Bhakti yoga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Bhakti yoga
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhakti yoga is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on the cultivation of love and devotion toward God. It has been defined as a practice of devotion toward God, solely motivated by the sincere, loving desire to please God,
rather than the hope of divine reward or the fear of divine punishment.[1] Bhakti yoga is often considered by Hindus to be the easiest way for ordinary people to attain a spiritually liberated state, because although it is a form of yoga, its practice is not
as rigorous as most other yogic schools, and it is possible to practice bhakti yoga without needing to become a full-time yogi.[1]
The origins of Bhakti can be seen in the upanishads, specifically the Shvetashvatara Upanishad.[2] The Bhagavad Gita, and the Puranas are important scriptures that expound the philosophy of bhakti yoga.[3][4] Hindu movements in which bhakti
yoga is the main practice are called bhakti movements the major schools of which are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism.[5]

Contents
1 Philosophy
1.1 The Bhagavad Gita
2 Branches
3 Notable proponents of Bhakti
4 See also
5 References

Philosophy
Bhakti (Devan gar :
) is a Sanskrit term that signifies an attitude of devotion to a personal God which is similar to a number of interpersonal relationships between humans, such as between lovers or friends. The difference is that in bhakti, the
relationship is between a soul (that of the devotee) and a "supersoul" (God).[4] Bhakti is a yogic path, in that the devotee's aim is of loving union with God. While the exact form (deity) through which God is worshiped and the exact nature of the
union varies between different schools, the essence of the practice displays remarkable homogeneity.[1][3]
The Bhagavata Purana teaches nine primary forms of bhakti, as explained by Prahlada:[6]
(1) rava a ("listening" to the scriptural stories of Krishna and his companions), (2) rtana ("praising"; this usually refers to ecstatic group singing), (3) visnoh smara a ("remembering" or fixing the mind on Vishnu), (4) da-sevana
(rendering service), (5) arcana (worshiping an image), (6) vandana (paying homage), (7) sya (servitude), (8) khya (friendship), and (9) tma-nivedana (complete surrender of the self). (From Bhagavata Purana, 7.5.23-24.)
These nine principles of devotional service are described as helping the devotee remain constantly in touch with God. The processes of japa and internal meditation on the aspirant devotee's
bhakti yoga schools.[1]

a-devat , or chosen deity, are especially popular in most

The Indians spiritual teacher Meher Baba stated "Out of a number of practices which lead to the ultimate goal of humanity God-Realisation Bhakti Yoga is one of the most important. Almost the whole of humanity is concerned with Bhakti 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 true Bhakti Yoga.[7]

The benefits of Bhakti Yoga are immense, as Swami Sivananda writes, Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, egoism, pride and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine ecstasy, bliss, peace and knowledge. All cares, worries and anxieties, fea

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is a cornerstone of Hindu bhakti theism, especially among Vaishnavists. The Bhagavad Gita stresses that love and innocent pure intentions are the most powerful motive forces in a devotee's spiritual life.
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me. (B-Gita 9.34)[8]

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. (B-Gita 18.55) [9]

Branches
There are three main groups of bhakti yoga practitioners in Hinduism: the Shaivists who worship Shiva and his family, including Ganesh and Murugan; the Vaishnavists, who worship Vishnu and his avatars such as Krishna and Rama; and the

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Shaktists, who primarily worship Devis, such as Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Parvati.[1]
All these groups have great respect for the others' primary deities, while considering their own paramount in their worship. According to some traditions, though each deity is perceived from a human
perspective as having a slightly different form and somewhat different primary and secondary qualities, the most advanced practitioners in each group, as well as the scriptures of each group, believe that each
deity is substantively intertwined with all the others in such a way that, essentially, they are all the same being: a single transcendent God. [3][4]
According to Vaishnava philosophy, however, all the deities are not the same and the Supreme Lord is strictly considered as Krishna. Other incarnations and expansions like Vishnu and the other deities of
Shiva, Ganesh, Durga, etc.. are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, whereas Lord Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead and the only object of pure, unalloyed,
unadulterated bhakti.
as tu bhagav n svayam (Bhagavata Purana 1.3.28).[10]

Notable proponents of Bhakti

A large statue in Bangalore depicting
Shiva meditating

Narada Muni
Hanuman
The Alvars c. 2nd century to 8th century
The Nayanars 5th century to 1010 century
Adi Shankara 788 to 820
Natamuni c 10th century
Alavandar (Yamuna) 916 to 1036
Ramanujacharya 1017 to 1137
Madhvacharya 1238 to 1317
Vedanta Desika 1268 to 1370
Jayadeva 12th century
Nimbarka 13th century
Annamacharya 1408 to 1503
Vallabha Acharya 1479 to 1531
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 1486 to 1533
Poonthanam 1547 to 1640
Bhadrachala Ramadasu (Kancherla Gopanna) c. 1620 to 1680
Guru Ravidass
Narsinh Mehta
Meera
Swami Ramanand 1738 to 1802
Swaminarayan 1781 to 1830
Ty gar ja died 1847
Bhaktivinoda Thakur 1838 to 1914
Sai Baba of Shirdi 1838 to 1918
Ramana Maharshi 1878 to 1950
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 1896 to 1977
Pramukh Swami Maharaj 1921
Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj 1922
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja 1921-2010
David Newman 1963 aka Durga Das

See also
Narada Bhakti Sutra
Kirtan

References
1. Miracle of Konark. Asia Press, 1967.
2. Max Muller, Shvetashvatara Upanishad, The Upanishads, Part II, Oxford
University Press, page 267
3. Paliwal, B.B. 2005. Message of the Purans. Diamond Pocket Books.
4. Cutler, Norman (1987). Songs of Experience. Indiana University Press. p. 1.
ISBN 978-0-253-35334-4.

5. Rinehart, Robin. Contemporary Hinduism: ritual, culture, and practice.

ABC-CLIO. pp. 45, 51. ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8.
6. Haberman, David L. (2001). Acting as a Way of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass
Publ. pp. 133134. ISBN 978-81-208-1794-4.
7. Baba, Meher: The Path of Love, Sheriar Press, 2000, pp. 57-58.
8. B-Gita 9.34 (http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/9/34/en1)

9. B-Gita 18.55 (http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/18/55/en1)

10. http://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/1/3/28. Missing or empty |title= (help); External
link in |website= (help);

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