Bhakti Yoga — Questions & Answers
Questions about Bhakti Yoga, devotion, devotional practices and the traditions that explain them.
Questions & Answers
What is Bhakti Yoga?
Bhakti Yoga is a spiritual path centered on devotion to the Divine. Different traditions explain the object, practices and stages of devotion in different ways.
What does bhakti mean?
Bhakti generally refers to devotion, loving religious attachment or devotional participation. Its precise meaning depends on the Sanskrit context and the tradition in which it is being discussed.
What is the goal of Bhakti Yoga?
Many Bhakti traditions describe the goal as deepening one's relationship with the Divine and developing selfless devotion. Specific descriptions of the final state differ among traditions.
What are the nine processes of bhakti?
A well-known Vaishnava framework describes nine devotional processes: hearing, chanting, remembering, serving the Divine's feet, worship, prayer, service, friendship and complete self-surrender.
What is kirtana?
Kirtana is devotional singing or chanting, often involving the repetition or singing of sacred names, verses or praises.
What is smaranam?
Smaranam means remembrance. In devotional contexts it refers to remembering the Divine, sacred teachings, names, forms or pastimes.
What is prema bhakti?
Prema bhakti refers to a highly developed form of devotional love. Its precise theological meaning should be explained within the tradition being discussed.
How is Bhakti Yoga different from Jnana Yoga?
Bhakti Yoga emphasizes devotion, while Jnana Yoga emphasizes spiritual knowledge and discernment. Many Indian traditions also describe the paths as complementary rather than mutually exclusive.
How is Bhakti Yoga different from Raja Yoga?
Bhakti Yoga centers on devotion, while Raja Yoga is commonly associated with disciplined meditation and the eight-limbed framework of Patanjali. Individual traditions may connect the two.
Which scriptures discuss Bhakti Yoga?
Important sources include the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, along with devotional literature associated with particular traditions.