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Signs of Bhakta – Part -IV

3/26/2021

Three articles on Bhakti are already published which deal on - what is Bhakti (Doctrine of Bhakti), how to cultivate Bhakti (Cultivation is Bhakti) and Evolutionary stages of Bhakti. This article aims at explaining the signs of Bhakta at various evolutionary stages of Bhakti.

At the first stage i.e. Signs of Sadhana Bhakti:
1.     Aspirant has a strong faith in God as the highest value and a sense of the utter temporariness of worldly achievements.
2.    Aspirant, then, turn to the scriptures and spiritual teachers who impart the doctrines regarding, the self, Nature, and God.
3.    Aspirant performs the duties of life without personal desire or fruits of actions or attachment and for success. In this one must have an understanding of oneself as the Atman. Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga to be practiced together.

At second stage, i.e. Signs of Para Bhakti:
1.     Viveka (Practice of Discrimination) – Aspirant practice viveka for all the things that are taken in through the senses. Ramanuja system emphasizes more on the need to be discriminate in taking food i.e. eat only things that are Sattvika or purity-generating and prepared and served only by persons and in conditions that are pure.
2.    Vimoka – Aspirant resists the impulses of passions like anger, sexuality, jealousy etc.
3.    Abhyasa – Aspirant practice all the disciplines of worship such as worship of divine images, japa, collective singing of the names of God, visiting holy places etc. which remind that God is the indwelling Principle (Sesi) in oneself and the whole universe.
4.    Kriya – Aspirant performs the following five-fold duties of life:

duty to the divine spirit or deities by performing fire-sacrifice;
duty to the rishis who have propounded Vedas, Puranas and other holy scriptures by studying and contemplating on;
duty to ancestors by performing Shraddha & daily ceremonial rites to keep up one’s link with one’s ancestry;
duty towards society & profession by contributing one’s mite towards giving food, education, relief of suffering etc.; and
duty to brute creations (animals and Plants) by developing attitude of harmony with their life & avoiding their wanton destruction & over-exploitation.

5.    Kalyana – Aspirant practice the virtues like truth (Satya), straight-forwardness (Arjava), kindness (Daya), benevolence (Dana) and love of all beings (Ahimsa).
6.    Anavasada – Aspirant is free from despair, pessimism etc. and preservation of a cheerful and positive attitude of mind.
7.    Anuddharsa – Aspirant does not yield to excitement or depression and to preserve an even temperament in all situations.

By long and continued practice of these disciplines, by practice of detachment, dhyana and upasana, the mind of aspirant gets purified and develops power to perceive the Divine as the inner self. At this stage, his faith is strengthened by the glow of love for God and develops into Para Bhakti when the mind, even without any external stimulation, goes towards God in place of sense objects.

At third stage, i.e. Signs of Prema Bhakti:
When the mind of Aspirant feels the great attraction of the God, and Bhakti is said to develop then into the stage of Prema Bhakti. The devotee becomes mad with love and longing, and is always in intimacy with the Divine. Prema bhakti is same as system of Prapatti when the attachment to God becomes the sole music of one’s life and one is immersed in the bliss of the Parmatman.

Doctrine of Self-Surrender (Prapatti under Sri Ramanuja system):
Dedication of oneself, along with one’s dependents and belongings, to God is the central feature of self-surrender. It evokes God’s grace and leads the aspirants to supreme status. Abandonment of religious rites and taking refuge in Him leads to transcendent purity and freedom from all sins. Self-surrender is analyzed in six phases as under:
1.     Aspirant resolves to cherish love for all, as all animates and inanimate beings constitute His body.
2.    Aspirant abstains from hostility to all beings. It means abonnement of all evil ways and enmity to others.
3.    Aspirant has faith i.e. strong conviction that God is the refuge of all and will protect him. Seeking His protection means maintenance of an attitude of prayerfulness for it.
4.    Aspirant chooses God as one’s shelter. He resigns oneself absolutely to His care and protection. A feeling of one’s pitiable state owing to a realization of insufficiency of all self-effort made for one’s salvation.
5.    Aspirant entrusts oneself, one’s near and dear ones, possession etc. to Him and throwing one’s burdens, one’s “I and mine” on Him. He accepts that God’s protective grace is always with one.
6.    Aspirant is humble i.e. he has no pride and conceit of agency and is ready to submit unperturbed to any misfortune or failure, accepting it as the Divine will.

