Bhakti yoga- Devotion- loving God

Bhakti yoga

In Bhagwad Gita, the text suggests various paths to realize the self. Bhakti yoga is one of them.

What is Bhakti?

The primary purpose of life is to experience love and happiness. It is inherent in human nature to both give and receive love. When love for God becomes natural and pure, solely for the sake of love itself, and when one solely focuses on God, it is known as Bhakti. हरि व्यापक सर्वत्र समाना। प्रेम ते प्रकट होहि मैं जाना।। The belief that God is omnipresent underscores the idea that, with love, one can attain Him. Bhakti is characterized by a profound love for God, which, when attained, leads to a state where one loves all, harbors no hatred, and remains content as we all originate from the same source. This love transcends any material gains, as one can only experience such pure love when worldly desires diminish.

Bhakti yoga offers a significant benefit as it is considered the most accessible path to connect with God, especially in the current era of Kaliyug. Even in the yoga sutra, Maharshi Patanjali emphasizes the concept of Ishwar pranidhan, which essentially aligns with Bhakti yoga.

Tenets of Bhakti yoga- as suggested by Swami Vivekananda.

To love Vyasthi - the particular, we must first love Samasthi - the general and abstract universe (God). It is impossible to say we love God without loving His creations. Therefore, the devotee's realization is to love everyone, as they are all manifestations of God. When we love God, we love all things, and when we love all things, we love God alone.

According to the Bhakta, everything belongs to Him, and He is the beloved. The Bhakta expresses love for Him, stating that everything becomes holy in His presence. Since He is present in both living and non-living things, how can we not love everything?

As we draw closer to God, we realize everything exists within Him. Our heart will then transform into a perpetual source of love. We no longer perceive man as man, but solely as God. Similarly, the animal is no longer seen as an animal, but only as God. Therefore, in the profound state of Bhakti, reverence is extended to all beings, every life form, and all things.

When deeply immersed in love, one experiences a sense of complete surrender. In this state, the loving soul can embrace pain with a welcoming heart, welcome misery as it too comes from the beloved, and even lovingly accept death, all while being in a profound state of love for God.

When we pray to God, we often ask for health, wealth, a good spouse, education for our children, and more. However, this act of asking is not a reflection of true love. Similarly, worshiping God solely for salvation is not genuine love either. True love is unconditional and selfless. A devotee loves God because they cannot help but love. Therefore, offer your love to God, expecting nothing in return.

Love is devoid of fear; those who claim to love God out of fear are the most inferior of individuals. Loving God solely to avoid punishment is the most primitive form of worship and love; as long as fear exists, true love cannot flourish. Most of us love God out of fear only ईश्वर हमारा कुछ बिगाड़ न दे- l- fearing that God may not disrupt our lives.

Love has no competitors. Genuine love only arises when the focus of our affection becomes our top priority. Often, human love is misguided or misappropriated. The supreme aspiration of any individual is God. However, we often harbor affection for our physical form, our ego, our family, our riches, our belongings, while also professing love for God. This is completely illogical. For loving God, it must be solely for God.

We become deeply absorbed in our preparations, procedures, rituals, such as observing specific times (muhurt), lighting lamps, offering garlands, decorating, reciting mantras, and in doing so, we lose sight of the primary focus, which is God. Preparations and procedures should not be the ultimate goal. The genuine devotee's love is an intense passion that makes everything else fade away.

A person embraces all the different relationships in life such as father, mother, son, friend, and lover, and reflects them onto the concept of love towards their God. For this individual, God embodies all these roles, and the peak of their spiritual journey is when they sense a complete unity with their object of worship. Finally, a profound realization dawns upon them, revealing the profound and uplifting revelation that love, the one who loves, and the beloved, are ultimately inseparable.

In Bhagvat Puran, nine types of Bhakti have been described. They are-

Navadha Bhakti

In Indian tradition, nine types of Bhakti have been suggested. One can choose any form or a combination thereof depending on his inclination and interest.

Shravana- This is listening to the glories, Lila, of the lord or discourses, satsang about the God.

Kirtan- singing and chanting of the lord’s name and stories and mantras. It destroys all sins of the devotees.

Smarana- Remembering God all the time without interruption. Gopi’s constant remembrance of Krishna and Sabari’s remembrance of Rama is of this type.

Pad Sevan- It is serving the lotus feet of the Lord. An excellent example of this is Bharat. When Ram was in exile (vanvas) he borrowed His wooden sandals and placed them on the throne and worshiped them as Rama only. We, too, worship the image or an idol of the lord.

Archana- This is offering God a flower, a leaf, a fruit or even jala (water). Lord said in Bhagwad Gita that any devotee who offers Him a leaf, a flower or even water with devotion, he is very pleased, and he gets me only.

Vandana- This is to pray and prostrate before the Lord. Prostrating before all (as all are creatures of God) our ego destroys. As soon as we become egoless and humble, we feel oneness with the God.

Dasya- it is serving God as his Lord and treating one as his servant. Hanuman ji served Lord Rama as a servitor. Surdas also had a bhav of a servant while serving lord Krishna.

Sakhya - in sakhya Bhakti, the bhav of the devotee, is that of a friend. Arjuna treated Lord Krishna as his friend. So is Sudama. This keeps them in the company of the Lord all the time.

Atma Nivedan- It means complete self-surrender. It is like Ishwar pranidhan of Maharshi Patanjali. Every thing happens according to His wish. He believes-he is there in all, everything belongs to him and he has no desire. By complete surrender, God takes responsibility for everything of the devotee.