
not cultivated.

Could somebody express their views on these three words bhakti, shraddha and
prema.

Regards                                                       Nagy