A Wisdom Archive on Bhakti

Interesting links with good reading

Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.


Bhagavata Purana- Most famous of the 18 major Puranas of Bhakti Hinduism; focusing on Krishna/Vishnu, the work synthesizes various Hindu traditions and presents a theistic version of monistic Vedanta.

Bhagavata Purana- n (Sanskrit) Also known as Srimad Bhagavatam, a work of 18,000 stanzas. A major Purana and primary Vaishnava scripture, from oral tradition, written down ca 800. It provides the stories of all incarnations of Vishnu, filled with the bhakti, inner current of devotion.
See: Purana.

Bhakta- ("devotee"): a disciple practicing bhakti yoga

Bhakti- ("devotion/love"): the love of the bhakta toward the Divine or the guru as a manifestation of the Divine; also the love of the Divine toward the devotee

Bhakti- Form of Yoga emphasizing the control of emotions; the way to god through love.

Bhakti- The path of devotion; a path to union with the Divine based on the continual offering of love and the constant remembrance of the Lord.

Bhakti- devotion

Bhakti-sutra- ("Aphorisms on Devotion"): an aphoristic work on devotional yoga authored by Sage Narada; another text by the same title is ascribed to Sage Shandilya

Bhakti Hinduism- Devotional movement within Hinduism beginning around 300 CE which emphasizes the gods of the Trimurti.

Bhakti Yoga- ("Yoga of devotion"): a major branch of the yoga tradition, utilizing the feeling capacity to connect with the ultimate Reality conceived as a supreme Person (uttama-purusha)

Bhakti Yoga- A form of yoga based upon love and devotion to God. Devotional chants are often either mantras, or the various names of Hindu gods are repeated, such as Hari Krishna..

Bhakti Yoga- Bhakti Yoga (Sanskrit) (from bhakti devotion + yoga union from the verbal root yuj to join)

The form of yoga practice of attaining at-one-ment or union with the spiritual-divine essence within by means of devotion, faith, and love.

Chaitanya- Chaitanya caitanya (Sanskrit) (from chit to perceive, understand, be conscious)

Consciousness, intelligence; the cosmic intelligence, hence also the light of the Logos. All individual egos in the universe are rooted in cosmic chaitanya as their universal source, and become individualized for experience and work in the material realms by means of the karanopadhi. Chaitanya is thus the invisible essence of human intelligence, the cosmic root of monadic individuality, and the cosmic intelligence-force which is the intrinsic or essential consciousness behind and within individuality.

As a proper name, a reformer of the Vaishnava sect in India (1485-1527), regarded in Bengal as an avatara of Krishna. One of his chief teachings was the duty of bhakti (attachment, devotion, or love) for Krishna so strong that no caste-feeling implying sectarian division could exist with it.

Guru-shishya System- (Sanskrit) "Master-disciple" system. An important education system of Hinduism whereby the teacher conveys his knowledge and tradition to a student.

Such knowledge, whether it be Vedic- Agamic art, architecture or spirituality, is imparted through the developing relationship between guru and disciple.

The principle of this system is that knowledge, especially subtle or advanced knowledge, is best conveyed through a strong human relationship based on ideals of the student's respect, commitment, devotion and obedience, and on personal instruction by which the student eventually masters the knowledge the guru embodies.
See: guru, guru bhakti, satguru.

Hindu- General term designating the religion of India and its various movements including Vedic Hinduism, Brahmanism, and Bhakti Hinduism.

Puja- ("worship"): ritual worship, which is an important aspect of many forms of yoga, notably bhakti yoga and Tantra

Purana- "Literally "ancient"; any one of eighteen sacred books of Hinduism, attributed to Vyasa, which elaborate and popularize the spiritual truths of the Vedas by means of illustrations from the lives of divine incarnations, saints, kings, and devotees, whether historical or mythological.

Bhagavata Purana
It is the fifth purana in length but is the most popular and influencial among the puranas. It is primarily a vaishnava text and is later to and influenced by the Visnupurana. As the name indicates, it describes some of the incarnations of Visnu and particularly that of Krsna. It is a marvellous bhakti work and includes the story of bhagavathas or devotees of the Lord.

"The metaphysical and spiritual legacy of the Vedas and the upanishads is ably synthesized with the agamic tradition of the pancaratras and embraced even non-aryan tribes in its fold."