The Prapatti doctrine holds that a single moment of resignation with the attitude of mind is enough to bring the God’s grace operative on the Jiva. The effect is immediate and non-laborious.

Characteristics of the Bhakta, who has developed delight in Bhakti:

No worldly affliction can disturb the mind of such a person.
He never wastes his time but always communes with Krishna.
No sensual gratification attracts him nor does worldly success elate him.
He should strictly avoid sexuality in life in any form (kama of illicit type)..
He is picture of dignified humility. He feels himself humbler than a blade of grass.
He has passionate longing for Krishna.
He should be free from pride.
He should learn patience from the tree which does not cry out even when it is cut-down.
For him, Hari becomes the object of remembrance to him.
He, who honours all beings, without any feeling of self-importance.
He seeks neither wealth, nor fame, nor pleasure, nor literary greatness or any extraneous motive.

Fruits of Bhakti:

First the devotee attains to Alukika-samarthya – efficiency of a divine nature, not yogasiddhis, the supernatural powers. Pure love of the devotee subordinates the God himself to the devotee. True devotee becomes charged with divine power and attains fulfilment even without his knowledge.
Second, the devotee attains Sayujya or association with the divine – it may take the shape of mergence in Him as the Aksara in the case of Maryada Jivas.
Third, the devotees with pusti jiva who elect eternal service of Him in the transcendental (inspiring) state. Such Jiva gets what is called Sevopayogi-deha, a spiritual body suited for divine service which is not made of Prakriti, but of Ananda, Bliss. The devotee’s inner life is centered in this spiritual body, and when his earthly life is over, he attains to transcendental realms clothed in this spiritual body and loses himself in divine service.

Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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Evolutionary stages of Bhakti – Part - III

3/20/2021

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Two articles on Bhakti are already published which deal on - what is Bhakti (Doctrine of Bhakti) and how to cultivate Bhakti (Cultivation is Bhakti). This article aims at explaining the various evolutionary stages of Bhakti. Sri Ramanuja, Sri Madhva, Sri Vallabha and Sri Chaitanya are acharyas (teachers) of bhakti who excelled and propagated Bhakti among masses; resultantly India witnessed Bhakti movement in medieval period. Bhakti is looked upon as a distinct fifth Purusartha.

Once the devotee follows the discipline of Bhakti, the devotional sentiments are more & more pronounced. When the heart of devotee is unshakably established in the God and mind refuses to move, complete devotion is accomplished.

From Shraddha, ardour (dedication & eagerness) is born. When ardour deepens, it is called Prema or Love. As Prema grows it is successively called Sneha, Mana, Pranaya, Raga, Anuraga, Bhava and Mahabhava. These are stages in the development of love.

Evolutionary stages explained by various philosophers of Bhakti:

Ramanujacharya has defined three stages of Bhakti development viz. Sadhana Bhakti (Practice of devotional means), Para Bhakti (undisturbed and inseparable attachment for God) and Prema Bhakti (Supreme devotion). In Para Bhakti, all thoughts roam in mind are of God. Para Bhakti is highest form of bhakti when bhakta sees God everywhere, feels his power manifest as entire universe. Para Bhakti is Nirguna Bhakti which is free from the three Gunas. It is the spontaneous, unbroken flow of pure love towards God. It is Ahaituki (free from any sort of motive) altogether. It is Avyavahita or unmeditated devotion towards God. As against Para Bhakti, Apara Bhakti is idol worship. It is bhakti of beginners who decorates the image with flowers, rings bell, offer Naivedya, wave lights and observes other rituals. Apara Bhakti gradually transforms into Para Bhakti.
Madhvacharya have distinguished Bhakti into Paroksa-Jnana (General understanding of devotion); Pakva-bhakti (Ripe devotion enables the aspirant to practice Nididhayasana or continuous meditation on God) and Paripakva-bhakti i.e. Aparoksa-Jnana and attainment of Divine grace. It reveals the absolute dependence of the Jiva, who is pratibimba or reflection of God, who is bimba or the original. It removes the Avidya of the Jiva in both the aspects – Svarupacchadika, which hides the Jiva’s intrinsic nature as consciousness and bliss, and Paramacchadika, which hides from him his real relationship to Brahman as one of dependence.
Sri Vallabhacharya explained the different stages of the development of devotion as Bhava (Inclination), Prema, Pranaya, Sneha, Raga & Anuraga (the most intense forms of attachment to God) and Vyasana (in which everyday experience is practically replaced for the devotee by the plane of existence where God and himself and devotees like himself only exist). The climax is reached when the soul attains Sarvatma bhava or seeing the God in everything. The devotees are in unison with the heart and spirit of the God. He is a part and parcel of divine life. Consequently, he experiences God’s own delight in Himself and all things. The soul is now one with God.
Sri Chaitanya Mahabrabhu divided Sadhana (Disciplinary) Bhakti into two stages – Vaidhi Bhakti and Raganuga Bhakti. Sadhya or Prema Bhakti into Bhava, Prema, Sneha, Mana, Anuraga and Mahabhava. The distinguishing features of various stages are lucidly explained by him as under:

