BHAKTHI YOGA OR YOGA OF LOVE-DEVOTION

'BHAKTHI YOGA PRAKARANA' OF 'JNANA SINDHU'

BHAKTHI YOGA IS THE EASIEST PATH TO REACH
HIGHEST SPIRITUAL LEVEL.

WHEN A SADHAK COMES TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A
HIGHEST POWER WHO IS ORDAINING ALL THE LIFE
FORMS, WHO HAS CREATED 'MIND' TO SHOW THIS
WORLD FULL OF LIVING LIFE FORMS & LIFELESS
FORMS, EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD HAPPENS AS
PER ' HIS'  WILL & NOT OURS,WHEN HE SEES
SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA OF GOD & SAINTS, FULL
OF SUPERNATURAL POWERS, BHAKTHI
(LOVE-DEVOTION) GENERATES IN A SADHAK'S MIND !

INITIALLY IT STARTS WITH SIMPLE DEVOTION, AS IT
PROGRESSES, WHEN HE SEES RESULTS OF DEVOTION
IN PEACE OF MIND, MIND LONGING FOR GOD'S GRACE
MORE & MORE, MIND SURRENDERS TO GOD
COMPLETELY, AS A RESULT OF EXTREME
LOVE-DEVOTION TEARS OF BHAKTHI ROLLS DOWN
FROM EYES. THIS CONTINUES OVER A LONG PERIOD
OF TIME, PROVIDED TEMPO OF BHAKTHI IS KEPT UP
TO HIGHER LEVELS ALL THE TIME.

RESULTS OF FURTHER PROGRESS IS SEEN WHEN
BHAKTHA FORGETS HIMSELF, DOES NOT HESITATE TO
DANCE IN BLISS WITHOUT SHYNESS, AS HE IS NOT
AWARE OF OTHERS WATCHING OR NOT. HIS MIND
GETS LOCKED TO GOD(ATHMA) & HE EXPERIENCES
TRANCE.

FURTHER PROGRESS IS SEEN WHEN HE FEELS, HIS
HEAD IS FILLED BY VIBRATIONS OF BHAKTHI & HE IS
NOT AWARE OF HIS BODY & OUTSIDE WORLD. IF
SADHAK IS SUCCESSFUL IN MAINTAINING THIS STATE
OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, HE ENTERS
 'SAMADHI STATE'

BHAKTHI MAKES PROGRESS BY ITSELF EVEN WITHOUT
JNANA INITIALLY & AS IT PROGRESSES JNANA DAWNS
IN THAT BHAKTHA NATURALLY !

ABOVE IS A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF BHAKTHI & HOW IT
PROGRESSES.

BRAHMA RISHI NARADA IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF
NAMA SMARANA BHAKTHI, "NARAYAN, NARAYAN'

HANUMAN THROUGH HIS SWAMI BHAKTHI &
 'RAMA NAMA' HAS BECOME GOD HIMSELF, WHAT 
OTHER EXAMPLE DO WE NEED !

SHIRDI SAI BABA HAS BECOME GOD BY HIS BHAKTHI
OF 'ALLAH MALIK'

PURANDHARA DASA & KANAKA DASA ARE 
EMBODIMENTS OF BHAKTHI YOGA THROUGH THEIR
KIRTHANS, VAIRAGYA, SURRENDER, LIVING ON 
ALMS ETC.

IN UDUPI SHRI KRISHNA TEMPLE, WHEN 
KANAKA DASA PRAYED BEHIND THE TEMPLE, THE 
STATUE TURNED 180 degrees TO GIVE HIM DARSHAN ! 
WHICH INDICATES GOD HEARS CALL OF BHAKTHI !!

PEOPLE RESORT TO 'SAKAMYA BHAKTHI' (WITH MANO
KAMANA) FOR MATERIAL GAINS & FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR 'SANKALPA' (DESIRE OF MIND TO ACHIEVE
ASSETS,POWER,MONEY ETC.)

FOR SPIRITUAL PROGRESS BHAKTHA SHOULD RESORT
TO 'NISHKAMYA BHAKTHI' WITHOUT ANY MOTIVE OR
AIM ! ABSOLUTE PURE NATURAL LOVE TOWARDS ALL
DAWNS IN HIM, HE ACHIEVES TURIYA STATE, WHICH
IS ATHMANANDA. HE SEES GOD IN ALL & BECOMES A
 'JEEVANMUKTHA' ie., LIBERATED WHILE LIVING !

