Bhakti Yoga: the Yoga of Devotion
Bhakti Yoga is one of the four main yogic paths to enlightenment. Bhakti means “devotion” or “love” and this path contains various
practices to unite the bhakta (Bhakti Yoga practitioner) with the
Divine.
Bhakti Yoga is considered the easiest yogic path to master and the
most direct method to experience the unity of mind, body and
spirit. While Hatha Yoga requires a strong and flexible body,
Raja
Yoga requires a disciplined and concentrated mind, and Jnana Yoga
requires a keen intellect, the only requirement for Bhakti Yoga is
an open, loving heart. But Bhakti Yoga complements other paths of
yoga well, and it is said that jnana (knowledge or wisdom) will
dawn by itself when you engage in the devotional practices of
Bhakti Yoga.
This deeply spiritual practice draws heavily on the Hindu pantheon
of deities. Each of these deities is seen as representing a
humanized aspect of the single Godhead or Brahman – much the same
way the Christian saints represent specific attributes and
qualities of God. The use of Hindu deities in Bhakti Yoga can be
a large obstacle for Western practitioners, especially for those
with a deeply religious background. But the use of the Hindu
deities is not required for this practice – in fact, finding your
own object(s) of devotion will be all the more effective in
achieving yoga (union) with the Divine.
There are nine main practices of
Bhakti Yoga that can be practiced
independently or together. Each of these limbs creates a specific bhava (feeling) that appeals to different inner constitutions of
practitioners.
The Nine Limbs of
Devotion
1. Shravana –
“listening” to the ancient scriptures, especially potent if told
by a saint or genuine bhakta.
2. Kirtana –
“singing” devotional songs, usually practiced in a
call-and-response group format.
3. Smarana –
“remembering” the Divine by constantly meditating upon its name
and form.
4. Padasevana –
“service at the feet” of the Divine, which incorporates the
practice of karma yoga (selfless service) with bhakti (devotion).
5. Archana – the
“ritual worship” of the Divine through practices such as puja
(deity worship), and havan or homa (fire offering).
6. Vandana – the
“prostration” before the image of one’s chosen image or
representation of the Divine.
7. Dasya – the
“unquestioning” devotion of the Divine involving the cultivation
of serving the will of God instead of one’s own ego.
8. Sakhya – the
“friendship” and relationship established between the Divine and
the devotee.
9. Atmanivedana –
the “self-offering” and complete surrender of the self to the
Divine.
The most popular limb of
Bhakti Yoga in the West is Kirtana
(usually called Kirtan), with national and local Kirtan walas
performing weekly in small to large cities. Bhakti Yoga can be
practiced by itself or be integrated into other types of yoga or
spiritual practices.
The benefits of
Bhakti Yoga are immense, as Swami Sivananda
writes, “Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred,
lust, anger, egoism, pride and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine
ecstasy, bliss, peace and knowledge. All cares, worries and
anxieties, fears, mental torments and tribulations entirely
vanish. The devotee is freed from the Samskaric wheel of births and
deaths. He attains the immortal abode of everlasting peace, bliss
and knowledge”.
The ultimate goal in the practice of
Bhakti yoga is to reach the
state of rasa (essence), a feeling of pure bliss achieved in the
devotional surrender to the Divine.
