Bhakti (भक्तिः)

Bhakti (Samskrit: भक्तिः)

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita has declared that devotion to Him is the means of attaining mukti characterized as the attainment of the Bliss of Brahman, consequent on the disappearance of the Antah-karana, the inner sense, composed of the three Gunas (Satva, Rajas and Tamas).

मां च योऽव्यभिचारेण भक्तियोगेन सेवते । स गुणान्समतीत्यैतान्ब्रह्मभूयाय कल्पते ॥१४.२६॥

māṁ ca yo'vyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate । sa guṇānsamatītyaitānbrahmabhūyāya kalpate ॥14.26॥

Meaning: He who serves me with unswerving devotion, thoroughly passing beyond the Gunas (viz.Satva, rajas and tamas), is fit for becoming Brahman.

व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology

Enumerating on the genesis of the term 'Bhakti', Vachaspatyam says, भज् - सेवायाम् आराधनायाम् । bhaj - sevāyām ārādhanāyām ।

Shabdakalpadruma quotes the definition of Bhakti as given in the Shandilya Bhakti Sutras. It says,

अथातो भक्तिजिज्ञासा । सा परानुरक्तिरीश्वरे । athāto bhaktijijñāsā । sā parānuraktirīśvare ।

Meaning: Now, therefore, an enquiry into the Doctrine of Devotion. It is the highest love for Ishvara. Elaborating on the necessity of an enquiry into the nature of devotion, the commentator Svapneshvara says,

... परमेश्वरानुरक्तिरूपायाः भक्तेः ... नेयं नेयं भक्तिः निश्श्रेयसार्था, नेयमुत्तमविषयेत्यादिकुतर्कबलनेन निवृत्तिरपिभवति ।

... parameśvarānuraktirūpāyāḥ bhakteḥ ... neyaṁ neyaṁ bhaktiḥ niśśreyasārthā, neyamuttamaviṣayetyādikutarkabalanena nivr̥ttirapibhavati ।

Meaning: This devotion which is of the nature of love of the Supreme being... is still liable to be destroyed by the weight of false objections such as 'This is not devotion', 'This does not lead to the Highest Good', 'Its aim is not the Highest', etc. He further quotes the Vishnu Purana verse,

नाथ योनिसहस्रेषु येषु येषु व्रजाम्यहम् । तेषु तेष्वच्युता भक्तिरच्युतास्तु सदा त्वयि । १ । २० । १८-१९ ।

nātha yonisahasreṣu yeṣu yeṣu vrajāmyaham । teṣu teṣvacyutā bhaktiracyutāstu sadā tvayi । 1 । 20 । 18-19 ।

Meaning: O Lord, even though I may have to pass through thousands of wombs, let there be in me forever, O Achyuta, unshakable devotion to you, in each of those births !

The commentator Svapneshvara says, this prayer of Prahlada that his devotion may remain unshaken shows the necessity of counteracting the attempts to topple it. And therefore, this inquiry into devotion, though ancillary to devotion itself which bears the fruit (in the form of the Highest Good), is also fruitful.

The Narada Bhakti Sutra defines Bhakti as,

सा त्वस्मिन् परमप्रेमरूपा । sā tvasmin paramapremarūpā ।

Meaning: It (Bhakti) is of the form of intense love towards him (the Supreme being).

भक्तिलक्षणम् ॥ What is Bhakti ?