-- G V Tagare, Ancient Indian Traditions and Mythology, Vol. 7

Devi Mahatmyam
Otherwise known as the Durgasaptasati or the Candi, this is a sacred text to the Divine Mother used for chanting.

Purana- Devotional literature of Bhakti Hinduism, the most famous of which is the Bhagavata Purana which describes the life of Krishna; there are 18 authoritative "great" Puranas, and 18 authoritative "minor" Puranas.

Vaishnavism- (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu."

One of the four major religions, or denominations of
Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world's one
billion Hindus.

It gravitates around the worship of Lord
Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their
consorts. The doctrine of avatara (He who descends),
especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that
whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God
takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are
either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to
various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were
Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the
harbinger of a golden age on Earth.

Vaishnavism stresses
the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti
(devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of
Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as
blissful union with God's body, the loving recognition that
the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in
Vaikuntha, heaven. Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures
are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata
Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras
and the Bhagavatas.

The five major contemporary schools
(founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja
(Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and
Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva's pure
dualism to Vallabha's lofty monistic vision.

Vaishnavism- The system of Hindu beliefs and practices that honor Vishnu/Krishna as Supreme God; probably the most widely followed kind of Hinduism. Bhakti yoga is the primary practice of this religion, the final reward of which is eternal communion with God.

The most famous of this god's many names are Vishnu, Narayana, Hari, Bhagavan, Krishna, and Rama; hence the usage Vishnu/Krishna. Vaishnavism's ancient name, Bhagavata ("followers of the Blessed Lord, i. e. , Bhagavan"), may clarify its beginnings, for it makes a connection with the movement's two most important literary works: the Bhagavad Gita (first put in print ca. 150 BC) and the Bhagavata Purana (Shrimad Bhagavatam, ca. 850-900).

Though the tradition began earlier, two things became clear by about 200 BC: the Bhagavatas related to their god, Krishna, by devotion and accepted the Vedas and Upanishads, the scriptures of Brahmanic Hindu religion. In this process the Brahmanic deities Vishnu and Narayana became identified with Bhagavan Krishna. Thereafter, Krishna has been viewed as an incarnation (avatara) of the Supreme God Vishnu (by South Indian Vaishnavas), and Vishnu has been viewed as a subordinate form of the Supreme God Krishna (by North Indian Vaishnavas).

The Bhagavad Gita is the earliest full statement of the Bhagavata synthesis. Krishna teaches a path of salvation: desire-free performance of one's born duty should be combined with the meditative wisdom of the Upanishads, suffused by and culminating in loving devotion to Krishna.

Yoga- Hindu meditative practices; the formal school of Yoga developed in the middle ages contains seven sub-schools; Jnana Yoga (knowldge), Karma Yoga (action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Mantra Yoga (sounds), Laya Yoga (dissolution), Hatha Yoga (postures, breathing), and Raja Yoga (meditation).

Introduction and links to related topics

Bhakti Yoga - the yoga of devotion.

Marga - Marga (Sanskrit) Path; in Buddhism the noble eightfold path that leads to nirvana.

There are four commonly recognized margas, forms of yoga or spiritual and intellectual training:
karma yoga (path of action);
bhakti yoga (path of faith or love);
raja yoga (path of kingly yoga); and
jnana yoga (wisdom path).

These four pathways correspond with the four Hindu castes: Sudra (the agricultural); Vaisya (commercial); Kshattriya (administrative, military, ruler); and Brahmana (philosopher, sage).

Ishvara-pranidhana - ("dedication to the Lord"): in Patanjali''s eight-limbed yoga one of the practices of self-restraint (niyama); see also bhakti yoga

Bhakti Yoga - The path of love, devotion and surrender to the divine.

Narada Sutra - (Sanskrit) A Vaishnava text of 84 aphorisms in which Sage Narada explains bhakti yoga (ca 1200).

Prapatti - (Sanskrit) "Throwing oneself down."

Bhakti - total, unconditional submission to God, often coupled with the attitude of personal helplessness, self-effacement and resignation. A term especially used in Vaishnavism to name a concept extremely central to virtually all Hindu schools. In Saiva Siddhanta, bhakti is all important in the development of the soul and its release into spiritual maturity.

The doctrine is perhaps best expressed in the teachings of the four Samayacharya saints, who all shared a profound and mystical love of Siva marked by
deep humility and self-effacement, admission of sin and weakness;
total surrender in God as the only true refuge and
a relationship of lover and beloved known as bridal mysticism, in which the devotee is the bride and Siva the bridegroom.