Vaidhi Bhakti – It is following sixty four devotional disciplinary practice (discussed in earlier article on Cultivation of Bhakti) to stimulate the feeling of love for God. Vaidhi Bhakti can be practiced, when deep faith (Shraddha) in a spiritual reality has dawned. By the long and sincere practice of Vaidhi Bhakti, devotional sentiments become more and more natural, and a devotee is then considered fit to practice Raganuga Bhakti.
Raganuga Bhakti – In this stage, the external aids are minimized and this stimulation is accomplished more by psychological means. Disciple develops a relationship with God such as envisioning Sri Krishna as beloved (Gopis), the soul (as to ascetics like Sanaka), the son (Nand-Yashoda), the friend (Sudama), the respected ancestor (Pradyumna), the relative (Arjuna) or the desirable deity (Uddhava). The adoption of Raganuga-Bhakti does not require the abandonment of the discipline of Vaidhi-Bhakti.
Prema or Ragatmika Bhakti or Nishkamya Bhakti or Avyabhicharini Bhakti or Ananya Bhakti - Devotion without desire for material gains, will purify heart and divine grace will descend on bhakta. The intimate personal relationships like those of a servant, friend, parent and sweet-heart provide channels for expression of this kind of loving devotion (Prema Bhakti) to Sri Krishna and he recognizes Him as His ’own’ (Manata), the nearest and dearest. Forgetting His power and majesty as creator, preserver and destroyer, one has established in the relationship of love with Him. Prema involves no sensual attraction. It is said to have become Ragatmika (of the very nature of attachment) in contrast to Raganuga (of the nature of imitation). Devotion is then said to have transcended the Sadhana stage and attained to the Sadhya stage. The progress of Bhakti as Priti (Prema) from disciplinary devotion is divided into seven stages as under:

Rati or Bhava is marked by natural attachment and absorption (continuously sustained) in the God without any external aid or stimuli.

It flows easily through God’s grace. It is called a special manifestation of Suddha-Sattva. An expression of Krishna’s Svarupa-Shakti, Hladini or His inherent Potency of Bliss, is cast on the devotee. Internally the devotee begins to feel an intense engrossment with God from which his mind refuses to move. As a result he develops a liquidity and smoothness of the heart. He is established in a state of placidity of mind, in which he could remain unperturbed by all circumstances that ordinary cause cares anxieties and disturbances. He spends all the time in devotional mood and practices like chanting the Divine Name, hearing the exposition of His glories and excellences etc. He evinces no interest in or attraction for objects of the senses. His conviction in the possibility of realizing the divine becomes unshakably established due to the fore-taste of it got in bhava (feelings).

Prema is the indissoluble attachment binding devotee to God by the sense of ‘myness’. The Bhava deepened is called Prema or Supreme love of God. It is also called the joy of unselfish love and service. There is no pursuit of pleasure for one’s own sake. There is only thought of service and happiness of the beloved God in complete forgetfulness of oneself and one’s own welfare. The joyous experience of this type is to be distinguished from happiness & satisfaction. Happiness can be purely self-centered satisfaction derived from a self-centered pursuit.

Such self-forgetting dedication, uncorrupted by the narrow self, eliminates from the aspirant all thoughts of attaining Mukti, or release from cycle of birth and death, even the dawn of pure devotion. One who has attained this state of mind is said to have attained the fifth Purusartha, the state of selflessness. Selflessness is the characteristic of spiritual love, whereas self-consideration is the very basis of sensuous attachments.

Sneha is the end product of Prema when the heart melts in love.
Mana is marked by sensitiveness due to excessive love.
Raga is eager longing for the object of love touched with the enjoyable pain associated with it.
Anuraga is the experience of unceasing novelty in the object of love.
Maha-bhava is the most ecstatic expression of love, and is called Divyonmada (Divine madness).

