Bhakti yoga (Sanskrit:भक्ति योग), also calledBhakti marga (भक्ति मार्ग, literally the path ofbhakti), is a spiritual path orspiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards anypersonal deity.[1][2] It is one of thethree classical paths in Hinduism which leads tomoksha, the other paths beingjnana yoga andkarma yoga.
The tradition has ancient roots. Bhakti is mentioned in theShvetashvatara Upanishad where it simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor.[3][4] Bhakti yoga as one of three spiritual paths for salvation is discussed in depth by theBhagavad Gita.[5][6][7]
The personal god varies with the devotee.[8][9] It may include a god or goddess such asKrishna,Radha,Rama,Sita,Vishnu,Shiva,Shakti,Lakshmi,Saraswati,Ganesha,Parvati,Durga, andSurya among others.
Thebhakti marga involving these deities grew with thebhakti movement, starting about the mid-1st millennium CE, fromTamil Nadu in South India. The movement was led by the SaivaNayanars[10] and the VaisnavaAlvars. Their ideas and practices inspired bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India over the 12th-18th century CE.[11][10] Bhakti marga is a part of the religious practice inVaishnavism,Shaivism, andShaktism.[12][13][14]
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The Sanskrit wordbhakti is derived from the rootbhaj, which means "divide, share, partake, participate, to belong to".[2][15][16] The word also means "attachment, devotion to, fondness for, homage, faith or love, worship, piety to something as a spiritual, religious principle or means of salvation".[17]
The termyoga literally means "union, yoke", and in this context connotes a path or practice for "salvation, liberation".[13] The yoga referred to here is the "joining together, union" of one'sAtman (true self) with the concept of SupremeBrahman (true Reality).[13][18][19]
According to Samrat Kumar, bhakti yoga is an Indian tradition of "divine love mysticism", a spiritual path "synonymous for an intimate understanding of oneness and harmony of the eternal individual with the Divine (the universal Being) and all creatures, a constant delight".[20] According to Yoga Journal, yoga scholarDavid Frawley writes in his book that bhakti yoga "consists of concentrating one's mind, emotions, and senses on the Divine."[21]
Bhakti yoga is one of three yogas taught inBhagavad Gita.[13] Bhakti yoga is a devotee's loving devotion to a personal god as the path for spirituality.[22] The other two paths are jnana yoga and karma yoga. Jnana yoga is the path of wisdom where the individual pursues knowledge and introspective self-understanding as spiritual practice, and karma yoga is the path of virtuous action (karma) where one acts without expecting rewards or consequences, also known asnishkama karma.[13][22] Later, new movements within Hinduism addedraja yoga as the fourth spiritual path, but this is not universally accepted as distinct to other three.[23][24]
TheBhagavata Purana is a popular and influential text in the Vaishnavism traditions. It discussesIshvara pranidhana (devotion to a personal god).[25] The Sanskrit text presents various modes of bhakti specifically to incarnations ofVishnu, particularly in terms of "Narayana, Krishna". According to Edwin Bryant, and other scholars,[26] the Bhakti yoga taught in this text is inspired byYoga Sutras of Patanjali andBhagavad Gita, and they focus on "the ultimate truths of the individual self and its loving relationship with a personal god".[25][27] The presentation in theBhagavata Purana is not in abstract terms, but through "charming and delightful tales that capture the heart and mind", the goal of Bhakti yoga, states Bryant.[25]
TheUddhava Gita, which is the eleventh book of the Bhagavata Purana, discusses bhakti through a dialogue between Lord Krishna andUddhava, his devotee. This text highlights the pure devotion and bhakti that thegopis ofVrindavan had for Lord Krishna.[28]
Hinduism, in its scriptures such asBhagavad Gita (chapter 7), recognizes four kinds of devotees who practice Bhakti yoga.[29][30][31] Some practice it because they are hard pressed or stressed by anxiety or their life's circumstances and see Bhakti yoga as a form of relief. The second type practice Bhakti yoga to learn about god out of curiosity and intellectual intrigue. The third type seek rewards in this or in afterlife through their Bhakti yoga. The fourth are those who love god driven by pure love, knowing and seeking nothing beyond that experience of love union.[29][30]
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According to these Hindu texts, the highest spiritual level is the fourth, those who are devoted because of their knowledge of love.[31][34] TheBhagavad Gita states that all four types of Bhakti yogi are noble because their pursuit of Bhakti yoga sooner or later starts the journey on the path of spirituality, it keeps one away from negativity and evilkarma, it causes spiritual transformation towards the goal of Bhakti yoga, to "know god as the essence within themselves and their true self always with god".[31][34][30]
Major traditions include theShaiva who worship the godShiva; theVaishnava who worship the godVishnu (or hisavatars such asKrishna andRama); and theShakta who worship the goddessShakti (or her avatars such asDurga,Kali,Lakshmi, andParvati). These are all considered manifestations or aspects of the same metaphysical reality calledBrahman in Hinduism.[2][33]
