Qualities of Bhakti

Jeev identifies itself as the gross material body and therefore associates oneself to some country, society, clan or a family. As long as this remains to be the case, the jeev will be bound by some moniker. However, when we realize that we are not allied with any country, clan or family etc., instead we are eternally related to Shri Krishna only [1][2], attachment to country, clan or family etc. will automatically cease to exist. It is only then that we can truly comprehend that our life is meant exclusively for the service of Shri Krishna. We should employ all of our cognizance and powers only for His service [3][4]. That is the unalloyed, absolute purpose of life and purest Bhakti yoga.

Such Bhakti could be categorized into 2 levels.

Sadhana Bhakti
Siddha Bhakti or Prema Bhakti

Some saints further divide Sadhana Bhakti into

So, in total there are 3 levels of Bhakti. Altogether, in these 3 levels, there are 6 qualities or characteristics which are NOT attainable by any other means described in the Vedas (namely karma, gyan, yoga) or any other path mentioned elsewhere.

To do anything in the material world, multiple prerequisites have to be fulfilled -

knowledge of how to attain the desired object,
desire to attain it,
a firm resolve to attain it, and
exert efforts to attain it.

Even if all these preliminary conditions are fulfilled still in the Sansaar-The World intended results are NOT guaranteed. One can get the desired object IF prarābdha allows for it [5][6], for example you have already witnessed it numerous times, many people want to become millionaires. Even after putting lots of time and effort they don't become millionaires. So, after putting in the effort and if destiny also favors then the goal is attained. And only after attaining the goal one gets to enjoy the fruits of the labor. It is not so in the case of Bhakti!!! No sooner does one start practicing bhakti of Shri Krishna, Bhakti keeps bestowing the perks, in exact proportion of the level of surrender [7]. thus making the path easier to tread. And in the end, it bestows the ultimate result.

In Bhakti, everything is related to the mind -

काममय एवायं पुरुष इति । स यथाकामो भवति तत्क्रतुर्भवति यत्क्रतुर्भवति तत्कर्म कुरुते यत्कर्म कुरुते तदभिसंपद्यते॥

बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद 4.4.5

kāmamaya evāyaṃ puruṣa iti । sa yathākāmo bhavati tatkraturbhavati yatkraturbhavati tatkarma kurute yatkarma kurute tadabhisaṃpadyate॥

bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣada 4.4.5

“You are what your deep-driving desire (where your attachment lies) is - As your desire [8] is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”

Reviewing the philosophy over and over again and then contemplating on it is the definitive way to establish tattva gyan [9][10][11] in the intellect. As the tattva gyan is cemented in the mind, the actions will follow suit. One doesn’t need to expend any effort in implementing that knowledge. It will automatically happen. So all effort has to be focused on strengthening tattva gyan.

Shri Maharaj Ji has condensed the essence of all scriptures in a few books of prose and poetry. Click on the image to view them

In the past 6 articles, the 6 qualities of Bhakti were reviewed individually in detail and authentic references from many Sanskrit scriptures were also provided. Every scripture revealed by Shri Maharaj Ji is in congruence with the Vedic scriptures. In Radha Govind Geet, Shri Maharaj Ji revealed the same 6 characteristics of Bhakti in Braj Bhasha (ब्रज भाषा). This dialect of Hindi is spoken in the area of Braj and is much easier to understand than Sanskrit. In these couplets Shri Maharaj Ji highlighted the characteristics exhibited in each of the 3 levels of Bhakti.

Now, in this edition all those 6 characteristics are being summarized. Since we have understood them in detail, singing these verses will remind us of the glory of Bhakti. Thus, further strengthening the commitment to follow this path [12]. So, to give yourself a spiritual boost sing these verses again-and-again and contemplate on their meanings. By doing so Bhakti will remove all your pain and suffering and bestow divine bliss.

So without further ado, here we go…

To watch this chart as a video presentation, please click on this image

Qualities of Sadhana Bhakti

First, one has to practice to perform devotion. This is called Sadhana Bhakti -

मन इंद्रियों ते जो हो गोविंद राधे । भक्ति साधन भक्ति नवधा बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5667

mana iṃdriyoṃ te jo ho goviṃda rādhe । bhakti sādhana bhakti navadhā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5667

“The actions performed by the mind and gyanendriyan and karmendriyan fall in the category of preparatory devotion or Sadhana Bhakti [13][14]. This bhakti is done in 9 ways and is called Navadha Bhakti.

As you already know Navadha Bhakti was professed by the revered Bhakt Prahlad in the Bhagavatam. In this stage of devotion, the devotee benefits from two of the attributes of bhakti.