In the Chaitanya school, about twenty characteristics are enumerated as expressions of the unique Divine sentiment of Maha-Bhava in both its phases as love in union and love in separation such as intense longing, inability to bear separation, readiness to bear even intense pain in the interest of the beloved, loss of the sense of time, power to influence one’s environment with the intensity of one’s feeling, loss of sense of self even in normal consciousness, loss of all fear of death and welcoming it as the means for elemental union with Sri Krishna, supra-normal behavior that looks like ‘Divine Madness’ and so on. The Maha-Bhava is said to have manifested only in Gopikaa and in some divine incarnations like Sri Chaitanya and Sri Ramakrishna.

Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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Cultivation of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part – II)

3/12/2021

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In the first article on Bhakti titled as “Doctrine of Bhakti (Devotion)” deals with the question “What is Bhakti”. Many philosophers claims the Bhakti cannot be cultivated. Others have given the path to cultivate Bhakti. Selfless devotion is stable only when one has developed balance of emotional and intellectual love. Bhakti matures when the devotee realizes the real form & attributes of Para Brahman (God) and thence develops renunciation from worldly pleasures.

Shraddha (firm & unquestioned faith) is essential for Bhakti. Shraddha is generated in the mind of person by the association with holy persons whose conduct and conversations alone can impress a person with the existential nature of the spiritual reality. Shraddha should be attained. Those who have Shraddha are qualified for Bhakti. Religious knowledge and monasticism (religiously mandated behavior) are not essential for development of Bhakti.

Bhagavad Purana:
Sri Madhvacharya accepted the authority of Bhagavad Purana and its Navdha Bhakti, both as a discipline to cultivate Bhakti. Navdha Bhakti is nine God-centered actions discussed as under:

श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम् | अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ॥ (7.5.23)
(Sravanam, kirtanam, visno, smaranam, pada-sevanam; archanam, vandanam, dasyam, sakhyam atma-nivedanam)

Sravana - Hearing recitals and exposition of divine excellences and His glory & Stories. Raja Prakshit listened to the glories of almighty for seven days.
Kirtana Singing / hymning / chanting / eulogizing glories & stories of almighty collectively. Shukdev was son of Shri Vyas ji who made discourse of incarnations of the almighty & its stories in Bhagwat Purana to Raja Prakshit.
Smarana – Silent & constant remembrance of Him through Japa, meditation etc. to fix of one’s thoughts in god. Prahlad ji remembered the Vishnu ji constantly and with unwavering faith.
Padaseva - Service of the world recognizing it as a Pada or aspect of God.
Archana - Worship of His holy images. Shri Prithu ji).
Vanadana - Salutation of His presence in all beings. (Shri Akroor ji).
Dasya - Cultivating the attitude of His servant-ship. (Hanuman Ji).
Sakhya – Sense of intimacy with Him. (Sudama ji).
Atamanivedana – Surrender or unreserved offering of one’s self and everything to Him. (Raja Bali).

In Navdha bhakti, first is sravana. But shravan of katha (noble stories) is not sufficient. Whatever is listened should also be meditated (Manan or manthan). After the meditation of katha, it should be practiced.

The first six items are practiced as preliminary disciplines or Apara-Bhakti, by which one gets gradually spontaneous love of God without any external stimulation and becomes capable of practicing devotional attitudes and self-surrender. The final stage is called Para-Bhakti. When Atamasamarpana is performed, the first six disciplines become the spontaneous expression of Bhakti with the feeling that one is His Dasa and purpose of His existence is His service.

Sixty Four Devotional Disciplines for cultivation of Bhakti:
There are sixty four devotional disciplines for cultivating Bhakti. These disciplines can be clubbed under a few sub-heads which corroborates Navdh which are as under:
Relating to Guru –
1.     Submission to the spiritual teacher (Guru);
2.    Serving the teacher;
3.    Avoiding making too many disciples and getting entangled in their affairs;
4.    Avoiding writing too many books, practicing too many crafts, delivering too many lectures, and involvement in too many disputations;
5.    Receiving, initiation and lessons from him in the devotion to Sri Krishna;
6.    Prostrating before Guru;

