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One cannot entirely separate Bhakti and Jnana. When Bhakti matures, it becomes transmuted into Jnana and Jnana in turn intensifies Bhakti. People think that study of [[Vedanta (वेदान्तः)|Vedanta]] fades away Bhakti. It is not so. The study of Vedanta is rather, an auxiliary to increase and develop one’s devotion. The Narada Bhakti Sutra quotes various opinions regarding the relationship between Bhakti and Jnana. It says, <blockquote>तस्या ज्ञानमेव साधनमित्येके ॥२८॥ अन्योन्याश्रयत्वमित्यन्ये ॥२९॥</blockquote><blockquote>''tasyā jñānameva sādhanamityeke ॥28॥'' ''anyonyāśrayatvamityanye ॥29॥''</blockquote>Some say that knowledge is a means to the attainment of devotion. While some others say that there is a mutual dependence between devotion and knowledge.   

One cannot entirely separate Bhakti and Jnana. When Bhakti matures, it becomes transmuted into Jnana and Jnana in turn intensifies Bhakti. People think that study of [[Vedanta (वेदान्तः)|Vedanta]] fades away Bhakti. It is not so. The study of Vedanta is rather, an auxiliary to increase and develop one’s devotion. The Narada Bhakti Sutra quotes various opinions regarding the relationship between Bhakti and Jnana. It says, <blockquote>तस्या ज्ञानमेव साधनमित्येके ॥२८॥ अन्योन्याश्रयत्वमित्यन्ये ॥२९॥</blockquote><blockquote>''tasyā jñānameva sādhanamityeke ॥28॥'' ''anyonyāśrayatvamityanye ॥29॥''</blockquote>Some say that knowledge is a means to the attainment of devotion. While some others say that there is a mutual dependence between devotion and knowledge.   

In fact, Shiva in the Shiva Purana says that there is no difference between devotion and perfect knowledge. A person who is engrossed in devotion enjoys perpetual happiness. And perfect knowledge never descends in a vicious person averse to devotion.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/SivaPuranaJ.L.ShastriPart1/page/n385/mode/2up The Siva Purana (Part 1)], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref>  <blockquote>भक्तौ ज्ञाने न भेदो हि तत्कर्तुस्सर्वदा सुखम् ।। विज्ञानं न भवत्येव सति भक्तिविरोधिनः ।। २.२.२३.१६ ।।<ref>Shiva Purana, Samhita 2 (Rudra Samhita), Khanda 2 (Sati Khanda), [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A5%A8_(%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE)/%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%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%A8%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 23]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''bhaktau jñāne na bhedo hi tatkartussarvadā sukham ।। vijñānaṁ na bhavatyeva sati bhaktivirodhinaḥ ।। 2.2.23.16 ।।''</blockquote>[[Adi Shankaracharya (आदिशङ्कराचार्यः)|Adi Shankaracharya]] defines Bhakti as devotion to [[Atman (आत्मन्)|Atman]]. For, the same Nirguna Brahman of Advaita Vedanta manifests with a little [[Maya (माया)|Maya]] in a corner as Saguna Brahman for the pious worship of His devotees. Ishwara is His taṭastha lakṣaṇa only. Thus, to think that a Jnani is a dry man and has no devotion is a sad mistake. Rather, the one who has knowledge of Vedanta is steady, firm and well established in his devotion. Therefore, Bhakti and Jnana are like the two wings of a bird that help one to fly towards Brahman, the summit of Mukti.  

In fact, Shiva in the Shiva Purana says that there is no difference between devotion and perfect knowledge. A person who is engrossed in devotion enjoys perpetual happiness. And perfect knowledge never descends in a vicious person averse to devotion.<ref name=":11">[https://archive.org/details/SivaPuranaJ.L.ShastriPart1/page/n385/mode/2up The Siva Purana (Part 1)], Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref>  <blockquote>भक्तौ ज्ञाने न भेदो हि तत्कर्तुस्सर्वदा सुखम् ।। विज्ञानं न भवत्येव सति भक्तिविरोधिनः ।। २.२.२३.१६ ।।<ref name=":12">Shiva Purana, Samhita 2 (Rudra Samhita), Khanda 2 (Sati Khanda), [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A5%A8_(%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE)/%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A8_(%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%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%A8%E0%A5%A9 Adhyaya 23]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''bhaktau jñāne na bhedo hi tatkartussarvadā sukham ।। vijñānaṁ na bhavatyeva sati bhaktivirodhinaḥ ।। 2.2.23.16 ।।''</blockquote>[[Adi Shankaracharya (आदिशङ्कराचार्यः)|Adi Shankaracharya]] defines Bhakti as devotion to [[Atman (आत्मन्)|Atman]]. For, the same Nirguna Brahman of Advaita Vedanta manifests with a little [[Maya (माया)|Maya]] in a corner as Saguna Brahman for the pious worship of His devotees. Ishwara is His taṭastha lakṣaṇa only. Thus, to think that a Jnani is a dry man and has no devotion is a sad mistake. Rather, the one who has knowledge of Vedanta is steady, firm and well established in his devotion. Therefore, Bhakti and Jnana are like the two wings of a bird that help one to fly towards Brahman, the summit of Mukti.  

