Bhakti Yoga:

T h e Yo g a o f D e v o t i o n
The power of an open, loving heart is immeasurable and unmatched
in its ability to transform one’s life. It can connect us to something
greater than ourselves, to transcend the limitations of our individuality
and merge with the divine. Bhakti Yoga, also known as the Yoga of
Devotion, is a path that leads us directly to the heart’s deepest
reservoirs of love and devotion. It is a sacred journey that invites us to
surrender ourselves completely to the divine, to immerse ourselves in
the ocean of devotion, and to experience the boundless joy that
comes from connecting with something greater than ourselves.
What is Bhakti Yoga?

Bhakti means “devotion” or “love”, and this Sanskrit term originates

from the root word “bhaj,” which translates as “devotion, worship or to
serve God”. The word “yoga” translates as “union” or “to yoke”. Thus,
Bhakti Yoga is understood as the path of devotion to find spiritual
liberation and union with the divine.

Bhakti Yoga is one of the four main yogic paths to enlightenment.

Bhakti means “devotion” or “love” and this path contains various
practices to unite the bhakta (Bhakti Yoga practitioner) with the
Divine. Bhakti Yoga is considered the easiest yogic path to master and
the most direct method to experience the unity of mind, body, and
spirit. While Hatha Yoga requires a strong and flexible body, Raja
Yoga requires a disciplined and concentrated mind, and Jnana
Yoga requires a keen intellect, the only requirement for Bhakti Yoga is
an open, loving heart. But Bhakti Yoga complements other paths of
yoga well, and it is said that jnana (knowledge or wisdom) will dawn
by itself when you engage in the devotional practices of Bhakti Yoga.

This deeply spiritual practice draws heavily on the Hindu pantheon of

deities. Each of these deities is seen as representing a humanized
aspect of the single Godhead or Brahman, much the same way the
Christian saints represent specific attributes and qualities of God. The
use of Hindu deities in Bhakti Yoga can be a large obstacle for
Western practitioners, especially for those with a deeply religious
background. But the use of the Hindu deities is not required for this
practice—in fact, finding your own object(s) of devotion will be all the
more effective in achieving yoga (union) with the Divine.
Origin and histor y of the Bhakti movement

The practice of Bhakti dates back thousands of years, with its origins
rooted in South India during the 6th century CE. However, it wasn’t
until the medieval period in the 15th century that the Bhakti
movement gained prominence and became a significant force in
Indian spirituality.

The Bhakti movement emerged as a response to the rigid caste

system and the dominance of ritualistic and intellectual forms of
worship. It sought to democratize spirituality by emphasizing the
power of devotion and love towards a personal deity.

The movement saw the rise of numerous saints and poets who
expressed their devotion through music, poetry, and dance. These
saints, known as Bhaktas, hailed from different regions of India and
composed devotional hymns in various languages such as Tamil,
Hindi, Bengali, and Gujarati.

Some of the prominent Bhakti saints include Mirabai, Surdas, Kabir,

Tulsidas, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They spread the message of
love and devotion through their writings and teachings, inspiring
people from all walks of life to embrace Bhakti as a spiritual path.
These saints preached the idea of surrendering oneself completely to
the divine and experiencing a deep connection through love and
devotion.

One of the defining features of the Bhakti movement was its

inclusiveness. It transcended the boundaries of caste, gender, and
social status, welcoming anyone who sought a personal connection
with the divine. This inclusivity played a crucial role in breaking down
barriers and fostering a sense of unity among diverse groups of
people.
How to practice Bhakti

Bhakti Yoga involves developing a deep sense of love and devotion

towards the divine. This selfless devotion can be directed towards a
specific deity, such as Krishna, Ganesha, Shiva, or any other form of
God that resonates with the practitioner. Through constant
remembrance and contemplation of the chosen deity, one seeks to
establish a personal and intimate relationship with the divine.

The practice of devotion often involves various rituals, prayers,

chanting, and singing of devotional hymns or mantras. These acts of
devotion are not mere external rituals, but rather tools to purify the
heart and awaken the inherent love and devotion within. By offering
one’s thoughts, words, and actions to the divine, the practitioner
cultivates a sense of surrender and selflessness.

The ultimate goal in the practice of Bhakti yoga is to reach the state of
rasa (essence), a feeling of pure bliss achieved in the devotional
surrender to the Divine.
The Nine Limbs of Devotion

There are nine main practices of Bhakti Yoga that can be practiced
independently or together. Each of these limbs creates a specific
bhava (feeling) that appeals to different inner constitutions of
practitioners.
 1. Shravana – “listening” to the ancient scriptures, especially
potent if told by a saint or genuine bhakta.
2. Kirtana – “singing” devotional songs, usually practiced in a call-
and-response group format.
3. Smarana – “remembering” the Divine by constantly meditating
upon its name and form.
4. Padasevana – “service at the feet” of the Divine, which
incorporates the practice of karma yoga (selfless service) with
bhakti (devotion).
5. Archana – the “ritual worship” of the Divine through practices
such as puja (deity worship), and havan or homa (fire offering).
6. Vandana – the “prostration” before the image of one’s chosen
image or representation of the Divine.
7. Dasya – the “unquestioning” devotion of the Divine involving
the cultivation of serving the will of God instead of one’s own
ego.
8. Sakhya – the “friendship” and relationship established between
the Divine and the devotee.
9. Atmanivedana – the “self-offering” and complete surrender of
the self to the Divine.
The most popular limb of Bhakti Yoga in the West is Kirtana (usually
called Kirtan), with national and local Kirtan walas performing weekly
in small to large cities. Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by itself or be
integrated into other types of yoga or spiritual practices.

