Bhakti

(“sharing”) The most common word
denoting devotion to God. This is one of
the three traditional paths to gain final
liberation of the soul (moksha), and it
has been the most widespread type of
religious practice for well over a thousand years. The word’s literal meaning
conveys the sense of relationship. On
one hand, it refers to an intense and passionate love between devotee (bhakta)
and deity, and on the other, it refers to
separate communities of people bound
together by their common love of God.
Although references to bhakti can be
found in such early texts as the
Shvetashvatara Upanishad and the
Bhagavad Gita, the bhakti propounded
here is radically different from later
98
Bhaktamal
A family makes an offering in a burning tray.
Offerings are a sign of religious
devotion (bhakti) to a deity.
usages. In both these texts, bhakti is presented as a form of yoga in which one
contemplates God as part of a controlled and disciplined practice. This is a
far cry from the abandonment and passionate involvement in later times.
The beginnings of this latter sort of
bhakti arose in the Tamil country of
deep southern India between the sixth
and ninth centuries B.C.E. It had an
intensity that was radically different
from earlier notions, a devotional “heat”
as opposed to the “coolness” of yoga.
Tamil bhakti expressed, and continues
to express, its devotion through songs
sung in vernacular languages, conveying an intimate relationship with a personal god.
These characteristics basically held
throughout history. The use of vernacular speech was especially significant,
for this was the language of ordinary
life and marked the egalitarianism that
was one of the hallmarks of bhakti
devotion. Bhakti devotees were men and
women from all strata of society, from
the highest to the lowest; here was an
opportunity for religious life based
solely on the depth and sincerity of one’s
devotion rather than on one’s birth.
Despite this religious egalitarianism,
devotees rarely tried to restructure
their hierarchical societies. The idea was
that religious equality was supposed
to transcend rather than reform
human society.
Aside from egalitarianism and personal experience, bhakti worship also
stressed community, based on the interconnections between devotees. Though
each devotee was an individual (and
indeed, bhakti poets had real personalities, as the many hagiographies bear
witness), they also fell into “families,” all
of which were connected with each
other. Many of the bhakti saints fell into
recognizable groups: Some were centered around a particular sacred place,
such as the temple at Pandharpur in the
state of Maharashtra; some were connected as teachers and students, such as
Nammalvar and his disciple
Nathamuni; and some had long-term
associations, as with the Lingayat community. In all cases these devotees were
keenly aware of those who had preceded
them and their connections with one
another. Such communities were both
formed and reinforced through satsang,
the “company of good people” whose
influence over time was believed to have
the power to transform. This was a type
of “sharing” that bound devotees to
each other and to their teacher, and
through these two vehicles carried them
to God.
These are general characteristics,
and bhakti’s regional manifestations
often take on a distinct flavor marked by,
if nothing else, the differing languages.
The Padma Purana speaks of bhakti
(a feminine noun) as a maiden who
was born in southern India, attained
maturity in the state of Maharashtra,
and was rejuvenated in northern
India. Although this is a metaphor, it
accurately charts the historical diffusion
of bhakti devotion, as well as its changes
as it moved north. All forms of
bhakti are shaped by specific times,
places, and circumstances.