Bhakti (Sanskrit: भक्ति; Tamil: பக்தி) is a Tamil or Sanskrit term from Hinduism that means intense devotion expressed by action (service). A person who practices bhakti is called Bhakta. The concept of devotion is more or less the same in all religions. But in Hinduism there are certain extra subtleties which make it comparatively more complicated. These are : the One Reality versus many ‘Gods’ of worship; deity worship through ‘icons’ and ‘images’; the freedom to choose one’s own ‘favo ...

Including:

• Bhakti - Concept of God
• Bhakti - Brahman the Ultimate
• Bhakti - Two schools the Absolutist and the non-Absolutist
• Bhakti - Ishwara the all-powerful Almighty
• Bhakti - Names and Forms
• Bhakti - Favourite deity worship
• Bhakti - Six traditional favourites
• Bhakti - All-encompassing eclecticism
• Bhakti - Classifications of Bhakti
• Bhakti - Example of Towering Giants of Bhakti
• Bhakti - Theory of Grace
• Bhakti - Take the first step
• Bhakti - One Purpose of prayer and worship
• Bhakti - Sources

Read more here: » Bhakti: Encyclopedia - Bhakti

bhakti

Devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Bhakti in practice is the prime means of spiritual success, and perfected bhakti, pure love of God, is the ultimate goal of life.

(See also: bhakti, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhakti - the word bhakti comes from the root bhaj, which means to serve (see bhajana). Therefore the primary meaning of the word bhakti is to render service. Sri Rupa Gosvami has described the intrinsic characteristics of bhakti in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.11) as follows: anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama - "

Uttama-bhakti, pure devotional service, is the cultivation of activities that are meant exclusively for the benefit of Sri Krsna, in other words, the uninterrupted flow of service to Sri Krsna, performed through all endeavors of body, mind, and speech, and through expression of various spiritual sentiments (bhavas).

It is not covered by jnana (knowledge of nirvisesa-brahma, aimed at impersonal liberation) and karma (reward-seeking activity) , yoga or austerities; and it is completely free from all desires other than the aspiration to bring happiness to Sri Krsna.”

(See also: Bhakti, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

When the saint-poet Kabir said " Dhai akshar prem ka padhe jo pandit hoye " - "One who knows how to love is the only wise one among all educated", he was referring to the love for God.

Mortal love being inconsistent and transient, it is shortlived. However, love for the Divine can be everlasting for God alone accepts us unconditionally, with all our weaknesses and sins. We call this love bhakti.

(See also: Bhakti Yoga, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

The Bhagavad Gita has been universally hailed by the learned as truly reflecting the essence of all the Vedas. Its depth, richness and rationality of philosophy have universal appeal.

It teaches man that the true goal of life is union with God or the Supreme Impersonal-Personal Brahman, and the principal means to attain it are the four paths of karma or work, jnana or knowledge, yoga or psychic control and bhakti or loving devotion.

(See also: Bhakti Yoga, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhakti Yoga: Four Ways of Showing Devotion to God

The Bhagavad Gita recommends Bhakti Yoga towards attaining moksha . Krishna tells Arjuna that a person who thinks of Him at least at the time of his death is liberated of all his sins. Krishna explains the four types of devotional service rendered to Him: One who thinks of Him at the time of distress is the aartha. One who is worried by the struggle for prosperity, power, self and property is the Artha-arthi .

A third who yearns for the realisation of the atman is the jijnaasu . The fourth is the jnani . He is immersed in the Brahmathathwam and looks for the Lord in all possible places; he yearns for nothing.

Read more here: » Bhakti Yoga: Four Ways of Showing Devotion to God

Kannada poets have the unique distinction of sowing the seeds of one of the richest forms of classical music: South Indian Carnatic music. The Dasas or saints, around 15th century, sang the glory of God through poems. These poems called Padas were usually of 10 to 20 lines. They expressed the desire of the Bhakta or devotee to be one with God. This form of poetry was highly amenable to musical composition and exposition. This music evolved into the highly sophisticated and codified Carnatic music. The Haridasas spread the message of peace, love and bhakti in their Dasa Sahitya, w ...

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Kannada poetry, Kannada poetry - Pre-history, Kannada poetry - Haiku before Haiku!, Kannada poetry - Bhakti, Kannada poetry - Navodaya New birth, Kannada poetry - Navya New, Kannada poetry - Other genres, Kannada poetry - Awards, Kannada poetry - Reaching people

Read more here: » Kannada poetry: Encyclopedia II - Kannada poetry - Bhakti

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti is the slender silken thread of Prema or Love that binds the heart of a devotee with the Lotus Feet of the Lord. Bhakti is intense devotion and supreme attachment to God. It is the spontaneous outpouring of love towards God. It is pure, unselfish, Divine Love or Suddha Prema. Bhakti is sacred, higher emotion with sublime sentiment that unites the devotee with the Lord. It has to be experienced by the Bhaktas.

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From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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Read more here: » Bhakti Yoga: Bhakti Yoga Sadhana

Bhakti Yoga - The Yoga of Devotion

The Yoga of devotion is known as Bhakti Yoga. Practicing this form of yoga trains the heart to seek the purity in everyone and everything. This creates a warmth in the human mind and promotes love and tolerance for all. Bhakti yoga also teaches a devotion to God.

Read more here: » Yoga Branches: Bhakti Yoga

For those more emotional than intellectual, bhakti yoga is recommended. Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion, the method of attaining God through love and the loving recollection of God. Most religions emphasize this spiritual path because it is the most natural. As with other yogas, the goal of the bhakta, the devotee of God, is to attain God-realization-oneness with the Divine. The bhakta attains this through the force of love, that most powerful and irresistible of emotions.