Relating to Navdha Bhakti:
Saravana (Listening)-
7.    Listening to the recitation of the names of the God (Sahastranama etc.);
8.    Following the scriptures;
9.    Studying the Bhagavata Purana with fellow devotees;
Kirtana (Collective singing):
10. Performing Sankirtana (collective singing);
Smarana (Japa, Meditation)-
11. Silently repeating the divine name (Japa);
12. Repeating devotional verses;
13. Singing the praise of Krishna;
14. Meditating on the God;
15. Remembering the God always;
Padaseva (Service of deities or Social Service) -
16. Loving the feet of the deity;
17. Serving the devotees (Vaishnava);
18. Using all one’s energies towards performing His works;
19. Serving the deity in all possible ways;
Archana (Worship of deities) -
20.Witnessing the evening and other services at the temple;
21. Dancing before deity;
22.Prostrating before deity;
23.Following the deity in religious processions;
24.Circumambulating the deity in the temples
25.Going to the temple regularly;
26.Reverential service of his image.
27.Worshipping the deity regularly;
28.Respecting Salagrama and other emblems of Vishnu;
29.Avoiding disrespect to the deity as worshipped by others;
30.Observing fast on Ekadasi etc.;
31. Putting on the Vaishnava marks;
32.Stamping the letter ‘Hari’ on the arms;
33.Accepting with devotion flowers, Tulsi etc. offered to the God;
34.Eating with relish what is offered to deity (Prasada);
35.Drinking the water with which the deity is washed;
36.Smelling the fragrance of flowers, incense etc. offered to the deity;
37.Touching the deity;
38.Gazing at the deity;
39.Seeking the God’s grace;

Intolerance of criticism of krishna and His devotee;

41. Nurturing Tulsi plants etc., associated with him;
42.Holding devotional festivals according to one’s capacity;
43.Observing monthly vows especially in Kartika;
44.Observing Janamashtmi with special reverence;
Dasya –
45.Adopting the attitude of servant towards the God;
Sakhya (Friendliness) –
46.Adopting a friend’s attitude towards the God;
Atamanivedana –
47.Revealing one’s innermost feelings to the deity;
48.Dedicating oneself to the God;
49.Offering to Him all that is dear to oneself;
50.Absolute self-surrender;

Relating to Stay & self-discipline:
51. Abstinence (self-discipline & restraint);
52.Residing in Mathura and other holy places;
53.Living in sacred places of the Vaisnavas;
54.Association with holy persons;
55.Earning only for maintenance and hoarding;
56.Keeping away from atheists and impious men;
57.Avoiding too many ambitious projects;
58.Giving up faulty behavior;
59.Not being overwhelmed by adverse fortune;
60.Not harassing others;
61. Avoiding Savaparadha (disrespectful behavior in worship) – failure to observe the rules of purity, procedure and reverential homage in one’s association with temples of God and holy images (moving irreverently before holy images, indulging in impure or prohibited practices, not contributing according to one’s capacity for worship, eating without offering to God, offering what is eaten already etc.);
62.Avoiding Namaparadha (disrespect to divine name) – slandering saintly persons, ignoring spiritual preceptors, finding faults with scriptures, deliberately sin, resolve to sin, holding an attitude of indifference to divine name, considering oneself superior to the divine name etc.;
63.Using all one’s energies towards performing His works;
64.Maintenance contact with Bhaktas more evolved than oneself.

Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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Doctrine of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part –I)

3/12/2021

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Vedic ritualistic actions, either of an obligatory nature or of an optional nature, are for attainment of heavenly enjoyments. Most of the persons are devoted to ritualistic duties, some are devoted to knowledge, a few think of God, and among those hardly one is liberated. One in million is true devotee. Hence, specific devotional rituals forming part of the Bhakti discipline are to be adopted.

Discharge of one’s duties in selflessness and detachment, and as an offering to God, has a place in the devotee’s life, as it leads to purification of his mind through elimination of demoniac tendencies born of self-centeredness. The methods of concentration adopted by the Yogis can be usefully employed in the path of Bhakti also as an aid to hold the mind in concentration on the God.

Bhakti is not mere emotions or feeling or Shraddha but firm, ceaseless and unshakable love of God, which surpasses every other form of affection and attachment, and which is based on and inspired by a full knowledge of His transcendent majesty. Worship of Divine images, visit to holy places, study of devotional literature, repetition of Divine name, participation in Bhajans and association with holy men, are some of the means for helping the growth of the infant plant of devotion. The end-phase of devotion is passionate and undeviating love of God.

