How to do Bhakti or devotion

Devotion is considered as means to achieve salvation since time immemorial. Scriptures like Bhagwat Gita, Purans, Narad Sutra, Shandilya Sutra, Ramcharita Manas have prominently stressed on practice of devotion. Guru Granth Sahib, various works of Sufi saints laid stress on Bhakti marg (Path of devotion) as the best method to achieve salvation in this age of Kaliyuga. In the Hindu scriptures, two major paths have been described for attainment of salvation: 1) Gyan Marg (मारफ़त, Path of Knowledge) 2) Bhakti Marg (राहे-ईश्क़,- Path of devotion). Lord Krishna unambiguously enunciates in Gita that bhakti marg is superior to gyan marg: ,”Among all the yogis, I consider them best who have installed me in their heart and contemplate and meditate on My form with faith and devotion.” (6-47).

He describes Gyan Marg in eighth chapter of Gita but explains clearly in third shloka (stanza) of ninth chapter that it is impossible to have knowledge without faith: “O Arjun! The ones who are devoid of faith do not achieve me and suffer cycles of birth and death without achieving salvation”.  

Guru Nanak also stresses on the importance of bhakti and tells that all Vedas, scriptures and smritis are stressing importance of bhakti.

रेणि अंधारी निरमल जोती || नाम बिना झूठे कुचल लछोति ||

बेद पुकारै भगति सरोति || सुणि सुणि मानै वेखै जोति ||

सासत्र सिम्रति नामु द्रडाम || ग़ुरमुखि साँति ऊतमा करामं ||

He also stresses that Guru Bhakti is first step towards attainment of God. The best method among various methods is the devotion towards Guru with all love and humility.

सरब उपाइ गुरु सिरि मोरु ||

भगति करउ पग लागउ तोर ||

(बसंतु म्। 1187-10)

The devotion towards Guru is love and adoration of Guru. One in love with Guru is complete devotee with body and mind and surrender to the will of Guru.

अशिक़ी चीस्त बिगो बन्दाए जानां बूदन ,

दिल बद्स्ते दिगरे दादन व हैराँ बूदन |

It is a fact that love does not develop without beauty and grace. Bulbul (Nightingale) adores the everlasting fragrant flowers and not their artificial images painted on a wall. The eternal beauty and grace of perfect master attracts the devotee and helps him crossing the ocean of this life.

जहाँ हुस्न नहीं इश्क़ भी पैदा नहीं होता ,

बुलबुल गुले दीवार पै शैदा नहीं होता |

The perfect master is beyond vision (sightless) and we are incapable of doing His Bhakti. Only whom He showers His grace can find Him.

गुर की भगति करहि किआ प्राणी || ब्रहमै इंद्र महेसि न जाणी ||

सतिगुरु अलखु कहहु किउ लखीऐ जिसु बखसे तिसहि पछाता हे ||

Narad Muni says in “Narad Sutra”:”The form of absolute love towards God is devotion”. Saint Ravidas enunciates,” Devotion for God is very intense ecstatic love and strong attractive pull in which attention detaches from worldly relations and completely focuses on God and there is no interference of intellect, thought and arguments. His love for all is replaced by love for one and only one – God.

साची प्रीति हम तुम सिउ जोरी |

तुम सिउ जोरि अवर संगि तोरी ||

(सोरठि रविदास, 659-1)

Devotion does not mean any sign of inertness, doltishness and laziness. It is compulsive magnetic pull and energetic flow of conscious soul which merges it in the form of beloved. Shandilya Muni says in “Shandilya Sutra”: “Devotion is the name given to detachment from this attention and love of world, realization of one’s self and to merge in the form of God”.

Shankaracharya has also praised devotion in same way. He explains, “Among all the ways for salvation, the way of devotion is most important. Devotion is another name for searching of one’s self. Though it reflects feelings of bondage or attachment yet its’ ideal is noble and pure. It should not be neglected. This is like a good companionship which cannot be left out like we may try to leave our bad habits like wrong company but not the good habits. We should try leave all worldly attachments, amorousness, addictions and should not leave devotion which binds us to God.