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Bhakti Yoga-Classes Of Worship

At the lowest rung of the ladder of Bhakti Yoga comes the worship of elements and departed spirits. Next comes the worship of Rishis, Devas and Pitris. The third class includes those followers who worship Avataras like Sri Rama, Krishna, Narasimha. Next comes the class of Bhaktas who do Nirguna Upasana on Brahman devoid of attributes. This is the highest form of worship known as Ahamgraha Upasana or Jnana Yoga Sadhana.

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From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Read more here: » Bhakti Yoga: Classes Of Worship in Bhakti Yoga

This substratum – named Brahman, by the Upanishads – permeates everything in the world. It is the common content of all that has a name and/or form. For that very reason, it has no name or form for itself. It is spoken of as ‘THAT’ in the neuter gender by the Upanishads. This is the unique Godhead of Hinduism. There is no other. There is no second. It is the source of all energy, of all power, either in nature or in living beings. In this abstract concept, however, there cannot be any subject-object relationship. Brahman cannot be th ...

See also:

Bhakti, Bhakti - Concept of God, Bhakti - Brahman the Ultimate, Bhakti - Two schools the Absolutist and the non-Absolutist, Bhakti - Ishwara the all-powerful Almighty, Bhakti - Names and Forms, Bhakti - Favourite deity worship, Bhakti - Six traditional favourites, Bhakti - All-encompassing eclecticism, Bhakti - Classifications of Bhakti, Bhakti - Example of Towering Giants of Bhakti, Bhakti - Theory of Grace, Bhakti - Take the first step, Bhakti - One Purpose of prayer and worship, Bhakti - Sources

Read more here: » Bhakti: Encyclopedia II - Bhakti - Brahman the Ultimate

Bhakti movements are Hindureligious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. They are monotheistic movements generally devoted to worship of Shiva or Vishnu or Shakti. Sikhism evoloved out of the Bhakti movement. Bhakti movement - Origins. The Bhakti Movement was essentially founded in South India and later spread to the North during the late medieval period. The notion of 'Bhakti' (loosely translated as devotional love to God) i ...

Including:

• Bhakti movement - Origins
• Bhakti movement - Rama bhakti
• Bhakti movement - Vaishnava bhakti
• Bhakti movement - Influences
• Bhakti movement - Bibliography

Read more here: » Bhakti movement: Encyclopedia - Bhakti movement

Bhakti yoga is the Hindu term for the spiritual practice of fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. Traditionally there are 9 forms of bhakti yoga. Hindu movements in which bhakti yoga is the main practice are called bhakti movements. Bhakti yoga is generally considered the easiest of the four general paths to liberation, or moksha (the others being Karma, Raja and Jnana Yoga). Bhakti yoga - The Philosophy and Development of Bhakti. Bhakti is the Hindu term that signifies a blissful, selfless an ...

Including:

• Bhakti yoga - The Philosophy and Development of Bhakti
• Bhakti yoga - The Bhagavad Gita

Read more here: » Bhakti yoga: Encyclopedia - Bhakti yoga

Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Goswami Maharaj was born in the village of Fulta, adjacent to the city of Berhampur in the state of Orissa, India in the year 1913. His given name at birth was Nrusimgha. The name of his father is Sri Damodar and the name of his mother is Srimati Devi. He attended Khallikote Autonomous College in the city of Berhampur, where he received a B.A. degree. In the 1930s, Srila Puri Maharaj completed his studies in Ayurveda, and also became active in the freedom fighter movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. According to his biography, he ...

Read more here: » Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Maharaj: Encyclopedia - Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Maharaj

Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj is presently one of the foremost spiritual leader of the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates in the world today. He is a the dearly beloved disciple of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj and who is in turn the equally beloved disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Early life. His Divine Grace Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj appeared in 1924 in Assam, India, on Ra ...

Including:

• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Early life
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - Taking Shelter of the Divine Master
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - Preaching in the Indian Sub continent
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Worldwide Preaching
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - A Fearless Preacher
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Teachings
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Writings
• Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj - His Present Mission

Read more here: » Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj: Encyclopedia - Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s most favourite disciples, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj (Srila Gurudeva) appeared in this world on November 18, 1904 A.D. (on Holy Utthan Ekadashi tithi) at Kanchanpara (District Faridpur, now in Bangladesh). Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - His Early Life. Revered Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj was born of a high caste Brahmin family. His father's name was Sri Nishikanta Deva Sarma Bandyopadhyaya; His mother's name was Srimati Saibalini Devi. Hi ...

Including:

• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - His Early Life
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - Divine Vision
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - Taking Shelter of the Divine Master
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - Srila Prabhupad's Volcanic Energy
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - Taking Sanyasa
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - Acquiring Prabhupad's birth Place in Puri
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - His Preaching
• Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj - His Successor

Read more here: » Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj: Encyclopedia - Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj

bhakti/bhakta: devotion/devotee. Bhakti Yoga is the path to enlightenment through devotion to God, the Truth, or a holy teacher.

(See also: bhakti, Hinduism, Yoga, Body Mind and Soul)

bhakti: n (Sanskrit) "Devotion." Surrender to God, Gods or guru. Bhakti extends from the simplest expression of devotion to the ego-decimating principle of prapatti, which is total surrender. Bhakti is the foundation of all sects of Hinduism, as well as yoga schools throughout the world. See: bhakti yoga, darshana, prapatti, prasada, sacrifice, surrender, yajna.

(See also: Bhakti, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

bhakti:

ecstatic loving-devotion to the Almighty

(See also: bhakti, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)