Bhaktir Bhagavato sevá bhaktih prema svarúpińii;
Bhaktiránanda rúpá ca bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam.

“Bhakti means rendering service unto Parama Puruśa. It is of the nature of love and ánandam, or bliss. It is verily the life-force of the bhakta.”

Now what is bhakti? Bhakti has been defined in Ánanda Sútram⁽¹⁾ as Bhaktirbhagavad bhávaná na stutirnárcaná [“Devotion is ideation on God, not flattery of God or ritualistic worship”]. The word bhakti is derived from the root verb bhaj plus the suffix ktin. It means “to worship”.

One may have attachment towards physical objects as well as towards Parama Puruśa. The attachment to physicality is called ásakti or viśayánurakti, while the deep attachment to Parama Puruśa is called paránurakti or bhakti.

Sá paránuraktiriishvare – “To take the constant ideation of Parama Puruśa is bhakti.”

Na stutirnárcaná. The word stuti is derived from stu plus the suffix ktin, and means “to praise to the very face”. Bhakti cannot be identified with árcaná either, which means to worship the deity with flowers, leaves, [holy] water or other articles. Stuti is no better than toadyism or flattery. In it there is little of sincere devotion.

Suppose a father is praised by his sons and daughters to his very face. He may actually be angry with them instead of being pleased. Similarly, worship with external objects only takes place within the scope of time, place and person. It is difficult [in this way] to establish oneself in the realm of the Absolute. It is only with His ideation that the spiritual aspirant proceeds towards Parama Puruśa bit by bit. The more one takes His ideation, the more one will near Him. This general increase in proximity will generate devotion in the heart of the spiritual aspirant.

Cittanádii ubhayatah praváhinii. This means that the human mind may flow towards the relative world as well as towards the Absolute. This extroversial trend of the mind towards matter is aparánurakti, and the introversial trend is paránurakti. Bhakti, or attraction, is a natural law in the universe. The vast solar universe retains its balance because of the mutual attraction of the planets. Human beings are drawn easily to the fertile alluvial plains where there is easy scope for plenty of production of food materials. Sweet and scented flowers attract honey-bees. Human beings madly run after money and materials as they provide them with security and comforts. But no non-integral object can ever be the strong and permanent fundament of human life. Only Parama Puruśa, who is eternal and unchanging, can provide the permanent basis of human life.

This world is a changing phenomenon. That is why it is foolishness to depend on any changing reality for permanent shelter. In accordance with changes in time and space, there shall be changes in the names and forms of things. The boy of today becomes a young man, and the youth becomes the old and decrepit man of tomorrow. Only Parama Puruśa is unchanging; therefore, only He is to be accepted as the goal of life.

There are different gradations of devotion, such as nirguńa bhakti, vaedhii bhakti, jiṋánamishrá bhakti, kevalá bhakti, rágánugá, rágátmika, etc., in accordance with the degree of intensity of the love for Parama Puruśa.

Footnotes

(1) Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Ánanda Sútram, 1962. –Eds.