Editing Bhakti (section)

== Types and classifications ==
=== Bhakti Yoga ===
{{Main|Bhakti yoga}}
The ''Bhagavad Gita'' introduces bhakti yoga in combination with ''[[karma yoga]]'' and ''[[jnana yoga]]'',<ref name="Minor">{{cite book|last=Minor|first=Robert Neil|title=Modern Indian Interpreters of the Bhagavadgita|publisher=SUNY Press|year=1986|pages=3|isbn=978-0-88706-297-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ku2DGm20WWUC&pg=PA3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Glucklich|first=Ariel|title=The Strides of Vishnu|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2008|pages=104|isbn=978-0-19-531405-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KtLScrjrWiAC&pg=PA104}}</ref> while the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' expands on bhakti yoga, offering nine specific activities for the bhakti yogi.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bryant |first=Edwin F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2c-_DQAAQBAJ |title=Bhakti Yoga: Tales and Teachings from the Bhagavata Purana |date=2017-07-11 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |isbn=978-0-374-71439-0 |pages=9 |language=en}}</ref> Bhakti in the ''Bhagavad Gita'' offered an alternative to two dominant practices of religion at the time: the isolation of the sannyasin and the practice of religious ritual.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Prentiss |first=Karen Pechilis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vu95WgeUBfEC |title=The Embodiment of Bhakti |date=2000-01-06 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-535190-3 |pages=19 |language=en}}</ref> ''Bhakti Yoga'' is described by [[Swami Vivekananda]] as "the path of systematized devotion for the attainment of union with the Absolute".<ref>{{cite book|last=Sundararajan|first=K. R.|author2=Bithika Mukerji|title=Hindu Spirituality|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=2003|pages=306|isbn=978-81-208-1937-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LO0DpWElIRIC&pg=PA306}}</ref> In various chapters, including the twelfth chapter of the ''Bhagavad Gita'', Krishna describes ''bhakti yoga'' as one of the paths to the highest spiritual attainments.<ref name="Jacobsen">{{cite book |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. | year = 2005 | title = Theory And Practice of Yoga: Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson | page=351 | publisher = Brill Academic Publishers| isbn=978-90-04-14757-7}}</ref> In the sixth chapter, for example, the Gita states the following about bhakti yogi:
{{blockquote|
<poem>
The yogi who, established in oneness, Honors Me as abiding in all beings,
In whatever way he otherwise acts, Dwells in Me.

He who sees equality in everything, In the image of his own Self, Arjuna,
Whether in pleasure or in pain, Is thought to be a supreme yogi.

Of all yogis, He who has merged his inner Self in Me,
Honors me, full of faith, Is thought to be the most devoted to Me.<ref name=chapple>Christopher Key Chapple (Editor) and Winthrop Sargeant (Translator), The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth–Anniversary Edition, State University of New York Press, {{ISBN|978-1438428420}}, pages 302-303, 318</ref></poem>}}

The ''[[Shandilya Bhakti Sutra]]'' and ''[[Narada Bhakti Sutra]]'' define devotion, emphasize its importance and superiority, and classify its forms.<ref>{{cite book |last=Georg Feuerstein |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zTjewAEACAAJ |title=The Yoga Tradition |author2=Ken Wilber |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=2002 |isbn=978-81-208-1923-8 |pages=55 |author-link=Georg Feuerstein |author2-link=Ken Wilber}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Swami Vivekananda |title=The indispensable Vivekananda |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2006 |isbn=978-81-7824-130-2 |editor=Amiya P Sen |page=212 |chapter=Bhakti Yoga |author-link=Swami Vivekananda |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=usBhrZcnJ78C&pg=PA212}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bary |first=William Theodore De|author2=Stephen N Hay|title=Sources of Indian Tradition|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1988|page=330|chapter=Hinduism|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PqzFZNF2RxgC&pg=PA330|isbn=978-81-208-0467-8}}</ref>

According to [[Ramana Maharshi|Ramana Maharishi]], bhakti is a "surrender to the divine with one's heart". It can be practiced as an adjunct to self-inquiry, and in one of four ways:{{sfn|Frawley|2000|p=133}}
# Atma-Bhakti: devotion to the one's ''atma'' (Supreme Self)
# Ishvara-Bhakti: devotion to a formless being (God, Cosmic Lord)
# Ishta Devata-Bhakti: devotion to a personal God or goddess
# Guru-Bhakti: devotion to [[Guru]]

