Tradition
Bhakti yoga
Overview
Bhakti yoga (Sanskrit: भक्ति योग), also called Bhakti marga (भक्ति मार्ग, literally the path of bhakti), is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity. It is one of the three classical paths in Hinduism which leads to moksha, the other paths being jnana yoga and karma yoga.
The tradition has ancient roots. Bhakti is mentioned in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad where it simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor. Bhakti yoga as one of three spiritual paths for salvation is discussed in depth by the Bhagavad Gita.
The personal god varies with the devotee. It may include a god or goddess such as Krishna, Radha, Rama, Sita, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, Parvati, Durga, and Surya among others.
The bhakti marga involving these deities grew with the bhakti movement, starting about the mid-1st millennium CE, from Tamil Nadu in South India. The movement was led by the Saiva Nayanars and the Vaisnava Alvars. Their ideas and practices inspired bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India over the 12th-18th century CE. Bhakti marga is a part of the religious practice in Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
The ancient teachers define _avyaktam_ as the “equilibrium of the three forces,” one of which is called _Sattva_, the second _Rajas_ and the third _Tamas_. _Tamas_, the lowest force, is that of attraction, a little higher is _Rajas_, that of repulsion, and the highest is the control of these two, _Sattva_, so that when the two forces, attraction and repulsion, are held in perfect control, or balance, by the…
Swami Vivekananda, Jnâna Yoga, Part II
States what Bhakti yoga is.
But by sacred things one must not understand simply those personal beings which are called gods or spirits; a rock, a tree, a spring, a pebble, a piece of wood, a house, in a word, anything can be sacred. A rite can have this character; in fact, the rite does not exist which does not have it to a certain degree.
Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
States what Bhakti yoga is.
All, however, do not agree with this division, thus: 1. Contemplation means a state of repose, as is said in _Wisdom_[381]: _When I go into my house I shall repose myself with Her._ And motion is opposed to repose. Consequently the operations of the contemplative life cannot be designated according to these different species of motion. But whereas external bodily movements are opposed to that repose of contemplation…
Aquinas Thomas, On prayer and the contemplative life
States what Bhakti yoga is.
Related ideas
- Parvati
- Lakshmi
- Durga
- Avatar
- Ātman (Hinduism)
- Bhagavata Purana
- Gaudiya Vaishnavism
- Ishvara
- Alvars
- Nayanars
- Hinduism
- Karma
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
- Bhakti
- Bhakti movement
- Moksha
- Kali
- Vishnu
- Ganesha
- Rama
- Brahman
- Shakti
- Bhagavad Gita
- Patanjali
Place in the tradition
Part of Yoga.