The practice of yoga, too, is an expression of love of God in Saiva Siddhanta, and it is only with God''s grace that success is achieved. Rishi Tirumular states: "Unless your heart melts in the sweet ecstasy of love - my Lord, my treasure-trove, you can never possess" (Tirumantiram 272). It is in this concept of the need for self-effacement and total surrender, prapatti, that the members of all sects merge in oneness, at the fulfillment of their individual paths. Similarly, they all meet in unity at the beginning of the path with the worship of Lord Ganesha.
See: bhakti, grace, pada, surrender.

Jnana Yoga - (Sanskrit) "Union of knowledge."

Describes the esoteric spiritual practices of the fully enlightened being, or jnani. An alternative meaning, popularized by Swami Vivekananda, is the quest for cognition through intellectual religious study, as one of four alternate paths to truth, the other three being bhakti yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga.
See: jnana, yoga.

Puja - ("worship"): ritual worship, which is an important aspect of many forms of yoga, notably bhakti yoga and Tantra

Bhakti Yoga - ("Yoga of devotion"): a major branch of the yoga tradition, utilizing the feeling capacity to connect with the ultimate Reality conceived as a supreme Person (uttama-purusha)

Vaishnavism - The system of Hindu beliefs and practices that honor Vishnu/Krishna as Supreme God; probably the most widely followed kind of Hinduism. Bhakti yoga is the primary practice of this religion, the final reward of which is eternal communion with God.

The most famous of this god''s many names are Vishnu, Narayana, Hari, Bhagavan, Krishna, and Rama; hence the usage Vishnu/Krishna. Vaishnavism''s ancient name, Bhagavata ("followers of the Blessed Lord, i. e. , Bhagavan"), may clarify its beginnings, for it makes a connection with the movement''s two most important literary works: the Bhagavad Gita (first put in print ca. 150 BC) and the Bhagavata Purana (Shrimad Bhagavatam, ca. 850-900).

Though the tradition began earlier, two things became clear by about 200 BC: the Bhagavatas related to their god, Krishna, by devotion and accepted the Vedas and Upanishads, the scriptures of Brahmanic Hindu religion. In this process the Brahmanic deities Vishnu and Narayana became identified with Bhagavan Krishna. Thereafter, Krishna has been viewed as an incarnation (avatara) of the Supreme God Vishnu (by South Indian Vaishnavas), and Vishnu has been viewed as a subordinate form of the Supreme God Krishna (by North Indian Vaishnavas).

The Bhagavad Gita is the earliest full statement of the Bhagavata synthesis. Krishna teaches a path of salvation: desire-free performance of one''s born duty should be combined with the meditative wisdom of the Upanishads, suffused by and culminating in loving devotion to Krishna.

Bhakti - Love of God; single-minded devotion to one''s Chosen Ideal. Special comment: In Hindu religion, it is believed that incarnations of God have repeatedly visited the earth, and that God can assume different forms. The Chosen Ideal represents the form of God, which is particularly attractive for a given devotee. Bhakti yoga is a yogic system of devotion or unselfish love towards the Supreme Spirit.

Yoga - Hindu meditative practices; the formal school of Yoga developed in the middle ages contains seven sub-schools; Jnana Yoga (knowldge), Karma Yoga (action), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Mantra Yoga (sounds), Laya Yoga (dissolution), Hatha Yoga (postures, breathing), and Raja Yoga (meditation).

Yoga - (Sanskrit) "Union." From yuj, "to yoke, harness, unite."

The philosophy, process, disciplines and practices whose purpose is the yoking of individual consciousness with transcendent or divine consciousness. One of the six darshanas, or systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy.

Yoga was codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras (ca 200 bce) as the eight limbs (ashtanga) of raja yoga. It is essentially a one system, but historically, parts of raja yoga have been developed and emphasized as yogas in themselves.

Prominent among the many forms of yoga are
hatha yoga (emphasizing bodily perfection in preparation for meditation),
kriya yoga (emphasizing breath control), as well as
karma yoga (selfless service) and
bhakti yoga (devotional practices) which could be regarded as an expression of raja yoga''s first two limbs (yama and niyama).
See: Yoga, austerity, bhakti yoga, danda, hatha yoga, jivanmukta, raja yoga, shad darshana, siddha yoga, siddhi.

Bhakti Yoga - Bhakti Yoga is the practice of devotional disciplines. It is union through devotion.