To elaborate further, it is well-known that Maharshi Veda Vyasa wrote the Mahabharata and yet was not satisfied in his heart of hearts. He was quite uneasy and restless. Then [[Narada (नारदः)|Narada]] came to his rescue and said, “You will have to write a book that deals with Krishna-Prema and the Lilas of Bhagavan Krishna. Only then will you have peace of mind.” Maharshi Vyasa then wrote the Bhagavata Purana that over brims with Bhakti Rasa and Kirtana of Hari. Rishis studied the Bhagavata and held Kathas in a lonely forest in the vicinity of Shukadeva's hermitage. [[Shukadeva (शुकदेव)|Shukadeva]] was very much attracted towards the Katha and directly proceeded to his father, Veda Vyasa, to study the Bhagavata under him. Shukadeva was a perfect Jnani absorbed in his Brahmanishtha. However, he came down from his heights, taught Bhagavata to Raja Parikshit and preached devotion. From this incident, it is quite clear that devotion and Jnana are inseparable. And as mentioned previously, it is these very Jnanis who are referred to as the greatest bhaktas in the Bhagavad Gita by Shri Krishna.<ref name=":9" />

To elaborate further, it is well-known that Maharshi Veda Vyasa wrote the Mahabharata and yet was not satisfied in his heart of hearts. He was quite uneasy and restless. Then [[Narada (नारदः)|Narada]] came to his rescue and said, “You will have to write a book that deals with Krishna-Prema and the Lilas of Bhagavan Krishna. Only then will you have peace of mind.” Maharshi Vyasa then wrote the Bhagavata Purana that over brims with Bhakti Rasa and Kirtana of Hari. Rishis studied the Bhagavata and held Kathas in a lonely forest in the vicinity of Shukadeva's hermitage. [[Shukadeva (शुकदेव)|Shukadeva]] was very much attracted towards the Katha and directly proceeded to his father, Veda Vyasa, to study the Bhagavata under him. Shukadeva was a perfect Jnani absorbed in his Brahmanishtha. However, he came down from his heights, taught Bhagavata to Raja Parikshit and preached devotion. From this incident, it is quite clear that devotion and Jnana are inseparable. And as mentioned previously, it is these very Jnanis who are referred to as the greatest bhaktas in the Bhagavad Gita by Shri Krishna.<ref name=":9" />

== भक्तिप्रकाराः ॥ Classification of Bhakti ==

== भक्तिप्रकाराः ॥ Classification of Bhakti ==

There are different types of Bhakti. They are classified in the following 6 ways:  

There are different types of Bhakti that are classified in various ways. The Shiva Purana mentions one such classification as follows:<ref name=":11" /> <blockquote>सा भक्तिर्द्विविधा देवि सगुणा निर्गुणा मता ।। वैधी स्वाभाविकी या या वरा सा त्ववरा स्मृता ।। २.२.२३.१८ ।।</blockquote><blockquote>नैष्ठिक्यनैष्ठिकी भेदाद्द्विविधे द्विविधे हि ते ।। षड्विधा नैष्ठिकी ज्ञेया द्वितीयैकविधा स्मृता ।। २.२.२३.१९ ।।</blockquote><blockquote>विहिताविहिताभेदात्तामनेकां विदुर्बुधाः ।। तयोर्बहुविधत्वाच्च तत्त्वं त्वन्यत्र वर्णितम् ।। २.२.२३.२० ।।<ref name=":12" /></blockquote><blockquote>''sā bhaktirdvividhā devi saguṇā nirguṇā matā ।। vaidhī svābhāvikī yā yā varā sā tvavarā smr̥tā ।। 2.2.23.18 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''naiṣṭhikyā naiṣṭhikī bhedāddvividhe dvividhe hi te ।। ṣaḍvidhā naiṣṭhikī jñeyā dvitīyaikavidhā smr̥tā ।। 2.2.23.19 ।।''</blockquote><blockquote>''vihitāvihitābhedāttāmanekāṁ vidurbudhāḥ ।। tayorbahuvidhatvācca tattvaṁ tvanyatra varṇitam ।। 2.2.23.20 ।।''</blockquote>That is,

Thus, devotion takes manifold forms.<ref name=":11" /> Some of the major forms and classification of Bhakti ae as follows:

* '''अपराभक्तिः पराभक्तिः च । Apara (lower) and Para (higher) Bhakti.'''

* '''अपराभक्तिः पराभक्तिः च । Apara (lower) and Para (higher) Bhakti.'''

In Apara Bhakti the devotee is a novice. He observes rituals and ceremonies. He rings bells, applies sandal-paste to the Murthi and offers flowers, Arghya, Naivedya etc.  

In Apara Bhakti the devotee is a novice. He observes rituals and ceremonies. He rings bells, applies sandal-paste to the Murthi and offers flowers, Arghya, Naivedya etc.