RITUAL ORIENTED BHAKTHI IS IN NINE STEPS ---
1) SHRAVANA( hearing God's leelas, power, daya
                             towards bhakthas etc.)
2) KEERTHANA(Praising,adoring God through poems,
                               slokas)
3) SMARANA (remembering his Nama through Japa)
4) PADA SEVANA( adoring God's feet like Pada Pooja)
5) ARCHANA(offering flowers,thulasi,water,kunkum,
                         termeric powder)
6) VANDANA(prostrating through Namaskar etc.)
7) DASYA BHAKTHI(doing Bhakthi of God thinking
                                       yourself as His Dasa)
8) SAKHYA BHAKTHI(doing Bhakthi of God thinking
                                           yourself as his Friend)
9) ATHMA NIVEDANA( complete surrender of one's
                                           Athma to GOD)
                           
ALL YOGA PATHS ARE ROOTED IN A MIXTURE OF
BHAKTHI & JNANA.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT
BHAKTHI, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BOOKS --

1) NARADA BHAKTHI SUTRAS ( 84 APHORISMS ON
                                                                BHAKTHI)
2) SANDILYA BHAKTHI SUTHRAS (100 APHORISMS ON
                                                                BHAKTHI)
3) BHAKTHI YOGA BY SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
4) BHAKTHI YOGA BY SWAMI SIVANANDA

PLEASE READ OUR EARLIER POSTING ON BHAKTHI --

Swami Vivekananda On  (Devotion)

http://athma-spiritualbliss.blogspot.in/2011/11/to-obtain-bhakti

-seek-company-of-holy.html

RAMANA MAHARSHI ON BHAkTHI MARGA

Bhagavan has often said, “There are two ways: ask 
yourself ‘Who am I?’ or submit.” By submit he meant 
submit or surrender oneself to the Divine will, which is 
the essence of Bhakti or devotion to the Lord. He has 
also often said,“Bhakti is the same as 
vichara (self enquiry).Thus developing the conviction that 
God alone. exists and the ego does not count.Both 
methods lead to the same goal. Complete surrender is 
another name for jnana or liberation.

Self-enquiry and self-surrender — the path of jñāna 
or true knowledge and the path of bhakti or true love —
are not two different paths, but are just two inseparable
aspects of the same single path — the one and only path
by which we can experience the infinite happiness
of true self-knowledge.

YOGA OF LOVE-DEVOTION OR 
LOVE-DIVINE(BHAKTHI)

'BHAKTHI YOGA PRAKARANA' OF 'JNANA SINDHU'

Parameshwara teaching Shanmuga

'Parameshwara teaching Shanmuga' postings are based on

'Jnana Sindhu' writings of great CHIDANANDA AVADHUTHA 

of very high spiritual level based on VEDANTHA

(UPANISHATHS). He had given the copy of the book to the 

parents of a future Avadhutha even before the baby was 

born, telling parents Goddess will take birth as their son & 

to give the book to the boy when he would be twelve 

year old, who is destined to become an Avadhutha by name 

AJATHA NAGALINGA SWAMY at NAVALAGUNDHA 

in north Karnataka.

Shanmukha with folded hands(doing namaskar) requested 

Hara to teach BHAKTHI YOGA.

Hara told Shanmukha(having six faces), my child !, what is

the use of explaining thathva(based on Truth) path to those

who follow Karma(action), it will yield fruit if told to persons

like you,  who are having right knowledge ! Therefore now

I shall explain to you BHAKTHI YOGA, please hear 

attentively.

A sadhaka(yogi) following yoga path to achieve Brahman

will become Brahman himself. When you are following 

saguna Brahman with form,attributes, even if you find 

difference as Lord, sevak(dasa), just as a worm in the grip 

of bhramara insect, thinks only about bhramara all the time 

& becomes bhramara itself, with the thought 'I am Dasa'

also duality(Dvaitha) disappears & kingdom of non-duality

(Advaitha) manifests.

Those who always sing my names(nama keerthana), praise 

my attributes,  hear my stories, meditate on me, does puja 

to me with one pointed mind, thinking I am their mother &

father, they are having BHAKTHI towards me.