साधन भक्ति गुण गोविंद राधे । क्लेशघ्नी अरु शुभदा बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5668

sādhana bhakti guṇa goviṃda rādhe । kleśaghnī aru śubhadā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5668

“Sadhana Bhakti has two attributes - reduction in misery and bestowing auspiciousness”.

Bhakti Ends Misery

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The first benefit a devotee gets in this stage is reduction in miseries.

क्लेश के प्रकार तीन गोविंद राधे । पाप अरु वासना, अविद्या बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5669

kleśa ke prakāra tīna goviṃda rādhe । pāpa aru vāsanā, avidyā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5669

“There are 3 causes of this misery - Sin, desires and ignorance”.

पाप के भेद दो हैं गोविंद राधे । प्रारब्ध, प्रारब्ध रहित बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5670

pāpa ke bheda do haiṃ goviṃda rādhe । prārabdha, prārabdha rahita batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 567

“Sins which can be attributed to the circumstances created by prarabdha (destiny) and sins performed which cannot be attributed to circumstances created by destiny”.

जिसका फल मिल रहा है गोविंद राधे । वह पाप प्रारब्धजन्य बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5671

jisakā phala mila rahā hai goviṃda rādhe । vaha pāpa prārabdhajanya batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5671

“The sins for which one is undergoing the consequences is termed as ‘due to prarabdha’ ”.

जिसका फल मिला नहीं गोविंद राधे । वह अप्रारब्ध पाप बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5672

jisakā phala milā nahīṃ goviṃda rādhe । vaha aprārabdha pāpa batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5672

“The fruits of the sinful acts performed by self-will (kriyamāṇa karma) will be stored and will have to be borne in the future. These are called sins ‘not due to prarabdha’ ”.

दोनों ही पापों की गोविंद राधे । बीज स्वरूपा है वासना बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5673

donoṃ hī pāpoṃ kī goviṃda rādhe । bīja svarūpā hai vāsanā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5673

“The reason for both these types of sins are the desires harboring in the mind” [15].

वासनाओं का भी गोविंद राधे । कारण एक अविद्या बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5674

vāsanāoṃ kā bhī goviṃda rādhe । kāraṇa eka avidyā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5674

““The root cause of these sinful desires is avidya (ignorance) [16] । ”

It is not that the jeev turned away from God at some point in time, jeev has turned away from God since eons ago. Because of this, ignorance has always controlled the jeev.

Sadhana-Bhakti gradually destroys pre-destined sin and non-predestined sin. Along with this, it also ends the lust of enjoyment of worldly objects [8]. The more the jeev assimilates the tattva gyan, the desires of the jeev to attain the worldly objects reduce proportionately [13].

Bhakti begets auspiciousness

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Along with destroying pains and sufferings, devotion also starts providing auspiciousness from the stage of sadhana.

शुभ का तात्पर्य गोविंद राधे । जगत की प्रीति विधान बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5676

śubha kā tātparya goviṃda rādhe । jagata kī prīti vidhāna batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5676

“As per the divine law - for the one who has done Bhakti of God, it is accepted that he has satisfied everyone by doing their Bhakti.”

All are satisfied by the one who worships Shri Krishna [17].

शुभ का तात्पर्य गोविंद राधे । दैवी गुणों का विकास बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5677

śubha kā tātparya goviṃda rādhe । daivī guṇoṃ kā vikāsa batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5677

“All the divine qualities manifest themselves in those who perform devotion to Shri Krishna [18]। ”

शुभ का अर्थ वह सुख गोविंद राधे । विषय बाह्म ईश्वरीय बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5678

śubha kā artha vaha sukha goviṃda rādhe । viṣaya bāhma īśvarīya batā de ॥ 

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5678

“Bhakti bestows auspiciousness means, Bhakti begins to bestow worldly opulence, God's swaroopananda [15]. Also, one starts to experience the sweetness of Bhagavan’s divine attributes [16]”.

उपर्युक्त सब गुण गोविंद राधे । साधन भक्ति में प्राप्त हों बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5679

uparyukta saba guṇa goviṃda rādhe । sādhana bhakti meṃ prāpta hoṃ batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5679

“One starts experiencing these benefits from the stage of Sadhana Bhakti”.

Qualities of Bhav Bhakti

In this second stage, the devotee starts experiencing two more qualities of Bhakti.

Bhakti Trivializes Liberation

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भाव भक्ति में तो गोविंद राधे । गुण मोक्षलघुताकृत है बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5680

bhāva bhakti meṃ to goviṃda rādhe । guṇa mokṣalaghutākṛta hai batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5680

“In the Bhav bhakti stage of bhakti, one starts benefitting from the quality of mokṣalaghutākṛta which means the mukti appears to be a trivial goal.”

