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Line 90: − + − − Hinduism leads the aspirants gradually from material images to mental images, from the diverse mental-images to the one Personal God, and from the Personal God to the Impersonal Absolute or the Transcendental Nirguna Brahman.<ref>Swami Sivananda (1999), [https://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf All About Hinduism], Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society.</ref>
→भक्तिक्रमः ॥ Stages in Bhakti: Editing
Regarding Him as existing in all beings as Prahlada expresses in the Vishnu Purana that 'the sages, having known that Hari exists in all beings, must thus cherish unwavering love towards all beings.<blockquote>एवं सर्वेषु भूतेषु भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । कर्तव्या पण्डितैर्ज्ञात्वा सर्वभूतमयं हरिम् ||१.१९.९॥<ref>Vishnu Purana, Amsha 1, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF Adhyaya 19]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''evaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī । kartavyā paṇḍitairjñātvā sarvabhūtamayaṁ harim ||1.19.9॥''</blockquote>
Regarding Him as existing in all beings as Prahlada expresses in the Vishnu Purana that 'the sages, having known that Hari exists in all beings, must thus cherish unwavering love towards all beings.<blockquote>एवं सर्वेषु भूतेषु भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी । कर्तव्या पण्डितैर्ज्ञात्वा सर्वभूतमयं हरिम् ||१.१९.९॥<ref>Vishnu Purana, Amsha 1, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF Adhyaya 19]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''evaṁ sarveṣu bhūteṣu bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī । kartavyā paṇḍitairjñātvā sarvabhūtamayaṁ harim ||1.19.9॥''</blockquote>
* '''तस्मिन्नप्रातिकूल्यं यथा भीष्मस्य | ''tasminnaprātikūlyaṁ yathā bhīṣmasya'''''
* '''तस्मिन्नप्रातिकूल्यं यथा भीष्मस्य | ''tasminnaprātikūlyaṁ yathā bhīṣmasya'''''
Not resisting His will like Bhishma in the Mahabharata. Even when the Lord was advancing towards him, to kill him, he said, 'Come ! O Lord of the deities ! Come, O refuge of this world ! Obeisance to you. Armed with Your bow, mace and sword, put an end to my life, by forcibly drawing me down from the chariot, in this vast and fierce war.<ref name=":1" /><blockquote>एह्येहि देवेश जगन्निवास नमोऽस्तु ते शार्ङ्गगदासिपाणे । प्रसह्य मां पातय लोकनाथ। रथादुदग्राद्भुतशौर्यसङ्ख्ये ||५९.९६.९६॥<ref>Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-06-%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-059 Adhyaya 59]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''ehyehi deveśa jagannivāsa namo'stu te śārṅgagadāsipāṇe । prasahya māṁ pātaya lokanātha। rathādudagrādbhutaśauryasaṅkhye ||59.96.96॥''</blockquote>In fact, the commentator Svapneshvara further states that by the word '''ādi''<nowiki/>' (etc.), the actions of Uddhava, Akrura etc. must also be taken into account.<ref name=":0" />
Not resisting His will like Bhishma in the Mahabharata. Even when the Lord was advancing towards him, to kill him, he said, 'Come ! O Lord of the deities ! Come, O refuge of this world ! Obeisance to you. Armed with Your bow, mace and sword, put an end to my life, by forcibly drawing me down from the chariot, in this vast and fierce war.<ref name=":1" /><blockquote>एह्येहि देवेश जगन्निवास नमोऽस्तु ते शार्ङ्गगदासिपाणे । प्रसह्य मां पातय लोकनाथ। रथादुदग्राद्भुतशौर्यसङ्ख्ये ||५९.९६.९६॥<ref>Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D-06-%E0%A4%AD%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5-059 Adhyaya 59]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''ehyehi deveśa jagannivāsa namo'stu te śārṅgagadāsipāṇe । prasahya māṁ pātaya lokanātha। rathādudagrādbhutaśauryasaṅkhye ||59.96.96॥''</blockquote><nowiki/>
In fact, the commentator Svapneshvara further states that by the word '''ādi''<nowiki/>' (etc.), the actions of Uddhava, Akrura etc. must also be taken into account.<ref name=":0" />
== भक्तिक्रमः ॥ Stages in Bhakti ==
== भक्तिक्रमः ॥ Stages in Bhakti ==
Sanatana Dharma leads the aspirants gradually from material images to mental images, from the diverse mental-images to one Ishta Devata, and from the Ishta Devata to the Impersonal Absolute or the Transcendental Nirguna Brahman.<ref name=":5" /> Accordingly, there are various steps and paths in Bhakti described by the rshis and acharyas.
=== पराभक्तिः अपराभक्तिश्च ॥ Para Bhakti and Apara Bhakti ===
=== पराभक्तिः अपराभक्तिश्च ॥ Para Bhakti and Apara Bhakti ===
Mukhya Bhakti or Para Bhakti is advanced type of devotion. It is higher Bhakti. It transcends all convention. A devotee of this type knows no rule. He does not perform any external worship. He beholds his Lord everywhere, in every object. His heart is saturated with love for God. The whole world is Vrindavana for him. His state is ineffable. He attains the acme of bliss. He radiates love, purity and joy wherever he goes and inspires all who come in contact with him.
Mukhya Bhakti or Para Bhakti is advanced type of devotion. It is higher Bhakti. It transcends all convention. A devotee of this type knows no rule. He does not perform any external worship. He beholds his Lord everywhere, in every object. His heart is saturated with love for God. The whole world is Vrindavana for him. His state is ineffable. He attains the acme of bliss. He radiates love, purity and joy wherever he goes and inspires all who come in contact with him.
The aspirant who worships the idol in the beginning beholds the Lord everywhere and develops Para Bhakti. From Vaidhi Bhakti, he passes on to Ragatmika Bhakti or Prema Bhakti. He beholds the whole world as the Lord. The ideas of good and bad, right and wrong, etc., vanish. He sees the Lord in a rogue, dacoit, cobra, scorpion, ant, dog, tree, log of wood, block of stone, sun, moon, stars, fire, water, earth, etc. His vision or experience baffles description. Glory to such exalted Bhaktas who are veritable Gods on earth, who live to lift others from the quagmire of Samsara and save them from the clutches of death!
The aspirant who worships the idol in the beginning beholds the Lord everywhere and develops Para Bhakti. From Vaidhi Bhakti, he passes on to Ragatmika Bhakti or Prema Bhakti. He beholds the whole world as the Lord. The ideas of good and bad, right and wrong, etc., vanish. He sees the Lord in a rogue, dacoit, cobra, scorpion, ant, dog, tree, log of wood, block of stone, sun, moon, stars, fire, water, earth, etc. His vision or experience baffles description. Glory to such exalted Bhaktas who are veritable Gods on earth, who live to lift others from the quagmire of Samsara and save them from the clutches of death!<ref name=":5">Swami Sivananda (1999), [https://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf All About Hinduism], Uttar Pradesh: The Divine Life Society.</ref>
=== नवविधाभक्तिः ॥ Navavidha ===
=== नवविधाभक्तिः ॥ Navavidha ===