Surrendering all all your actions to me, forgetting oneself

by meditating on my form,tears of bliss flowing down from 

eyes, praising my leelas(enacting play using super powers),

having Sathsang(discussing spirituality with other Bhakthas)

with my bhakthas is BHAKTHI.

This Bhakthi Yoga has eight limbs --Yama,Niyama,Asana,

Pranayama,prathyahara,Dhyana,Dharana,Samadhi.

(Refer Astanga Yoga). Leaving all other things, full of 

dispassion(Virakthi), attaining the above eight limbs, being

full of bliss is Bhakthi Yoga. 

This Bhakthi Yoga is not an ordinary thing, Vedas praise & 

say, it is nothing but an ocean of Bliss, mine of Liberation.

First of all you have to achieve Sadhana Chathustaya *, 

then Astanga Yoga * having eight limbs like Yama etc.,

getting blessings of Guru, observing silence, reach a solitary

place. sit in Padmasana(lotus posture), focus both eyes at

the center of eyebrows, meditate in lotus-heart(spiritual heart)

my form. (Translator's comment --This & description in next 

para is applicable only to those who think of God with form & 

not for those who are not having form of God in their mind by 

birth or who has achieved formless God in this birth) 

Description of form as follows --

Having body aura like pure quartz, displaying great form with 

ten hands, having ear rings of cobra, wearing dazzling chain of 

human skulls, matted hair on the head in the form of crown 

with colour of blood which is pleasing to the eyes, grand 

display of Indu,Ganga rivers sprouting out from the top of head,

who is having fire of sun,moon as his eyes, having cheeks like 

shine of mirror,on the lotus face beautiful hair like bee,wearing 

black tiger skin covering, having beautiful nose like that of 

Sampige(Magnolia champaca) flower,wearing bangles in 
beautifully shaped hands, with delicate feet,seeing with looks
full of kindness, with attractive beautiful body form, speaking
in soft sweet voice, tall body covered with ash powder, on the
left side with Goddess Parvathi, having ten weapons in ten
hands which are -- spear(shoola), Vajrayudha, Sword

(Khadga),Axe({Parashu), Abhaya hastha mudra(no weapon),
Cobra(Naga), Rope (Pasha), Bell(Ghanta),Small Drum with
two sides(like hour glass-Damaru), Rod with a sharp hook at
the top to pierce the ears of elephant to control it(Ankusha),
having five faces(Panchvakra)--Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva,
Aghora, Sadyojatha, Shining with light of crore Suns, cool as
crore moons, wearing cobra as sacred thread(Yajnopavitha),
as handsome as thousand Manmathas, face full of smile,
pleasing to eye, beautiful, living in Kailasa, form of Shankara
should be meditated in your mind.

One who is God head for all devathas(divine beings living in 

Heaven),demons(asuras), human beings etc., who saves those

in need, who is depending on those adoring Him, form of full 

purity & auspiciousness, ocean of kindness, smiling face,having

form beyond imagination, doing good to all, just like a cow 

comes running to it's calf without tolerating separateness,

same way who comes running to fully surrendered bhakthas,

to fulfill their wishes, God of Gods; a bhaktha who forgetting 

himself, meditating with one pointed mind, on such a form, 

where is birth,death for him?

Compared to the taste,aroma of honey,milk,curd, experience of

meditation on form of Myself, is hundred crore times more.

This way when you are involved in sadhana of meditation on 

form, first you see my form through your eyes as a statue, then

activities of mind, senses vanish & all doubts get cleared, that 

bright form remains in your lotus heart. Just as a bee forgets

outside dream world by the fragrance of flower bringing 

happiness to it, sadhaka experiencing my form, fragrance of 

my lotus feet, all worldly attachments come to an end.

My Son ! I am Paramathma(Great Divine Soul), Vedas for the 

benefit of My bhaktha's self confidence, describe me as 

Five-Faced(Panchamukha), Rudra(Destroyer). In reality I am

beyond the grasp of mind, I am the very Brahman ! Don't 

imagine, there is any difference between Athma(Soul) & Me,

therefore make mind to merge in pleasing Shiva's form, without

thinking a second thing, forgetting your body, retain great 

Bhakthi in your heart.