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, fears, mental
torments, and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from
the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal
abode of everlasting peace, bliss, and knowledge.”

The ultimate goal in the practice of Bhakti yoga is to reach the state of
rasa (essence), a feeling of pure bliss achieved in the devotional
surrender to the Divine.
Bhakti yoga benefits

The benefits of a consistent practice of Bhakti Yoga are immense—

physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 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, fears, mental
torments, and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from
the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal
abode of everlasting peace, bliss, and knowledge.”

On a physical level, the devotional practices in Bhakti Yoga can help

reduce stress, anxiety, and promote overall well-being. The rhythmic
chanting and singing in Bhakti Yoga can have a calming effect on the
nervous system and promote a sense of inner peace.

On a spiritual level, Bhakti Yoga helps to purify the mind and heart
and cultivate qualities such as love, compassion, and humility. The
practice offers a profound sense of connection and union with the
divine, allowing practitioners to experience a deep sense of joy, bliss,
and fulfillment. It helps to dissolve the ego and foster a sense of
oneness with the divine, leading to a heightened spiritual
awakening and a deeper understanding of one’s true self.

Bhakti Yoga provides a path for emotional healing and transformation.

By directing one’s emotions and desires towards the divine,
practitioners learn to detach from the material world and ego mind to
find solace in the unconditional love of the divine. This process helps
individuals overcome negative emotions, such as anger, jealousy, and
greed, and replaces them with positive qualities, such as forgiveness,
gratitude, and contentment.
On a mental level, Bhakti Yoga helps individuals navigate the
challenges of life with grace and resilience. Through the devotion to
the divine, practitioners develop a deep trust in a higher power,
knowing that they are not alone and that the divine is always guiding
and supporting them. This belief system provides a sense of inner
strength and peace, enabling individuals to face difficulties with
courage and equanimity.

On a spiritual level, Bhakti Yoga helps to purify the mind and heart
and cultivate qualities such as love, compassion, and humility. The
practice offers a profound sense of connection and union with the
divine, allowing practitioners to experience a deep sense of joy, bliss,
and fulfillment. It helps to dissolve the ego and foster a sense of
oneness with the divine, leading to a heightened spiritual
awakening and a deeper understanding of one’s true self.

Bhakti Yoga provides a path for emotional healing and transformation.

By directing one’s emotions and desires towards the divine,
practitioners learn to detach from the material world and ego mind to
find solace in the unconditional love of the divine. This process helps
individuals overcome negative emotions, such as anger, jealousy, and
greed, and replaces them with positive qualities, such as forgiveness,
gratitude, and contentment.

On a mental level, Bhakti Yoga helps individuals navigate the

challenges of life with grace and resilience. Through the devotion to
the divine, practitioners develop a deep trust in a higher power,
knowing that they are not alone and that the divine is always guiding
and supporting them. This belief system provides a sense of inner
strength and peace, enabling individuals to face difficulties with
courage and equanimity.

We can practice Bhakti Yoga by looking for beauty and divinity in the
simplest of things—a blooming flower, a gentle breeze, a kind word
from a stranger. By cultivating a deep sense of gratitude and
appreciation for these small moments, we open our hearts to the
divine presence that permeates every aspect of our existence.
Another powerful aspect of Bhakti Yoga is the practice of chanting or
singing devotional songs. The vibrations created by these sacred
sounds can purify our hearts and bring us closer to the divine. By
setting aside a few minutes each day for chanting, we can create a
space of peace and tranquility within ourselves. The simple act of
surrendering our voice and emotions to the divine creates a deep
sense of connection and unity with something greater than ourselves.

4 TYPES OF DEVOTEES (BHAKTAS) – AS

DEFINED BY BHAGVAD GITA
The shloka below from chapter 7 of Bhagavd Gita explains about all
these four types of devotes:-
चतुर्विद्या भजन्ते मम जनः सुकृर्तनो अजुिन
आतो र्जज्ञासु अर्ािर्ी ज्ञानी च भरतर्िभ
chatur-vidhya bhajante mam janah sukritino arjuna
arto jijnasur artharthi jnani cha bharatarsabha”
“Four types of men begin to render devotional service unto Me—
the distressed, the inquisitive, the seeker of material wealth, and
the one who has already realized knowledge of the Absolute.”