Panchayatana puja is a form of bhakti found in theSmarta tradition ofHinduism.[35] It consists of the simultaneous worship of multiple deities:Shiva,Vishnu,Shakti,Surya and anIshta Devata such asGanesha orSkanda or any personal god of devotee's preference.[36][37][38]
Philosophically, the Smarta tradition emphasizes that all images (murti) are icons ofsagunaBrahman, a means to thinking about the abstract Ultimate Reality callednirguna Brahman. The five or six icons are seen bySmartas as multiple representations of the oneSaguna Brahman (i.e., a personal God with form), rather than as distinct beings. The ultimate goal in this practice is to transition past the use of icons, then follow a philosophical and meditative path to understanding the oneness of Atman (soul, self) and Brahman – as "That art Thou".[36][39]
TheŚaivasiddhānta tradition favors Bhakti yoga, emphasizing loving devotion to Shiva.[40][41] Its theology presents three universal realities: thepashu (individual soul), thepati (lord, Shiva), and thepasha (soul's bondage) through ignorance,karma andmaya. The tradition teaches ethical living, service to the community and through one's work, loving worship, yoga practice and discipline, continuous learning and self-knowledge as means for liberating the individual soul from bondage.[42][43]
The historic Shaiva Siddhanta literature is an enormous body of texts.[44] The Shaiva Siddhanta practices have focussed on abstract ideas of spirituality,[44] worship and loving devotion to Shiva as SadaShiva, and taught the authority of the Vedas and Shaiva Agamas.[45][46][47]
Bhakti toward the goddess is another significant tradition, one found inShaktism.[48] The theology of oneness and unity of "the divine Goddess and the devotee", their eternal fearless love for each other is a theme found inDevi Gita, a text embedded inside theDevi-Bhagavata Purana. The specific Bhakti yoga practices amongst Shakta are similar to those in other traditions of Hinduism.[49][50] The Shakta devotion is common in eastern states of India, particularlyWest Bengal. The personal god here varies, and includesDurga,Tara Ma (Buddhist influence),Kali and to a lesser extentSaraswati,Lakshmi,Bharat Mata (land goddess), according to June McDaniel.[50]
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The Bhakti yoga tradition has been historically most associated with Vaishnavism. The personal god here is Vishnu or one of hisavatars. In many regions, the loving devotion is either to Vishnu-Lakshmi (god-goddess) together, or through Lakshmi who is considered theshakti of Vishnu.[52][53] The specificavatar varies by the devotee and region, but the most common areKrishna andRama.[33][54][55]
In the Krishna-oriented traditions of Vaishnavism, theChaitanya Charitamrita byKrishnadasa Kaviraja interprets the section 7.5.23-24 ofBhagavata Purana to teach nine types ofbhakti sadhana, in the words ofPrahlada. David Haberman translates them as follows:[56]
(1)śravaṇa ("listening" to the scriptural stories of Krishna and his companions), (2)kīrtana ("praising"; usually refers to ecstatic group singing), (3)smaraṇa ("remembering" or fixing the mind on Vishnu), (4)pāda-sevana (rendering service), (5)arcana (worshiping an image), (6)vandana (paying homage), (7)dāsya (servitude), (8)sākhya (friendship), and (9)ātma-nivedana (complete surrender of the self).
These nine principles of devotional service were incorporated byRupa Goswami linked toChaitanya Mahaprabhu as integral to spiritual practice focused on Krishna.[56] The gopis practiced these forms of bhakti when they were separated from Krishna.[56]
Rupa Goswami andJiva Goswami have offered significant commentary on bhakti. Rupa defines bhakti as "Bhakti is said to be service to Krishna, by means of the senses. This service is free of all limitations, dedicated to Him and pure [of self-motive]."[This quote needs a citation] Jiva aligns closely with this, stating that bhakti is the preeminent path to attaining perfection through service. The ultimate expression of bhakti is service to Krishna.[25]
In theBhakti Sandarbha, Jiva Goswami analyzes bhakti yoga by distinguishing between vaidhi bhakti and raganuga bhakti. Vaidhi bhakti represents a regulated form of devotion, where devotion is driven by adherence to scriptural injunctions and traditional practices.Raganuga bhakti represents a more exceptional form of devotion, emerging spontaneously from a natural, innate attraction toIshvara (God), without relying on formalized practices.Raganuga bhakti, with its exclusive focus onIshvara, represents the highest yogic attainment inGaudiya Vaishnavism, contrasting with other yogic paths like that described byPatanjali, where mundane desires are seen as obstacles.[57]
A movement led byMeher Baba states that "out of a number of practices which lead to the ultimate goal of humanity – God-Realization –Bhakti Yoga is one of the most important. Almost the whole of humanity is concerned withBhakti Yoga, which, in simple words, means the art of worship. But it must be understood in all its true aspects, and not merely in a narrow and shallow sense, in which the term is commonly used and interpreted. The profound worship based on the high ideals of philosophy and spirituality, prompted by divine love, doubtless constitutes trueBhakti Yoga".[58] Pashayan concurs that Bhakti Yogis are found on the mat, delivering pizza, in academia, and in politics and international relations. Where you least expect it, there's a Bhakti Yogi in the room with you whereby common ground can be actualized into productive solutions of today's salient issues, and problems can be resolved.[59]