Meditate as My form in, during --

Sleeping, sitting, standing, moving, talking, eating, bathing,

drinking, wearing dresses, waking, forgetting, loving, surprise,

enjoying entertainment, playing, scare, moral, sunshine, wind,

shade,rain, happiness, sorrow, disease, pardon, dying, hunger,

thirst, stone, wood, grass, thorn, vegetable, fruit, leaves,

creepers, mountains, first, cave, tiger, bear, wild pig, horse,

elephant etc.,  milk, curd, ghee etc., mud, animals, birds,

world, gender, house, handsomeness,attractive,paste to apply,

surrender, lamp, furniture, cleanliness, no cleanliness, smoke,

kalasha, various shapes, utensil filled with water(kumbha),

softness,difficulty, mind,peace, position, meditation, breath,

good deeds, senses, body parts, women, river, forests, 

cloud, lightening, devatha(those who are living in heaven 

king of which is Indra), human, panna, gorada, kinnara,

yaksha(celestial beings of other worlds), demon(rakshasa),

etc., planet,star,moon, sun,etc., richness, pleasure, education, 

Lord Hari, Lord Brahma, all times, all things.

Family people, good people, sanyasis, enemies, con men,

friends, people with sathvik gunas(very good people), sinned

people, who ever you meet believe that they are God only &

falling to their feet is Bhakthi.

Brahmana,  Kshathriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Kumbara, Beda,etc.,

(all cast varnas) believe all castes are form of Shiva only &

doing namana(adoring by doing namaskara). is Bhakthi.

 On your way when you see. roof tile, bones, one who eats

dog's meat(madiga), dog, pig, insect etc., animals,birds, 

believing them to be Shiva, doing namana is Bhakthi.

This world is Shiva's sitting furniture(peetha), various forms in

this world are all Shuva's forms. All the sounds in this world are

Shiv's musical instruments. In this world cooked rice is Shiva's 

neivedya, believing so is Bhakthi.

Day & night without forgetting, without any diversion of mind, if 

you meditate on Shiva's form & if you believe all things seen are

Shiva only, you achieve Vasana Kshaya(elimination of latent 

impressions, ref. separate posting on this subject).

Meditating daily on Shiva's form, the form which was inside in

the heart will be seen outwardly in all things. Due to this, 

Bhakthi Yogi sees only Shiva's form in everything & nothing 

else is seen.

These Yogis see my form with ten hands, hair matted & rolled

like a crown, having shining protective eye, whole body 

covered with ash powder, on the left side having Parvathi, they 

see my great form. They have forgotten vasana of body, 

without any doubts immersed in happiness, mind meditating 

on lotus feet of Shiva, destroying attachment to this world, 

they will get my form only. Meditating on My benevolent  form

forgetting their bodies, they have become my form, they move 

about in great happiness. In which ever direction they see, My

form only is seen by them, as a result they don't fear for 

anything. My Bhakthas, by their Bhakthi towards Me, meditation

on My form, they become Yama(God of death) for Yama 

himself. These Bhakthas don't fear God of destruction,even in 

their dream.

My Son !, My Bhaktha, who has left his Mother, Father, 

friends,relatives, wife, children, richness, land, everything & 

surrendered to my feet, will I forget him ? I take on myself

all his happiness, sorrow. If a Bhaktha remembers me even 

once, I think of him thousand times & keep my attention on

him. My Bhaktha who sees my form in everything & moves 

about, I follow him where ever he goes. Bhakthas who think of 

My form, even if they forget Me, I will not forget them, where 

they stand, sit, I will guard them all the time.

If anybody blames My Bhakthas, I think they are blaming Me,

if they praise My bhakthas, I think they are praising Me, if they 

do vandana,I think they did namana to Me, I consider My 

Bhakthas well being is Mine only, mainly My Bhakthas are My

breath(prana) only. If My Bhakthas worry,I feel unhappy. My

Bhakthas carryout all their actions as Shiva's form only. All

Devathas, pramatha ghanas, loving Parvathi Devi, you My son,

are not closer to me than My Bhakthas. 

Dullards by blaming,hating My Bhakthas go to Hell only & 

undergo many worldly problems. Forgetting everything, who 

meditates on Me all the time, there is no birth, death for them. 

Believing in Shiva,who has become Shiva himself, there is no 

harm even if he takes birth thousand times. He is not afraid of 

god of death(Kala).

Those who hate, blame my Bhakthas, I order Lord Yama to

rip out their skin, make them get entangled in this world. This

is my Prathijna(Vow). If anybody feeds my Bhakthas, I get

satisfied & not by Yajna,Yaga(offerings to Fire God) etc. 