1. Arta (the distressed):-

These are the people who are experiencing pain and suffering
either at physical level or at mental level. They are very much
upset with their lives and have no hope on it. In such a scenario
when they are completely broken and shattered with grief from
all sides, they still have faith in GOD and He is the only ONE from
whose side Hope is yet not gone for them. They approaches
GOD to get liberated from their pains and hence are called ‘Arta’.
Although Artas are not high level of Bhaktas and their devotion
to God is the result of their pain, It is still to be understood that
in most difficult times of our life , it is not easy to have faith even
in GOD. And hence if a person is able to keep his trust and faith
in GOD even though in tough times- it is a good sign and the
person itself is called as one of the devotees of GOD.
 2. Artharti (Devotees with certain wishes) –
These devotees approaches GOD with the desires of material
wealth, kids, name and fame. Although devotion of such people
towards GOD is for wealth and specific desires, they are also
termed as a Bhakta as because of any reasons they are
associated with Divine.
3. Jigyasu (Knowledge Seeker)-
These are the devotees who have faith in God and want to
explore more about Him. They are just curious to know more
about Divine and are very much inquisitive about BRAHMAN.
They read scriptures and other literature from saints and try to
figure out ways and means to discover greater depths of infinite
GOD.
4. Jnani (Self Realised)-
These are the devotees who have finally realized GOD and have
true knowledge of Him, His creation and the entire cosmos. They
understand Brahman and are liberated from all Karma specific
boundations of life.
Four Kinds of Bhaktas by Swami Sivananda

Bhaktas or devotees of God are of four types. Arta, Jijnasu, Artharthi and
Jnani.

Arta is the distressed devotee who is suffering very much and who
craves for the grace of God, in order to get himself relieved from pain
and sorrow, Jijnasu is the seeker after knowledge, who feels that he is
ignorant, and who wants the grace of God in order to have Wisdom.
Artharthi is the seeker of wealth, who longs for earthly possessions,
money, land, etc., in order to enjoy a happy life, and who propitiates
God to get His grace to amass wealth. Jnani is the wise, the sage who
is satisfied with the Self, who is contented in the Self, who has no
desires, who is freed from desires, who has fulfilled all desires, whose
only desire is the Self; who considers his own Self as the All-inclusive
God.
 1. The distressed is he who is suffering from a chronic incurable
disease, whose life is in jeopardy on account of earthquake,
volcanic eruption, thunder, attack by a dacoit or enemy, tiger etc.
Draupadi and Gajendra are examples of Arta-Bhaktas. When
Dussasana dragged her before the court of the Kauravas and
pulled her sari, Draupadi cried for Krishna in order to guard her
respect. Gajendra called on Narayana when a crocodile was
dragging him in water.
2. Jijnasu is the enquirer. He is dissatisfied with the world. There is
a void in his life. He always feels that sensual pleasure is not the
highest form of happiness and there is yet pure eternal bliss
unmixed with grief and pain, which is to be found within. Uddhava
was a Jijnasu. He was dissatisfied with the world and got wisdom
from Sri Krishna. This is recorded in the Bhagavata.
3. The seeker after wealth craves for money, wife, children, position,
name and fame. Sugriva and Dhruva were Artharthi-Bhaktas.
Sugriva wanted to drive away Vali and get his kingdom.
Vibhishana wanted to put an end to Ravana and get Lanka.
Dhruva wanted a kingdom where his step mother would not
trouble and ill-treat him.
4. The Jnani is a man of knowledge who has attained Self-
illumination. Suka-Maharshi was a Jnani-Bhakta. He was a
Brahma-Jnani of the highest type. He realised that everything was
his own Self. He taught the Srimad-Bhagavata to Parikshit.

35 Qualities of true devotee(Bhkta)

The 35 qualities of a true devotee that are mentioned in the verses 13

to 20 of Chapter XII of Bhagavad Gita are given below:

1) Not hating any being

2) Friendliness
3) Compassionate
4) Free from attachment
5) Free from egoism
6) Balanced in pleasure and pain
7) Forgiving
8) Contentment
9) Yogi One uniting with the Self
10) Self-controlled
12) Having Firm conviction
13) Surrendering the mind and intellect to God.
14) The world not being agitated by him.
15) He being unagitated by the world.
16) Absence of joy, envy, fear and anxiety
17) Desirelessness
18) Purity
19) Competence in action.
20) Indifference
21) Freedom from anxiety
22) Renunciation of the fruits of action
23) Absence of elation, hatred, fear and desire.
24) Renunciation of good and evil
25) Equal-mindedness towards friends and enemies
26) Equanimity in honour and dishonour
27) Equanimity in heat and cold
28) Equanimity in joy and sorrow
29) Non-attachment
30) Equal-mindedness in praise and blame
31) Silence
32) Contentment with what-so-ever obtained by chance.
33) Absence of attachment to home.
34) Firmness in decision
35) Devotion to God
Final thoughts

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it is easy to get caught up in

the never-ending cycle of work, responsibilities, and stress. But Bhakti
Yoga teaches us that true fulfillment lies in connecting with something
greater than ourselves, in cultivating a deep and unwavering devotion
towards the divine.

In the depths of our hearts, there is a yearning to be in union with the

divine. This intense longing is the fuel that propels us on the path of
Bhakti Yoga. It is a flame that burns brightly, guiding us towards a life
filled with love, compassion, bliss, unity, and selflessness. This
transformative journey beckons one to discover the immense power
of an open, loving heart.