BHAKTHI--TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS

BHAKTI-- TYPES AND CLASSIFICATIONS.

Bhakti or devotion is defined as pure love for God. But this love for God has different stages and paths that a devotee can choose according to his feelings or emotion. Like the entire rainwater falling from the skies travels towards the sea, all devotional prayers reach the same God! The ninefold path of bhakti celebrated in the sastras are 1 Sravanam 2 Kirtanam 3 Smaranam 4 Padasevanam 5 Vandanam 6 Archanam 7 Dasyam 8 Sakhyam and 9 Atma Nivedanam. These stages or paths are too very well-known to be described again in detail. Apart from these nine stages there are three methods of devotion or bhakti. They are 1 the Vihanga or bird like bhakti 2 Markata or monkey like devotion and 3 Pipilika or ant-like steadfast bhakti. In the first type the devotee is impatient like the bird that swoops down on the ripe fruit! He loses the fruit through his impatience! In the second, like the monkey, the bhakta is unsteady and pulling one fruit after another, is undecided about which fruit he wants! Hesitation and change cost him his purpose and aim! The third Pipilika method leads the devotee slowly, steadily but surely, like the ant, to the sugar candy with undivided attention!

“ How long can you stagnate in the same class? Have you no wish to get promoted to the next higher class?” questions Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba in one of his spiritual discourses. The three higher classes in bhakti are 1 Sahaja Bhakti 2 Visesha Bhakti and 3 Para Bhakti. In the first  are included bhajans, worship and vratas or vow-keeping, pilgrimage etc. In the second the devotee should maintain purity of character, practice ‘ daya, prema, shanti and ahimsa’. The third Para bhakti insists on ‘ good, clean mind and good conduct’. It is worship of God on a superior scale. It is a difficult and rare devotion to worship God through good qualities, good conduct, good thoughts and good company! While bhakti is described in different ways and stages, the Vedas too classify bhakti into three types!  They are 1 Bhoutika 2 Ekanta and 3 Ananya bhakti! Different commentaries and interpretations have been made on these types.

Sravanam, Manana or assimilation of what is learnt and nidhidhyasa or practical application of what one preaches and has learnt, yagna, pilgrimage, service like charity come under Bhoutika bhakti. Japa, tapa, rites like sandhya, temple construction, worship, and related acts are physical and hence come under this type of devotion. Ekanta bhakti is not idol worship in an isolated room! It is the realization of the eternal soul or the Atma within the physical frame, a chip of the same block. “ Ekah paratma  bahudeha varti”- He should realize that the all pervading Atma resides within him which depends on a steady and fixed mind. In short the bhakta has to recognize his ‘antaratma’. Ekanta bhakti requires an undisturbed, noiseless and lonely ambience. The best time for this is early morning- ‘Brahma muhurta’ between 3 am and 5 am. Regulated control of breath or pranayama leads to the stage where the mind is shorn of thoughts and desires-- ‘sankalpa and vikalpa’. The Sadhaka , then, experiences the presence of God in every one and everywhere--  ‘’ anor aniyan mahato mahiyan”. When the eye is turned inward he has the vision of Divinity or “Atma sakshatkara”. This Ekanta bhakti can also be called  inner vision or “antar drishti”.

The word ‘ananya’ is split into na + anya meaning ‘ nothing else.’ For this devotee there is nothing else in the world except God! For him the entire universe is the manifestation of God.He sees God in everything, in every action experiences God! As such he dedicates every action to the Divine. This attitude comes very close to atma nivedanam or total and complete surrender to the lotus feet of God. Krisna in the Bhagavad-Gita emphasizes this concept of total surrender when the entire burden of the bhakta is borne by the Almighty. It is said a gopika, when advised by Uddhava to to follow the path of the Yogis to reach God, retorted, “ We have only one mind, not many; that mind has gone away to Mathura along with Krishna. Devoid of a mind, we are unable to understand you”. In short, single minded bhakti is the easiest way to salvation!

“ Real Ananya bhakti comes from deep inquiry into the reality of the inner Self. This form of devotion cannot be practised easily by all. It is easy to say that God is all-pervasive. But it is not so easy to experience that truth" remarks Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba (SSS 23.1.’82) In the Mahabharata, Dharmaraja can be cited as an example of Ananya bhakti! He was unperturbed at the trials and tribulations that he and his brothers had to face! His single minded devotion to Krisna and his exceptional faith saw him through all the troubles! He was unruffled when their five sons were mercilessly killed by Aswathama! He maintained equanimity through sunshine and storm! “For the Pandavas the Lord came first, the world next, and their own interests last. First God, then the world,last “ I. “ Why not we follow this mahamantra and make our lives fruitful??