When I am the prime mover(chethana) of all bodies & their 

body parts as Dehi(Athma in a body), will I eat offerings of

food(neivedya) made to statues ? Where ever offerings of 

food is made, I partake it, as I am all pervading. However

when somebody feeds my Bhakthas who are of my form,

there is no limit to the happiness I derive, by that action.

Buildings(which cannot move), animals,insects which move

about(chara), birds which can fly(khashu), in these three,next

one is greater than the previous one. Human beings are 

higher than the above three. In Human beings, one who has

knowledge of Bhraman is higher, higher than him is one who 

reads Vedas, one who does Japa is higher, one who has 

knowledge of Vedas is higher, who follows Dharma called as 

Dharmathma is higher, who has no attachment(nissangi) is

higher, who does Sathkarma(good deeds) ie., who offers his 

actions to God is higher, higher than all these people is one 

who has surrendered his body, mind, wealth.to Me.

Compared to all animals, Athma in human body is fit to 

worship. In crores of life forms, Shiva is residing in them

as chidathma(chith-Athma), you should not hurt them thro'

mind, talk, body. You should think,wish good of everybody.

My Child ! You become Kala to Kala(God of death). Sun, 

Moon. Stars shine because they fear Me. Wind blows

fearing Me. Following my orders, Devendra showers rain.

By fearing Me, Agni(Fire God) burns. By My order, God of

death kills. By My order creation, maintaining & destruction

take place. Even though all are afraid of Me, My Bhakthas

do not fear me, on the other hand I fear them. By the 

strength of meditation on Me, they don't bother even about

Me. 

My Son ! therefore learn about Bhakthi Yoga very well.

There are Nine types of Bhakthi, which are as follows --

Better one in ascending order.

1) Thamasa Adhama Bhakthi --

Thinking of creating problems to others, with nature of anger

conducting Murthy Pooja.

2) Thamasa Mdhyama Bhakthi --

Conducting pooja as a manipulated show for others,without 

having real Bhakthi in their heart.

3) Thamasa Uttama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi having jealousy inside.

4) Rajasa Adhama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi having sexual lust (vishaya vasana)

5) Rajasa Madhyama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi expecting super natural powers (siddhis)

6) Rajasa Uttama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi to gain richness(money,house,vehicle, assets)

7) Sathvika Adhama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi to stop rebirth, karma thyaga, destroy sins.

8) Sathvika Madhyama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi surrendering all actions to God 

9) Sathvika Uttama Bhakthi --

Doing Bhakthi thinking my breath is Shiva, to merge in 

Lotus Feet of Shiva is my duty, thinking all things are Shiva's

form only.

Nirguna Bhakthi :

Body, mind, activity of senses, surrendering to me, what is 

seen, heard, talked, actions, meditating on Me in everything,

being in samadhi without seed(without cause or form)

is Nirguna Bhakthi. Those who does upasana of this Bhakthi

without expecting anything, wishing for anything, they 

live happily ! 

If you ask why people do Bhakthi to Me, the sentence 

"I do Bhakthi to that thing' itself is full of Vasana

(latent impressions), therefore they do Bhakthi.

Aparoksha(direct face to face) Bhakthi is of Two types --

1) Bimba-Aparoksha

Keeping the statue in front & praying to it's name,form.

2) Shuddha-Aparoksha

Praying without thinking name or form.

Bimba-Aparoksha is Bhakthi Yoga. if you achieve this you will 

see light of thousand suns & become Jeevanmuktha.  

As Arundhathi Star size is small, first itself if you show it, 

it will not be visible, hence people show the nearest big 

star & then show Arundhathi Star, same way, 

Nirguna Brahman cannot be achieved by those who are

not entitled to it (unadhikari), this Bhakthi Yoga is explained. 

By this Yoga Mahima, within a short period you will achieve 

'Chittha Shuddhi'(clean Mind) & then he himself will become 

that form.

Those who achieve this Yoga are Punyathmas, those who 

read this have done good deeds, those who hear this will

become free of worldly entanglement(Bhavapasha). Those 

who think of this yoga with respect, attain Shivas state itself,

this is truth.

This should not be told to those, who have sexual lust, those

who do not believe in God(nasthika), those who blame others.

In this way when Shankara preached this yoga, Shanmukha

got immersed in ocean of Happiness & in his Lotus Heart

started meditating on Shiva's Form !

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