What is Bhakti:
Bhakti is that continuous flow of the heart that has been liquefied by the love towards God. It develops unalloyed faith in God and submission to His will. To intellectuals, it is the conviction consequent upon the knowledge of the ultimate relationship with God that generates love and attachment to Him. Ramanujacharya equates Bhakti with Dhyana and Upasana. Dhyana means concentration of mind on Him and Upasana continuous thought of Him.

Sri Madvacharya, stressed that Bhakti should not degenerate into excessive emotionalism. Its healthy form is a well-balanced complex of emotional and intellectual love. He therefore holds that love of God should be preceded by the knowledge of His cosmic majesty and excellence, and as per instruction by a competent teacher of the doctrine of the Jiva’s nature as a reflection (Prati-bimba) of God, who is his Original.

Kinds of Bhakti:
Bhagavad Purana, which is recognized as a source book of Bhakti doctrine for over five hundred years, identified two types of Bhakti:

Vidvesa-Bhakti – devotion through confrontation – Through fear, hatred etc. with God, when a person develop intense enmity towards Him. God approached them as antagonist and killed them. Examples are Hiranyaksa, Hiranya-Kasipu, Ravana, Kamsa, Sisupala etc.
Kama-Bhakti – Pure devotion – Intense love – Example Gopikas- Krishna.

Bhakti, the highest Spiritual Fulfilment:

Bhakti is the highest goal of the Jiva, and consists in the experience of pure delight in the service of God without any thought of extraneous objective like Moksha or attainment of any object of desire obtainable by human efforts. Hence, it is an attitude and an experience, while as a means it is a set of specific disciplines.
The true devotee is passionless and tranquil. While the others crave enjoyment, psychic powers or salvation, the true devotee care only for whole-hearted loving service of God with body, mind and soul in an absolutely selfless spirit and without any other consideration than the joy of the beloved God. It springs from the consciousness that the individual soul or Jiva, being part of God’s Shakti.
In minds of those who care for salvation and other self-centered fulfilments, true love of God can never be kindled. Jiva, by following the path of Jnana or wisdom can get merged in Brahman-consciousness and thereby gain Moksha. But Brahman is only the peripheral luster of Sri Krishna.
In different types of the bhaktas, the inclination assumes five different forms namely, the Santa (the placid, easy going), the Dasya (that of servant ship), the Sakhya (comradeship), Vatsalya (parental) and Madhura (conjugal). Devotion to Sri Krishna and conquest of desires are the marks of all these types of devotees.

Santa – In such devotee, attachment is like odourless flower. He has acquired only a true sense of God’s nature as the supreme Spirit and Divinity.
Dasya – In such devotee, mood develops the cognition of Krishna as the God of all powers and contently gratifies Him by servicing Him with a sense of His divinity and with honor and great glorification. It has got merit of Santa plus service.
Sankhya – Such devotee has absolute trust in Krishna and service is characterized by free camaraderie without any inhibition of admiration. It has got trust along with two former.
Vatsalya - Such devotee looks Krishna as the protégé (pupil) and himself as parent. It has got four qualities and is like nectar.
Madhura – All the above qualities are present and in addition to them the devotee serves Krishna as a lover, offering him his or her own person. In this all the earlier four characteristics are synthesized into a complexion of its own in the form of Atma-Samarparna (complete surrender of the self).

The ardour for Krishna is of two kinds, the first accompanied by sense of His Godhead, and the second pure and simple. At Gokula, Krishna displayed Himself free from His Godhead aspect, while at Mathura, Dwarka, Vaikuntha etc. His Godhead aspect is more conspicuous. Where the sense of His Godhead aspect is more conspicuous, love for Him is contracted. Whereas the way of pure ardour is to disregard Godhead even when it is openly shown. Godhead aspect is less conspicuous in Santa and Dasya emotions and is shrunken (dried) in Vatsalya, Sakhya and Madhura emotions. The pure love called unmixed ignores His divinity, and whenever it does recognize Him as Power, the intensity of the loving connection with him diminishes.

Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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PUJA, Kriya & Bhakti

Signs of Bhakta – Part -IV

Evolutionary stages of Bhakti – Part - III

Cultivation of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part – II)

Doctrine of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part –I)

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Signs of Bhakta – Part -IV

Evolutionary stages of Bhakti – Part - III

Cultivation of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part – II)

Doctrine of Bhakti (Devotion) – (Part –I)

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PUJA, Kriya & Bhakti