In Hinduism, Bhakti (also spelled Bhakthi; Sanskrit: भक्ति, literally meaning "portion, share", from the root bhaj- "to partake in, to receive one's share") refers to religious devotion of a devotee in the worship of the divine. Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Iṣṭa-devatā.
Bhakti can be used of either tradition of Hindu monotheism, Shaivaism or Vaishnavism. While bhakti as designating a religious path is already a central concept in the Bhagavad Gita, it rises to importance in the medieval history of Hinduism, where the Bhakti movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE.
Bhakti is an expression of love, devotion and faith centered upon the Supreme Person rather than the Supreme Abstraction. It became a popular folk movement which was very strongly opposed by the Brahmins as it disregarded traditional Vedic rituals, ignored caste differences and placed devotion over knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita is the first major expression of Bhakti which, over the centuries spread throughout the country through the wandering holy men and sadhus. It became the religion of the great masses of India for it enabled the individual to approach the Divine directly and become part of His all-encompassing love.
One of the underlying themes of Bhakti is that of incarnation (avatara), God manifesting himself upon the earth in some form (animal or human) in Order to aid mankind in times of trouble. Krishna is the supreme example as the manifestation of Vishnu.
The term Bhakti is used in a variety of ways.
In India, the second and first millennia BCE are known as the Vedic Period, named so due to the influence of the Vedas, a vast body of Sanskrit scripture. Large segments of the Vedas stress a gradual process of elevation through a complex system of rites and rituals, the performance of which was reserved for an exclusive priesthood. Great emphasis was placed upon social ordering according to caste. It was widely believed that spiritual progress was to be achieved through the meticulous performance of ritual. The scripture that taught the rituals was in the Sanskrit language, which was only known to the priestly caste.
Beginning in the 6th century CE a new movement developed around the writings of mystics who extracted the devotional essence from the Vedas, de-emphasizing the particular formalities of ritual or caste. Prominent among these are the Alvars, twelve South Indian mystics who expressed their intimate love and longing for God through song and poetry. These devotional sentiments were gradually expanded upon, supported philosophically, and organized into a method of devotional yoga by saintly philosophers such as Ramanuja and Madva. They were followed centuries later by prominent saints and teachers such as Sri Chaitanya, Sri Vallabha, Nimbarka, Meera Bai, Tukarama and many others. The widespread effect of the teachings of these saints eventually became known as the Bhakti Movement. By focusing on sincere devotion, rather than mere ritual, barriers of language and class distinctions were broken down. Over the centuries, the Bhakti Movement has gone on to promote devotion through philosophy and art, by ever expanding lineages, many of which still flourish today, each with their own unique contribution.
.....By Radhanath Swami
Bhakti can be used of either tradition of Hindu monotheism, Shaivaism or Vaishnavism. While bhakti as designating a religious path is already a central concept in the Bhagavad Gita, it rises to importance in the medieval history of Hinduism, where the Bhakti movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE.
Bhakti is an expression of love, devotion and faith centered upon the Supreme Person rather than the Supreme Abstraction. It became a popular folk movement which was very strongly opposed by the Brahmins as it disregarded traditional Vedic rituals, ignored caste differences and placed devotion over knowledge. The Bhagavad Gita is the first major expression of Bhakti which, over the centuries spread throughout the country through the wandering holy men and sadhus. It became the religion of the great masses of India for it enabled the individual to approach the Divine directly and become part of His all-encompassing love.
One of the underlying themes of Bhakti is that of incarnation (avatara), God manifesting himself upon the earth in some form (animal or human) in Order to aid mankind in times of trouble. Krishna is the supreme example as the manifestation of Vishnu.
The term Bhakti is used in a variety of ways.
- Most simply, bhakti refers to the common religious devotion that is held in the heart of a devoted person of any spiritual faith.
- Bhakti can also refer to a practice of yoga (Bhakti-yoga), a spiritual discipline meant to bring one to a state of pure love of God.
- More specifically, the term Bhakti can refer to the devotional interpretation of Vedanta. Vedanta is the most popular of India’s six classical schools of philosophy and the primary influence in Hinduism.
- Bhakti also is used to refer to a trend within the history of Indian spirituality – the Bhakti Movement.
- Finally, the word Bhakti refers to the perfected state of consciousness – exclusive and continuous love of God, the natural condition of the soul; eternal, enlightened bliss.
In India, the second and first millennia BCE are known as the Vedic Period, named so due to the influence of the Vedas, a vast body of Sanskrit scripture. Large segments of the Vedas stress a gradual process of elevation through a complex system of rites and rituals, the performance of which was reserved for an exclusive priesthood. Great emphasis was placed upon social ordering according to caste. It was widely believed that spiritual progress was to be achieved through the meticulous performance of ritual. The scripture that taught the rituals was in the Sanskrit language, which was only known to the priestly caste.
Beginning in the 6th century CE a new movement developed around the writings of mystics who extracted the devotional essence from the Vedas, de-emphasizing the particular formalities of ritual or caste. Prominent among these are the Alvars, twelve South Indian mystics who expressed their intimate love and longing for God through song and poetry. These devotional sentiments were gradually expanded upon, supported philosophically, and organized into a method of devotional yoga by saintly philosophers such as Ramanuja and Madva. They were followed centuries later by prominent saints and teachers such as Sri Chaitanya, Sri Vallabha, Nimbarka, Meera Bai, Tukarama and many others. The widespread effect of the teachings of these saints eventually became known as the Bhakti Movement. By focusing on sincere devotion, rather than mere ritual, barriers of language and class distinctions were broken down. Over the centuries, the Bhakti Movement has gone on to promote devotion through philosophy and art, by ever expanding lineages, many of which still flourish today, each with their own unique contribution.
.....By Radhanath Swami