Questions tagged [bhakti]
bhakti (Sanskrit: भक्ति, "devotion"), from Sanskrit verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to share in", "to belong to", and "to worship" — is an expression of devotional Love for God; single-minded devotion to one's Iswara, or personal deity. One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta, while bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti marga, or the bhakti way.
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Can tantra be linked to Bhakti?
Among the different types of Bhakti,a/the prominent type is where one is simply in love with his/her aaradhya,and worships simply because he/she loves the deity ,displaying nishkama Bhakti.
Tantric ...
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Is Bramacharya necessary for spiritual advancement?
Is there any scriptural representation showing that Bramacharya is necessary for spiritual advancement ? How is Bramacharya helpful?
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Can one attain Moksha just by Guru / matru / pitru bhakti?
Can one attain Moksha just by Guru Bhakti and not following the methods of Nava vidha Bhakti? I have known the story of Pundarikan who had ardent devotion for his Parents. Was he blessed with Moksha ...
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Is 'nama japa without bhava' automatically converts into 'namajapa with bhava'?
Some sadhanas in sanathan dharma automatically promote sadhaka to the next levels. If a sadhaka shows perseverance and consistency in sadhana, there are more chances for automatic upliftment. I want ...
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Who is krishnamma in the legend of hathiram baba?
In a Telugu movie, Om Namo Venkateshaya , which is based on the story of hathiram ji, it was depicted that there was also a devotee named krishnamma.
Who is she? Was she real? Or just depicted for the ...
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BamaKhepa/Tarapith & Different Types of Bhakti
Reading about different Shakta saints/mystics, Trailanga Svami, NigamAnand ParamHans & Bamakhepa at Tarapith, trained by Swami Kailashpati, and I came across these descriptions below.
In addition ...
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Isn't it time to stop using the term "god" or "goddess" for our ideals?
Dharmic traditions are not encoded "belief systems", so why borrow terms from Christianity or Islam? Some may argue that we can use such terms "generically", but why? Does Deva, ...
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Is there any any naam kirtan of Shiva?
Do we have any naam-kirtan of god Shiva similar to the Hare Krishna for Sri Krishna, in the shastras?
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Esoteric meaning of bhagwan and bhakta
In general, by calling "bhagwan", we refer God only and by "bhakta", we refer Devotees only. Is there any esoteric meaning to these terms which goes beyond general understanding? ...
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Author request: Shyam Aan Baso
There is this popular bhajan which has again became quite popular recently.
It starts with
श्यामा आन बसों वृंदावन में
मेरी उमर बीत गई गोकुल में
Who is the author of this Bhajan?
What does the bhajan ...
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Please let me know correct scriptural reference which mentions that Ram naam jaap or bhakti is necessary to worship Hanuman?
Is it necessary for a Hanuman devotee to worship Shri Ram. If yes, please provide scriptural reference as a proof.
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Kalidasa addressing Devi as "my daughter"
In Syamala Dandakam (of Telugu Kalidasa movie at 3 min 22 secs) he refers to the Devi as sanu_MatPutrike.
SyamalaDandakam
Can he address a goddess that way in a Stotram ? Is it by the power bestowed ...
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The impact of Shirdi Sai on Hinduism
I wanted to discuss Shirdi Sai because of his influence on Hindus.
He is claimed by some to be an incarnation of Shiva, by some to be incarnation of Dattatreya, and by some a God in his own right.
...
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What does Bhakti do in ones life?
Vedas says God gives the side of Dharma and Dharma says only when we complete our cycle of karma (papa and punya) we can attain him, then what is the use of Bhakti?
Om Apavitrah Pavitro Vaa Sarva-...
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Is Human birth better than heaven?
During human birth we can advance spiritually (especially when one is born in a Hindu family) while in heaven there is only pleasure and enjoyment.
Which is better - heaven or human birth ?
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Does Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas believe that Prahlāda and Dhruva were devoted specifically to "Kṛṣṇa" & not "Viṣṇu"?
Both Dhruva and Prahlāda are cited as the two foremost examples of devotion, specifically within the Vaiṣṇava tradition.
Mostly portrayed as having unflinching devotion to god Viṣṇu in his popular '...
