Philosophy

Bhakti

भक्ति · bhakti

Definition

Loving devotion to a personal deity. The path of bhakti-yoga is one of the four classical yogas. Nine modes (navadha bhakti) are listed in the Bhagavata Purana. Bhakti is devotion, loving participation in the divine through remembrance, worship, song, surrender, service, and relationship. Bhakti appears as nama-japa, kirtan, puja, seva, pilgrimage, vrata, and the reading of texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Ramcharitmanas. Related terms include navadha-bhakti, bhakti-yoga, sharanagati, which give the word its surrounding vocabulary. References for this entry include Bhagavata Purana 7.5.23-24, Narada Bhakti Sutras, Shandilya Bhakti Sutras, Bhagavata Purana; exact usage can vary by sampradaya, text, and family practice.

हिन्दी अर्थ

भक्ति; ईश्वर के प्रति प्रेम और शरणागति।

Sources Cited

· Bhagavata Purana 7.5.23-24
· Narada Bhakti Sutras
· Shandilya Bhakti Sutras
· Bhagavata Purana
· Narada Bhakti Sutra
· Bhagavad Gita

How Bhakti Fits into Sanātana Dharma

Hindu thought is built from a vocabulary of carefully-distinguished terms. Words like bhakti are not loose translations — each has a precise scriptural genealogy, a specific role in ritual or philosophy, and often a counterpart that completes its meaning. Many of the major Hindu darśanas (Sāṅkhya, Yoga, Vedānta, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika) refined their vocabulary over centuries; the same Sanskrit term can carry different shades in different schools.

Bhakti sits within a cluster of related concepts — navadha-bhakti, bhakti-yoga, sharanagati. Reading these together gives you the actual texture of the idea, rather than treating it as an isolated definition. Each Sanskrit term in this glossary is cross-linked to the others it presupposes.

Where useful we cite the primary scriptural source — the Upaniṣad, sūtra, or smṛti passage where the term is given its classical sense — alongside trusted modern dictionaries (Monier-Williams, V.S. Apte, Sanskrit Heritage). For practical questions about usage in pūjā or daily life, ask a paṇḍita in your tradition.

Concept Context

Bhakti is devotion, loving participation in the divine through remembrance, worship, song, surrender, service, and relationship.

Bhakti appears as nama-japa, kirtan, puja, seva, pilgrimage, vrata, and the reading of texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Ramcharitmanas.

FAQs

What does Bhakti mean?

Loving devotion to a personal deity. The path of bhakti-yoga is one of the four classical yogas. Nine modes (navadha bhakti) are listed in the Bhagavata Purana.

How is Bhakti used in Hindu practice or study?

Bhakti appears as nama-japa, kirtan, puja, seva, pilgrimage, vrata, and the reading of texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Ramcharitmanas.

More from Philosophy

Atmanआत्मन्

The Self; the eternal, conscious, unchanging essence of the individual; identical with Brahman in Advaita Vedanta. Distinguished from the body-mind complex (the non-Self body-mind complex). Atman is the Self, the innermost reality of the person. Vedanta schools debate its exact relation to Brahman, but all treat it as deeper than body, mind, and passing identity. The term appears in meditation, Upanishadic study, self-inquiry, and teachings that distinguish the witness from changing thoughts and experiences. Related terms include brahman, jiva, purusha, anatman, which give the word its surrounding vocabulary. References for this entry include Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.7, Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 ('tat tvam asi'), Chandogya Upanishad, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad; exact usage can vary by sampradaya, text, and family practice.

Composing…

Definition

How Bhakti Fits into Sanātana Dharma

FAQs

What does Bhakti mean?

Loving devotion to a personal deity. The path of bhakti-yoga is one of the four classical yogas. Nine modes (navadha bhakti) are listed in the Bhagavata Purana.

How is Bhakti used in Hindu practice or study?

Bhakti appears as nama-japa, kirtan, puja, seva, pilgrimage, vrata, and the reading of texts such as the Bhagavata Purana and Ramcharitmanas.