Module 3

Bhakti Yoga:
What is Bhakti Yoga?
Bhakti Yoga is a Sanskrit word; Yoga means union; the only English word that can
do justice to the word Bhakti is perhaps "Love," "Universal Love" or "Divine
Love."
Bhakti is not what we do or have but what we are. And waking up to realize that -
is Bhakti Yoga. A realization that everything is the Supreme Consciousness,
nothing else exists. Losing the sense of separateness from that all-pervading
Power, losing the identity that is defined by the world, and merging, diving into the
vast, endless ocean of a throbbing, all-encompassing Infinite Love.
Bhakti Yoga is the lively feeling of oneness with that Spirit.

Nine Processes of Bhakti Yoga:

The nine processes of bhakti, also known as navadha bhakti –

These nine processes are

1. Sravanam– Hearing about Krishna

eg-Maharaj Parikshit heard about Krishna for seven days continuously and he perfected his life.
2. Kirtanam– Chanting the holy names of Krishna and glorifying Him
eg-Sukadev Goswami narrated about Krishna for seven days and he perfected his life.
3. Smaranam: Remembering Krishna by reading and associating with devotees.
eg- Prahlada Maharaj constantly remembered Krishna and by remembering Him he perfected his life.
4. Padasevanam Being intensely attached to thinking and serving Lord’s lotus feet
eg. Lakshmidevi continuously serves Krishna’s lotus feet, so her life is perfect.
5. Archanam Serving Lord Krishna in the temple (Diety worship)
eg. Prithu Maharaja perfected his life through worshipping Krishna.
6. Vandanam– Praying to Krishna
eg. Gajendra – being caught by the crocodile within the waters and while struggling for life for years –
offered heartful prayers to Hari and perfected his life.
7. Dasyam– Following His order and instructions-preach His message
eg.Hanumanji always serves Lord Ram and this is the perfection of his life.
8. Sakhyam– Developing a close, personal and intimate relationship with Krishna
eg- Arjuna and Uddhava served Krishna as friend and they perfected their lives
9.Atmanivedanam– Giving everything we have to Krishna including our mind, body and activities.
eg.Bali Maharaj gave everything to Lord Vamana, and thus, perfected his life.

Bhakti – Path of devotion

In Bhakti, one can experience total freedom from fear and worry. A devotee
transcends worldly sorrows and pains.
A pure devotee has no selfish desires, including the desire for liberation. Bhakti in
one's heart is kindled by the grace of the Guru, by being in the company of other
devotees and by reading and listening to the stories of other "bhaktas" or devotees.
"When the river meets the ocean, it recognizes it was the ocean from the beginning
until the end. In the same way, the moment a devotee surrenders to the Divine; he
or she becomes the Divine."
Bhakti Yoga-Yoga of Devotion
He who is the same to friend and foe, in honour and dishonour, in
cold and heat, in pleasure and pain, who is free from attachment,

To whom censure and praise are equal, who is silent (restrained in

speech), content with anything that comes, has no fixed abode,
steady minded, full of devotion - that man is dear to Me.

That man who is  

 Equal to friend and foe,

 In honour and dishonour,
 In heat and cold,
 In pleasure and pain –
 Equal to censure and praise - To a true devotee the worldly
praise or censure has no meaning and significance because of
his experiences of the Divine.
 Who is silent - He is a man of few words both physically and
mentally.
 Content with anything - Contentment in anything that reaches
him unasked for and unexpected of. Entertaining demands and
to strive for their satisfaction is the never ending game of life.
The policy of contentment is the only way to seek and achieve
the divine goal of life.
 Homeless - Home indicates a sense of possession and
belonging. Homeless means the absence of such sense. As
these souls exist not for any family or social group but live for
 mankind as a whole, they do not have a settled home. They are
not chained to one place or community. They are free to move
wherever their inspiration takes them.
 Steadfast in understanding of the goal and
 Always with full devotion to The Lord,

 is dear to The Lord.

True devotion and qualities of a true

devotee:
True devotion, therefore, is even higher than renunciation,
because a renunciant may also have sameness and treats
everyone equally, but his attitude arises from detachment
and indifference rather than love. In the Bhagavadgita we
come across several references to the qualities of a true
devotee and the nature of true devotion. The following are a
few important ones found in the scripture.
1. Worships the true God
A true devotee worships the highest God only. He worships
neither material things nor lower gods, gurus, nor
demigods. The Bhagavadgita declares that God strengthens
the devotion of each, according to their faith. Those who
worship demigods and lower gods go to them only, but
those who worship him, the Supreme Self, come to him. 
2. Selfless in Devotion
True devotion is pure and selfless. People worship God
for various reasons, when they need something, when
they are in difficulties or simply out of curiosity. Their
 devotion is conditional and impure, since it is mixed
with desires, egoism, worldliness and selfishness.
3. Pure in heart :True devotion arises only in a pure
heart after an arduous spiritual practice, in which both the
mind and body are purified and filled with the
predominance of sattva. The predominance of rajas and
tamas makes devotion egoistic and delusional.
4. Desireless in actions: It also suggests that if a yogi
cannot fix his mind on God, he should at least try to
perform selfless actions and offer their fruit to God. When
actions are performed by householders and worldly people
without desires and selfish intentions, they do not produce
karma but help them progress on the path of devotion.
5. Adept in self-knowledge: a true devotee of God is an
adept in the knowledge of the self. Since he is not deluded
by names and forms or the apparent reality, he is free
from ignorance, egoism and delusion and remains in
control of his mind and body, untouched by the evils of life
6. Excels in the use of intelligence
7. Mentally stable in all conditions
8. Free from all attachments
9. Practices sameness everywhere
10. Is one pointed in devotion