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== भक्तः || Bhakta ==

== भक्तः || Bhakta ==

In the Bhagavata Purana 11th Skandha 11th Adhyaya, Shri Krishna says, <blockquote>ज्ञात्वाज्ञात्वाथ ये वै मां यावान्यश्चास्मि यादृशः | भजन्त्यनन्यभावेन ते मे भक्ततमा मताः ||११.११.३३॥<ref name=":3">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 11, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%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%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7/%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%A7 Adhyaya 11]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māṁ yāvānyaścāsmi yādr̥śaḥ | bhajantyananyabhāvena te me bhaktatamā matāḥ ||11.11.33॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Knowing who I am, what is my extent and what is my nature or even without knowing these, those who worship me exclusively, they are definitely regarded by me as the best of devotees.<ref name=":4">Bhagavata Purana, [https://archive.org/details/Bhagavata11thSkandhaGitaPressGorakhpur/page/n163/mode/2up Skandha 11], Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref>

In the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna enumerates four kinds of righteous Bhaktas viz. the distressed, the seeker for knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the wise.  <blockquote>चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन । आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ ॥७.१६॥<ref name=":10">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 7 (Jnana Vijnana Yoga)]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''caturvidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukr̥tino'rjuna । ārto jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha ॥7.16॥''</blockquote>Among them, the devotion of the distressed, the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of wealth is all considered secondary as they have ulterior, selfish motives. However, the devotion of the wise is pure and absolutely unselfish. He has undivided love and whole-hearted devotion towards the Supreme Being. Hence, Shri Krishna says,  <blockquote>उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् । आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥७.१८॥<ref name=":10" /></blockquote><blockquote>''udārāḥ sarva evaite jñānī tvātmaiva me matam । āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmevānuttamāṁ gatim ॥7.18॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Noble are all these but I hold the wise as verily Myself. For, steadfast in mind, he is fixed on Me alone as the Supreme goal.

 

Therefore, the wise who are eternally united with Him, the Supreme Bring is the dearest to them and they are dearest to the Supreme.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":7" />  <blockquote>तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्तिर्विशिष्यते । प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः ॥७.१७॥<ref name=":10" /></blockquote><blockquote>''teṣāṁ jñānī nityayukta ekabhaktirviśiṣyate । priyo hi jñānino'tyarthamahaṁ sa ca mama priyaḥ ॥7.17॥''</blockquote>Enumerating on who are regarded as the best of devotees, Shri Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana (11th Skandha 11th Adhyaya) says,<blockquote>ज्ञात्वाज्ञात्वाथ ये वै मां यावान्यश्चास्मि यादृशः | भजन्त्यनन्यभावेन ते मे भक्ततमा मताः ||११.११.३३॥<ref name=":3">Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 11, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%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%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7/%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%A7 Adhyaya 11]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''jñātvājñātvātha ye vai māṁ yāvānyaścāsmi yādr̥śaḥ | bhajantyananyabhāvena te me bhaktatamā matāḥ ||11.11.33॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Knowing who I am, what is my extent and what is my nature or even without knowing these, those who worship me exclusively, they are definitely regarded by me as the best of devotees.<ref name=":4">Bhagavata Purana, [https://archive.org/details/Bhagavata11thSkandhaGitaPressGorakhpur/page/n163/mode/2up Skandha 11], Gorakhpur: Gita Press.</ref>

