13-B. Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti yoga is purification of senses – getting rid of dvandas (dualities), being equipoised, free from ragadveshakaamkrodha, etc. 

In the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna started to feel that he’s probably better off choosing the bhakti path. Such is the lure of bhakti. Hanuman and Radha, and much later Mirabai and Nanak are the epitome of Bhakti Yoga.

The whole of Sikh tradition, in its focus on devotional service to the world around us, is based on bhakti. A bhakt (devotee) is free of all narrow worldly thoughts, desires or motivations. That (s)he is able to do by immersing in the devotion of a deity. Vaishnavas, including Hanuman bhakts are likely to be a devotee of Vishnu or one or both of his reincarnations; Rama and Krishna. Shaivas express their bhakti to Shiva, Shakti, or Ganesha.

A bhakt’s devotion can take many forms and may progress through many bhaav (emotions). Neutrality > Servitude (Dasya Bhav) > Friendship (Sakhya Bhav) > Parental (Vatsalya & Shanta Bhav) > Lover (Kanta & Madhura Bhav). Bhakti is also a variation in approach – seva (simple service), sharavana (listening to stories), smaran, archana, vandana, or maybe even aatm-nivedana.

Bhakti of a bhakt (devotee) could be to a saguna (with qualities, with a form) devotion or a nirguna (without qualities, formless) devotion. Saguna bhakti, therefore, could be to a human-like representation of the divine, e.g. Krishna, Radha, Rama, etc. Nirguna bhakti is usually to the idea of the divine that is devoid of the concept of form or gender. Chaitanya Mahaprabu and Mirabai in their madhur bhav towards Krishna are examples of saguna bhakti, whereas Kabir and Nanak Dev are examples of nirguna bhakts.

If the goal is purification of senses, to get rid of dvandas (dualities), being equipoised, free from ragadveshakaamkrodha, then who is to say what is right or wrong, acceptable or not. Whatever creates the melancholy, that is Bhakti.

Bonus Material

1 Comment

Leave a comment