Having grasped the necessity of enquiring into the nature of Bhakti, the natural corollary question that arises is 'What is Bhakti?' This is elaborated in the Shandilya sutra सा परानुरक्तिरीश्वरे | sā parānuraktirīśvare ।

Commenting on this sutra the commetator says,

अत्र सा परेति लक्ष्यनिर्देशः । शेषं लक्षणम् । ... आराध्यविषयकरागत्वमेव सा (भक्तिः) । इह तु परमेश्वरविषयकान्तःकरणवृत्तिविशेष एव भक्तिस्तद्वैशेष्यं च लौकिकानुरागादौ सुग्रहम् ।

atra sā pareti lakṣyanirdeśaḥ । śeṣaṁ lakṣaṇam । ... ārādhyaviṣayakarāgatvameva sā (bhaktiḥ) । iha tu parameśvaraviṣayakāntaḥkaraṇavr̥ttiviśeṣa eva bhaktistadvaiśeṣyaṁ ca laukikānurāgādau sugraham ।

Meaning: Here, by the words, 'It is the highest', the subject is indicated. The rest gives the characteristics... Devotion is nothing but the love to be cultivated towards the being who is to be propitiated. Here, devotion denotes the special attitude or function of the antahkarana (internal mind) towards the Supreme Ishvara. Its special characteristic can be easily grasped by comparison with worldly affections, etc. And in this context, the commentator quotes a verse from the Vishnu Purana. It says,

या प्रीतिरविवेकानां विषयेष्वानपायिनी । त्वामनुस्मरतः सा मे हृदयान्माऽपसर्पतु ॥ वि.पु. १.२०.१७

yā prītiravivekānāṁ viṣayeṣvānapāyinī । tvāmanusmarataḥ sā me hr̥dayānmā'pasarpatu ॥ vi.pu. 1.20.17

Meaning: The firm affection that the deluded feel towards the objects of the senses, such a firm affection (may I have towards you) may it never depart from my heart while I am constantly meditating upon you.

What is not Bhakti ?

While elaborating on the role of 'attachment' in Bhakti, the commentator Svapneshvara enumerates in brief about what is 'not bhakti'. He says,

• To be engaged in remembering (Ishvara) sometimes and to sing (His glories) at other times - this also cannot (be described as devotion), because it is not necessarily associated with these always.

न तु क्वचित्स्मरणस्य, क्वचिच्च कीर्तनादेः अननुगमात्।

• Nor again, devotion is knowledge of Ishvara since this knowledge might exist even in those who hate Him and a person cannot possibly entertain love and attachment towards his antagonist though he knows him.

न च तज्ज्ञानस्य तत्त्वं द्वेषादिमत्स्वपि तत्प्रसङ्गात् ।

• Neither is devotion knowledge of the Ishvara as the object of worship, for acts of worship such as salutation are not always accompanied with knowledge.

नाप्याराध्यत्वेन ज्ञानं स पूजानमस्काराद्याराधनास्वननुगमात् ।

Hence, it is stated that it is simpler to accept devotion as an affection (as the sutra sā parānuraktirīśvare declares) if it is said that devotion is the knowledge that Ishvara is to be propitiated, coupled with affection.

अनुरागादिसहिताराध्यत्वज्ञानमिति चेत् अनुराग एवास्तु |

अत एव गी॰। अ॰

नवविधाभक्तिः ॥ Navavidha

श्रवणं कीर्त्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम्। अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ।

भक्तः || Bhakta

• उत्तमभक्ता यथा, “ज्ञात्वाज्ञात्वाथ ये वै मां यावान् यश्चास्मि यादृशः । भजन्त्यनेन भावेन ते मे भक्ततमा मताः ॥”
• मध्यमभक्तो यथा, -- “ईश्वरे तदधीने वा वालिशेषु द्बिषत्सु च । प्रेममैत्रीकृपोपेक्षा यः करोति स मध्यमः ॥”
• प्राकृतभक्तो यथा, -- “अर्च्चायामेव हरये पूजां यः श्रद्धयेहते । न तद्भक्तेषु चान्येषु स भक्तः प्राकृतः स्मृतः ॥” इति श्रीहरिभक्तिविलासः ॥

Moreover, expressions such as 'He is devoted to him', 'He is attached to him', are not applicable to one who worships through fear or force though there be the knowledge that one is adorable, etc.

अपि च बलाद्भयाद् वा नमस्कार्यत्वादिज्ञानवत्यपि भक्तोऽयमनुरक्तोऽयमिति व्यवहारापत्तेः ।