Guruvani tells us that devotion is like nectar which immortalize our life and whose depository is with the Guru.

हरि अंम्रत भगति भण्डार है गुर सतिगुर पासे राम राजे ||

गुरु सतिगुरु सचा साहु है सिख देइ हरि रासे ||

(आसा म्। 4, 449-16)

One who develops devotion in his heart for the Lord and gives his self in the service of God, transforms automatically into God itself. Hafiz sahib says that devotion is such a type of intoxication which cannot be described by tongue or pen. Pen does not have that much power which can be used to describe the secret of devotion and it is also the occasion where people fail to hold back. 

क़लम रा आँ ज़बाँ न बबद के बेह्तर ईश्क़ गोयद बाज़ ,

बराए हद्दे तकरीर अस्त शरह आरज़ुमन्दी- |

(हाफ़िज)

The taste of this eternal bliss is enjoyed by soul. Mind cannot express this divine happiness. It is like a dumb eating a sweet and is unable to describe its sweetness. Mirabai says that world drinks wine and swing with slobberiness but she has been intoxicated with love and devotion towards God and remains exhilarated for twenty four hours without taking wine.

The true indication of devotion is that a human being submits all worldly actions to God and he becomes restless on forsaking God even for few moments. The instance of complete devotional love reflects in the Gopis of Braj which has been described in Shrimad Bhagwat. Their body, mind and wealth was completely bestowed to God. Their mind was involved in His remembrance and lauding His greatness for twenty four hours. They used to see Him everywhere. Lord Krishna after seeing their deep devotional love stated,” O Gopis! You have broken the iron shackles of worldly attachments and have completely immersed in me due to your devotional love. You love is pure without any blemish. I can never repay for this love even after serving you for whole life. You should try to release me from this indebtedness.” (Shrimadbhagwat, 10-32-22).

Once Lord Krishna sent his devotee Uddhav to Gopies to send His message, then His throat was choked and tears of love were flowing from His eyes. He said, “O Uddahv! Gopies have surrendered their heart to me. I am their life. They have forgotten all worldly actions and attachments in devotional love for Me. As they have surrendered all worldly duties to Me, My attention is always remains with them. They have considered me as the most beloved and they are restless with pangs of separation for Me. When they remember Me, they become unconscious of their physical forms. They are spending their days somehow waiting for My return. They have merged into Me and I have merged into them.”

Uddhav after going to Braj lectured gave Gopis on Yoga but was amazed to see that Gopis were able to have vision of Lord Krishna, outward and inward, without practising Yoga. He listened about their states by Gopis themselves,” Our heart has no place for anything other than Lord Krishna. His image remains in our heart for twenty four hours and we canot think of anything other than that. O Uddhav! You have given us a very beautiful lecture and is worth appreciating but what we can do as our hearts are already filled with His love. Ocean cannot be filled in a jar. We are desperately waiting for seeing His beautiful form. O Uddhav! We are not fit for practise of Yoga. We are very humble women unable to understand the knowledge of Yoga. You are asking us to close eyes in which His form is already existing. O messenger with such sweet and sonorous voice! We are not ready to listen to your words of deceit. You are asking us to pierce our ears and keep long locks of hairs. Who will take that trouble? You are asking us to smear our bodies with ashes instead of sandalwood. Do you know that we are already burning in the fire of separation from the Lord? The God is residing in our hearts for which Yogis and Munis wander here and there and do penances to reach to Him. Surdas says that God has not left us even for a moment just as shadow does not leave the form.”

What are the obstacles in the path pf devotion?

The obstacles in the path of devotion are discussions regarding opposite sex, wealth, atheism and enemies. The discussions veering around opposite sex, romantic songs, erotic stories and company of lustful people should be avoided.

The discussions regarding earning of excessive wealth and assets enhance the greed. The desire to earn excessive wealth after seeing or hearing the progress of wealth and prosperity of others deviates from the path of devotion.

The path of devotion is based on complete faith and surrender. Thus one should try to avoid company of atheists as that would increase doubts and mistrust which is sign of downfall in path of devotion.

One should also avoid discussions regarding enemies, adversaries and critics as that give arousal to anger. Anger is obstacle in path of devotion. There is no match between love and animosity.