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Ninefold devotion? [duplicate]
In 39th verse, 17th Ullasah of Kaularnava Tantra, Shiva defines Purana to divine mother:
पुण्यपापादिकथनादाक्षसादिनिवारणात् ।
नवभक्त्यादिजननात् पुराण इति कथ्यते ।। ३६।।
Purana: Because it tells of ...
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What are some bhakti parampara saints in the Advaita sect?
Can anyone tell about the bhakti parampara saints in the Advaita sect and, also about any Shudra saints in the Advaita Shankaracharya till the 19th century?
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Which all sects have the concept of Śaraṇāgati and/or Prapatti or any equivalent?
Śaraṇāgati (शरणागति) and Prapatti (प्रपत्ति) - nyāsa vidyā, are two/three such practises to attain Moksha with least possible effort, which I have encountered in reference to Śrī-Vaiṣṇavism or the ...
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Copy of the Sukti Sudhakar
I tried searching online for an English copy of the Sukti Sudhakar, but I could only find Hindi copies. Can anyone provide a link to an English version (or a Sanskrit to English version) of this book? ...
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What are Bhakti Sutras? How many Bhakti Sutras are there?
I have heard of Narada Bhakti Sutra and Shandilya Bhakti Sutra. These are canonical Sanskrit treatizes on Bhakti Marga (Devotional Path). How many Bhakti Sutras are there?
I have also doubt about how ...
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Why Hindu Gods do not protect Hindus anymore in the modern day?
I read a book on atrocities performed on Hindus in the past 200 years by invaders. By reading it, anybody's faith will be shaken to the core.
For example, there is one account was of a Muslim invader ...
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Does Patibhakti lead to Moksha?
Pati is a jivatma, not paramatma. What systems of thought say that having bhakti for jivatmas is a valid way to Moksha? Could Swamibhakti, patibhakti, or bhakti for characters like Bharat, etc lead to ...
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Is Bhakti is part of Upasana or It is connected with any of the Darshana?
This verse of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is very popular and a favorite of the Advaita Acharyas:
योगास्त्रयो मया प्रोक्ता न्èणां श्रेयोविधित्सया ।
ज्ञानं कर्म च भक्तिश्च नोपायोऽन्योऽस्ति कुत्रचित॥ (११.२०.६)...
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Who are Veeras? Does a devotee after death becomes a Veera?
Veeras are described in the Tantrik scriptures as the souls who have attained special blessings from the Deity they chant name of. Does it mean a devotee after death becomes a Veera?
There are many ...
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During the period of practising silence(mauna), bhajan /kirtan is allowed or not?
Suppose if someone is practicing mauna( silence) , then kirtan/bhajan is allowed or not ?
My thinking : Practice of mouna mean don't produce any sound(voices) from mouth .when we do kirtan/bhajan ...
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Is there evidence of the miracles of Tulsidas?
Several miracles are attributed to the great medieval poet and philosopher Tulsidas, among them reviving the dead, and one of the ones that most caught my attention, his arrest by Emperor Akbar, and ...
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Why is the Madhurya Bhakti Bhāva (Kaanta Bhakti) considered the topmost or the best bhāva (sentiment), that a devotee can practice?
As per this QnA , the different kinds of Bhakti-Bhāva / Rasa (i.e., Mode/Types of Devotion), which includes: Mādhurya, Vātsalya, Sākhya, Santa, Dāsya., aren't to be found in any of the ...
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Is there any Bhakti as we understand it today in the "Bhakti Yoga" chapter of the Gita? [closed]
like the Bhakti of Mirabai for Krishna.
or, like Swami Sivananda put it:
"Bhakti is the slender thread of Prem or love that binds the heart of a devotee with the lotus feet of the Lord. Bhakti is ...
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What gives the "spiritual - theological authenticity" to modern compositions like Chālīsās & ārtís?
Hanumāna Chālīsā is by far, one of the most popular devotional hymn to a God. It's authorship is credited to Tulsídāsa, although few other sources might also call it as a later interpolated addition ...
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Instances of devotee granting boon to deity
It is normal and expected that a devotee receives boon from deities like Siva, Vishnu etc., But, I came across an incident in Mahabharata, in which Garuda grants boon to Vishnu.