=== Nine forms of Bhakti ===
The ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' (verse 7.5.23) teaches nine forms of bhakti:
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|# ''śravaṇa'' (listening to ancient texts)
# ''kīrtana'' (praying)
# ''smaraṇa'' (remembering teachings in ancient texts)
# ''pāda-sevana'' (service to the feet)
# ''archana'' (worshiping)
# ''namaskar'' or ''vandana'' (bowing to the divine)
# ''dāsya'' (service to the divine)
# ''sākhyatva'' (friendship with the divine)
# ''ātma-nivedana'' (self-surrender to the divine)
}}

The ''Bhagavata Purana'' describes many examples of bhakti, such as those exhibited by [[Prahlada]] and the [[gopi]]s. The behavior of the gopis in the ''Bhagavata Purana'' exemplifies the essence of bhakti. When separated from Krishna, the gopis practiced devotion by listening to his stories (''śravaṇa''), praising his glorious deeds (''kīrtana''), and other acts to keep him in their thoughts.<ref name="Halberman">{{cite book|last=Haberman|first=David L.|title=Acting as a Way of Salvation|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=2001|pages=133–134|isbn=978-81-208-1794-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ua-E20uyH9IC&pg=RA1-PA133}}</ref><ref>''Bhagavata Purana'', 7.5.23-24</ref>

=== Bhavas ===
Traditional Hinduism speaks of five different ''[[bhava#In bhakti traditions|bhāvas]]'' or "[[affective]] essences".<ref>{{cite book|last=Spivak|first=Gayatri Chakravorty | author-link=Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak|title=Other Asias|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|date=December 28, 2007|page=197}}</ref> In this sense, ''bhāvas'' are different attitudes that a devotee takes according to his individual temperament to express his devotion towards God in some form.<ref name="Akhilananda_180" /> The different ''bhāvas'' are:
# ''śānta'', placid love for God;
# ''dāsya'', the attitude of a servant;
# ''sakhya'', the attitude of a friend;
# ''vātsalya'', the attitude of a mother towards her child;
# ''madhurya'', the attitude of a woman towards her lover.<ref name="Akhilananda_180">{{cite book  | last = Allport  | first =  Gordon W.  |author2=Swami [[Akhilananda]]  | title = Hindu Psychology  | chapter =  Its meaning for the West  | publisher = Routledge  | year = 1999  | page = [https://books.google.com/books?id=aANjt2mn27MC&pg=PA180 180]}}</ref>

Several saints are known to have practiced these ''bhavas''. The nineteenth century mystic, [[Ramakrishna]] is said to have practiced these five ''bhavas''.<ref name="isherwood-111">{{cite book|last=Isherwood|first=Christopher|title=Ramakrishna and his disciples|publisher=Vedanta Press|year=1980|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6qVMrumO-g0C&pg=PA111 111–112]|isbn=978-0-87481-037-0}}</ref> The attitude of [[Hanuman]] towards the god [[Rama]] is considered to be of ''dasya bhava''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarma|first=Subrahmanya |title=Essence of Hinduism|publisher=Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan|year=1971|page=68}}</ref> The approach of [[Arjuna]] and the cowherd boys of [[Vrindavan]] with the god [[Krishna]] is regarded as ''sakhya bhava''.<ref name="isherwood-111" /><ref>{{cite book|last=Sharma|first=Hari Dutt |title=Glory of Spiritual India|publisher=Pustak Mahal|year=1999|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=KQFOCy7DpQ0C&pg=PA95 95–96]|isbn=978-81-223-0439-8}}</ref> [[Radha]]'s love towards Krishna is ''madhurya bhava''.<ref name="isherwood-111" /> The attitude of Krishna's foster-mother [[Yashoda]] towards him exemplifies ''vatsalya bhava''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Devanand|first=G.K.|title=Teaching of Yoga|publisher=APH Publishing|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=L3mBLHWxgPsC&pg=PA74 74]}}</ref> The ''[[Chaitanya Charitamrita]]'' mentions that [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu|Chaitanya]] came to distribute the four spiritual sentiments of Vraja loka: dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and [[sringara]]. Sringara is the relationship of the intimate love.

=== Murti ===
In ''bhakti'' worship, rituals are primarily directed towards physical images. The terms "[[murti]]" and "''vigraham''" are commonly used in Hinduism to describe these images. A ''murti'' denotes an object with a distinct form that symbolizes the shape or manifestation of a particular deity, either a god or goddess. A ritual called ''[[Prana pratishtha|pranapratishta]]'' is performed before worshipping a murti, establishing ''prana'' (life force) into the image and inviting the god or goddess to reside in the murti.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Flueckiger |first=Joyce Burkhalter |title=Everyday Hinduism |date=2015 |publisher=Wiley Blackwell |isbn=978-1-4051-6021-6 |location=Chichester, West Sussex |pages=77–86}}</ref>