In fact, speaking to Uddhava, he further enumerates the marks of a great devotee as follows: <blockquote>मल्लिङ्गमद्भक्तजन दर्शनस्पर्शनार्चनम् | परिचर्या स्तुतिः प्रह्व गुणकर्मानुकीर्तनम् ॥ ३४ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मत्कथाश्रवणे श्रद्धा मदनुध्यानमुद्धव । सर्वलाभोपहरणं दास्येनात्मनिवेदनम् ॥ ३५ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मज्जन्मकर्मकथनं मम पर्वानुमोदनम् । गीतताण्डववादित्र गोष्ठीभिर्मद्गृहोत्सवः ॥ ३६ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>यात्रा बलिविधानं च सर्ववार्षिकपर्वसु । वैदिकी तान्त्रिकी दीक्षा मदीयव्रतधारणम् ॥ ३७ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>ममार्चास्थापने श्रद्धा स्वतः संहत्य चोद्यमः । उद्यानोपवनाक्रीड पुरमन्दिरकर्मणि ॥ ३८ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>सम्मार्जनोपलेपाभ्यां सेकमण्डलवर्तनैः । गृहशुश्रूषणं मह्यं दासवद्यदमायया ॥ ३९ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>अमानित्वमदम्भित्वं कृतस्यापरिकीर्तनम् । अपि दीपावलोकं मे नोपयुञ्ज्यान्निवेदितम् ॥ ४० ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''malliṅgamadbhaktajana darśanasparśanārcanam | paricaryā stutiḥ prahva guṇakarmānukīrtanam ॥ 34 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''matkathāśravaṇe śraddhā madanudhyānamuddhava । sarvalābhopaharaṇaṁ dāsyenātmanivedanam ॥ 35 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''majjanmakarmakathanaṁ mama parvānumodanam । gītatāṇḍavavāditra goṣṭhībhirmadgr̥hotsavaḥ ॥ 36 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''yātrā balividhānaṁ ca sarvavārṣikaparvasu । vaidikī tāntrikī dīkṣā madīyavratadhāraṇam ॥ 37 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''mamārcāsthāpane śraddhā svataḥ saṁhatya codyamaḥ । udyānopavanākrīḍa puramandirakarmaṇi ॥ 38 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''sammārjanopalepābhyāṁ sekamaṇḍalavartanaiḥ । gr̥haśuśrūṣaṇaṁ mahyaṁ dāsavadyadamāyayā ॥ 39 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''amānitvamadambhitvaṁ kr̥tasyāparikīrtanam । api dīpāvalokaṁ me nopayuñjyānniveditam ॥ 40 ॥''</blockquote>That is,

In fact, speaking to Uddhava, he further enumerates the marks of a great devotee as follows: <blockquote>मल्लिङ्गमद्भक्तजन दर्शनस्पर्शनार्चनम् | परिचर्या स्तुतिः प्रह्व गुणकर्मानुकीर्तनम् ॥ ३४ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मत्कथाश्रवणे श्रद्धा मदनुध्यानमुद्धव । सर्वलाभोपहरणं दास्येनात्मनिवेदनम् ॥ ३५ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>मज्जन्मकर्मकथनं मम पर्वानुमोदनम् । गीतताण्डववादित्र गोष्ठीभिर्मद्गृहोत्सवः ॥ ३६ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>यात्रा बलिविधानं च सर्ववार्षिकपर्वसु । वैदिकी तान्त्रिकी दीक्षा मदीयव्रतधारणम् ॥ ३७ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>ममार्चास्थापने श्रद्धा स्वतः संहत्य चोद्यमः । उद्यानोपवनाक्रीड पुरमन्दिरकर्मणि ॥ ३८ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>सम्मार्जनोपलेपाभ्यां सेकमण्डलवर्तनैः । गृहशुश्रूषणं मह्यं दासवद्यदमायया ॥ ३९ ॥</blockquote><blockquote>अमानित्वमदम्भित्वं कृतस्यापरिकीर्तनम् । अपि दीपावलोकं मे नोपयुञ्ज्यान्निवेदितम् ॥ ४० ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''malliṅgamadbhaktajana darśanasparśanārcanam | paricaryā stutiḥ prahva guṇakarmānukīrtanam ॥ 34 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''matkathāśravaṇe śraddhā madanudhyānamuddhava । sarvalābhopaharaṇaṁ dāsyenātmanivedanam ॥ 35 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''majjanmakarmakathanaṁ mama parvānumodanam । gītatāṇḍavavāditra goṣṭhībhirmadgr̥hotsavaḥ ॥ 36 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''yātrā balividhānaṁ ca sarvavārṣikaparvasu । vaidikī tāntrikī dīkṣā madīyavratadhāraṇam ॥ 37 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''mamārcāsthāpane śraddhā svataḥ saṁhatya codyamaḥ । udyānopavanākrīḍa puramandirakarmaṇi ॥ 38 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''sammārjanopalepābhyāṁ sekamaṇḍalavartanaiḥ । gr̥haśuśrūṣaṇaṁ mahyaṁ dāsavadyadamāyayā ॥ 39 ॥''</blockquote><blockquote>''amānitvamadambhitvaṁ kr̥tasyāparikīrtanam । api dīpāvalokaṁ me nopayuñjyānniveditam ॥ 40 ॥''</blockquote>That is,