"And the son of ...
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Is it more helpful in any way to worship multiple deities?
I live in central India and I haven't met many people who only worship one particular deity or God. They may be partial to one over others, but they worship all dieties. Most temples also contain ...
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what is the difference between Bhakti yoga and karma yoga?
what is the difference between Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga?
I know that both paths are almost the same, I mean both motives are the way to salvation
I want to know what is the major difference between ...
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How to find a family's Kuladevata when all known sources have failed?
A lot of Hindu families these days don't know who their Kuladevata is. How can one find out, if there is no information available online, in the community, and if the elders in the family are not ...
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Henotheism in the Puranas?
The henotheism, a kind of halfway house between polytheism and monotheism reflects the demotion of the many gods of the Hindu pantheon to the position of portions (amsas) of one primary God.
This ...
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Can I create my own God?
I would like to know if it is possible to create my own God, and if so, will worshiping that god have the same value as worshiping others?
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What changes were done in people's mindset by Ramanujacharya?
After Adishankaracharya, people started to know about hinduism, nirguna brahman, jiva, worship etc, so similarly what our people known from Ramanujacharya.
What changes are done to people mindset and ...
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Why there are no graves of great devotees? [closed]
When a politician dies, we develop a park around it and the people will go to there every year on that day to memorize them.
There are some brindavanams constructed for some devotees who went on ...
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What Vedanta philosophy is followed in Utkaliya Vaishnava of Mahapurusha Achyutananda of Odisha?
Achyutananda (and the other four saints) believed in a concept of God (Vishnu) as Shunya (emptiness, void, zero) called Shunya Purusha and/or Shunya Brahman. This shunya signifies a transcendental ...
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Which scripture mentions the verse "Chandalohpi munisrestha haribhaktiparayanah..."?
Chandalohapi munisrestha haribhaktiparayanah | Haribhaktivihinashcha dviijohapi shvapachadhamah ||
English Translation: Chandalas with Hari Bhakti are superior to Munis. But if a Dvija is devoid of ...
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Condensed form of Shaiva Purana
Just wondering if there are any works like Narayaneeyam which is a condensed version of Srimad Bhagavatham, similar to Purana of Lord shiva, Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, etc., in Sanskrit language?
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9 Types of Devotion [duplicate]
I would like to share this Excerpts from: Sathya Sai Baba, Divine Discourse "Let Unity Be the Undercurrent Everywhere" 2 Mar 2003 regarding 9 types of devotion.
What are in details the 9 ...
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Where can one find the original bengali book of Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Jaiva Dharma?
I am look for the book Jaiva Dharma by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, an important Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharya. Any idea where i can find it?
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Where can I find the book Ujjvala nilamani of Srila Rupa Gosvami?
I am looking for the book Ujjvala nīlamaṇi. It is by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and has commentaries as well. Where can I find?
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relationship between tantra and devotion
I'm not really asking for the differences but I also believe that devotion as Lord Krishna mentions in Geeta is the best path for enlightnment.
I'm just curious if there is any relationship between ...
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Is sacrifice required for devotion?
If yes, how to quantify it? Is there any real devotion without sacrifice?
Suppose someone says he is really devoted, but doesnt sacrifice anything (time, money, thoughts etc) is he really devoted?
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Original version of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram bhajan?
I would like to know about the original source and version and the author of the famous bhajan Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram. This bhajan was later edited and popularized by Gandhi. This was widely ...
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deekshya vs. gyan what's the difference
When I read the bhagwat geeta I not even once came across the word deekshya only gyan , but outside the geeta and on majorly other forms of attaining liberation i.e. forms different from devotion I ...
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Is it possible that Lord Shri Krishna may reveal himself to his ardent devotees in the physical world itself?
What I mean is.. the final goal which we bhakts seek is just a glimpse of the particular God we are devotee of...
As the folklores keep on mentioning instances of thousands of divine lovers and bhakts ...
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Is there any statement that bhakti destroys karma?
The Bhagavad Gita 4.37 directly and explicitly says that jnAna or knowledge destroys all karmas.
मूल श्लोकः -
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन।
ज्ञानाग्निः सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते ...
user16581