Modes of Devotion

Devotion to God (bhakti) has been the
most important force in Hindu religion
for more than the past millennium.
However, the form and tone of this
devotion have varied considerably in
different times and places. The most
thorough articulation of different possible modes of devotion was done by
Rupa Goswami, who lived in the midsixteenth century. Rupa was a devotee
(bhakta) of the god Krishna and a member of the Gaudiya Vaishnava religious
community founded by the Bengali
saint Chaitanya. Devotion to Krishna is
characterized by the emphasis on relationship, particularly the visualization
of mythic incidents from Krishna’s life,
through which one can enter his divine
world, and thus take part in his divine
“play” (lila) with the world.
Rupa distinguished five such modes,
which were characterized by growing
emotional intensity. The first was the
“peaceful mode” (shanta bhava), in
which the devotee found mental peace
through the realization of complete
identity with Brahman. This was seen as
an inferior mode, since the deity was
seen impersonally, and the devotee had
no personal relationship with God. The
other four modes were based on human
relationships, from the most distant to
the most intimate and loving: master
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Modes of Devotion
and servant (dasa bhava), friend and
friend (sakha bhava), parent and child
(vatsalya bhava), and lover and beloved
(madhurya bhava). Although all of
these modes were legitimate forms of
relationship with the divine, the last was
considered the highest because it generated the most intense emotions.