Even bigger obstacle than above mentioned obstacles is arrogance. Arrogance and pride about one’s wealth, power, progeny, health, education, intellect, caste, heritage, good conduct, beauty and status is obstacle in path of devotion. Humility is the jewel of devotion. Maulana Rumi says that one has to empty his mind from all other wasteful thinking other than his beloved in the path of devotion so that grace of God can enter into our heart.

ख़वेश रा ख़ाली कुन अज़ फ़ज़ूल ,

ता तुरा हरदम कुनद रह्मत नज़ूल |

Another obstacle is hypocrisy or showing of. The attempt to show oneself as very pious, devotee, ideal, truthful, moralistic is hindrance in path of devotion. As a clean cloth is required for better dyeing with colour, similarly pure and simple hearted people progress more in path of devotion. Bible says,” You should try to be like a innocent child, only then you shall be able to enter the kingdom of God”.

In addition to it, other evils like stealing, spreading rumours, criticizing others; opulent living etc should be avoided.

What are the results of devotion?

A person immersed in devotion has contentment and all his worldly desires and aspirations vanish. He does not ask for anything because all his desires are satisfied by merging in the Lord. He is freed from cycles of birth and death. He loves all His creations as He loves the Creator and all are children of same God. All his impressions engraved in mind related with hatred, animosity and envy get destroyed due to devotion. He remains intoxicated with love of God because his strong zestful and attractive pull towards devotional love replaces all up and downs related with mundane world. He gets everything by getting the Creator. He does not run after worldly things and remain engrossed in the love of the Lord. The one who has tasted the nectar of devotional love gets satisfied with the spiritual elixir.

हरि विनु कछू न लगाई भगतन कउ मीठा ||

आन सुआद सभि फीकिआ करि निरनउ डीठा ||

(जैतसरी वार म्।5, 708-8)

He sees God inside and outside and at every place. He offers himself to God and all his actions are bestowed to Him. His true ideal becomes devotional love. All impressions of sins and passions get destroyed by devotion while mind not be made pure by right action, right conduct, penances and austerities devoid of faith and devotion. Devotion is true nature of soul. The complete attention of a devotee gets focused on God and all his activities are performed in His name so the effect of actions do not fall on devotee and his redemption process starts. There is deep concentration in devotion and devotee merges into the Lord. The ego in devotee vanishes as that is basic cause of falling in cycles of birth and death.

The devotee gets dyed in the love of God. One who gets dyed in colour of God becomes His form itself.  Devotion moves devotee away from sorrow-happiness of this world and moves him to state of eternal happiness, peace, satisfaction and contentment. He gets detached permanently from transient attachments after getting immersed in devotion.

How to recognize signs of devotion?

The praise of attributes of God which can help in inward attention and concentration of mind and soul is sign of devotion. Such lauding helps in remembering Him and generates devotion. But only dancing and jumping will not generate devotion because mind may run outward because of these activities.

नाचिय- टपिये भगति न होई || (गउडी म्।3, 159-2)

If there is arrogance and jealousy in devotion then it is inertial or vengeful (Tamsic) devotion. If there are feelings of status and glory then it is activity based or Rajsic devotion. If devotion is done with a sense of duty without any type of desire then it will be called as pure or Sattvik devotion. However real devotion is beyond these three attributive states and is immaculate and desireless which will reflect in unintended flow of tears while remembering the God. Any temptations of this world or heavens or redemption cannot shake devotional love of a real devotee.

राजु न चाहउ मुकति न चाहउ मनि प्रिति चरन कमला रे ||

(देवगन्धार- ी म्।5, 534-3)

The devotee always remains attached with the Lord. He strongly loves God and God in return deeply loves him. His devotion is not based on dogmatism but on foundation of real experience of God. Initially the devotion is based on praising of attributes of Lord but later it converts into complete focused and devotional love. In Gita (18-68) it has been described that devotion of form leads to formless devotion. The devotee possesses the internal feeling that my body is the chariot and God is the chariot driver.

काठ की पुतरी कहा करै बपुरी खिलावन हारो जानै ||

(गउडी म्।5, 206-9)