मोक्षलघुताकृत गोविंद राधे । अर्थ पाँचों मुक्ति को तुच्छ बता दे ॥ 

राधा गोविंद गीत 5681

mokṣalaghutākṛta goviṃda rādhe । artha pām̐coṃ mukti ko tuccha batā de ॥ 

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5681

“An aspirant in this stage rejects all 5 types of Muktis of Non-Dualism and Muktis of Dualism, attainable by devotees.”

भक्त मुक्ति सालोक्य गोविंद राधे । सारूप्य सामीप्य सार्ष्टि बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5682

bhakta mukti sālokya goviṃda rādhe । sārūpya sāmīpya sārṣṭi batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5682

“An aspirant in this stage rejects the Muktis of Dualism, attainable by devotees.”

ज्ञानियों का मोक्ष एक गोविंद राधे । सायुज्य या कैवल्य बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5683

jñāniyoṃ kā mokṣa eka goviṃda rādhe । sāyujya yā kaivalya batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5683

“In the Bhav bhakti stage of devotion, one finds Sayujya Mukti (also called kaivalya) to be a trivial goal, hence bhakt forsakes it.”

Bhakti is extremely difficult to attain

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The second attribute of Bhav bhakti is extremely difficult to attain -

भाव भक्ति में दूजा गोविंद राधे । सुदुर्लभा गुण प्रमुख बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5684

bhāva bhakti meṃ dūjā goviṃda rādhe । sudurlabhā guṇa pramukha batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5684

“The benefits of Bhakti which are inaccessible by all other expedients like Karma, Gyan and Yoga become accessible to a devotee in the stage of Bhav bhakti ”

सुदुर्लभा अर्थ यह गोविंद राधे । भुक्ति मुक्ति दें भक्ति ना दें बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5685

sudurlabhā artha yaha goviṃda rādhe । bhukti mukti deṃ bhakti nā deṃ batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5685

“God easily grants worldly luxuries and even mukti, but doesn’t bestow Bhakti easily upon anyone”.

साधन भक्ति के भी गोविंद राधे । दो गुण हैं भाव भक्ति में बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5686

sādhana bhakti ke bhī goviṃda rādhe । do guṇa haiṃ bhāva bhakti meṃ batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5686

“Bhav bhakti also has the 2 attributes of Sadhana Bhakti”.

जैसे आकाश गुण गोविंद राधे । वायु में अन्तर्निहित बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5687

jaise ākāśa guṇa goviṃda rādhe । vāyu meṃ antarnihita batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5687

“Just like the subject of space is sound, and wind that emanates from space can also carry sound”.

आकाश वायु गुण गोविंद राधे । तेज में अन्तर्निहित बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5688

ākāśa vāyu guṇa goviṃda rādhe । teja meṃ antarnihita batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5688

“From wind emanates tej. The attributes of both space and wind are present in tej as well”.

ऐसे साधन भक्ति गोविंद राधे । गुण रहें भाव भक्ति में भी बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5689

aise sādhana bhakti goviṃda rādhe । guṇa raheṃ bhāva bhakti meṃ bhī batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5689

“Similarly the attributes of Sadhana Bhakti are found in Bhav bhakti as well”.

Symptoms of Prema Bhakti

साधन भाव भक्ति गोविंद राधे । गुण रहें प्रेमभक्ति में भी बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5690

sādhana bhāva bhakti goviṃda rādhe । guṇa raheṃ premabhakti meṃ bhī batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5690

“Prema Bhakti has both symptoms of Sadhana Bhakti and also Bhav bhakti”. In addition, it has two more symptoms.

Bhakti Grants Intense Ecstasy

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प्रेमभक्ति गुण सान्द्रा-गोविंद राधे । नन्द विशेषात्मा है बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5691

premabhakti guṇa sāndrā-goviṃda rādhe । nanda viśeṣātmā hai batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5691

“sāndrānandaviśeṣātmā is the quality of premā bhakti [20]”

कोटि-कोटि ब्रह्मानंद गोविंद राधे । प्रेमानंद बिंदु के सम ना बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5692

koṭi-koṭi brahmānaṃda goviṃda rādhe । premānaṃda biṃdu ke sama nā batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5692

“ब्रह्मानंद को परार्ध से गुणा करने पर भी वह प्रेमानंद के एक बिंदु के बराबर भी नहीं होता” प्रेमानंद का सुख इतना प्रगाढ़ होता है ।
“Brahmananda [18] multiplied by Parardha (1 and then 17 zeroes) does not equal even a drop of Premā ananda [19]”. The happiness of love is so intense.

यही अर्थ सान्द्रानन्द गोविंद राधे । विशेषात्मा गुण का है बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5693

yahī artha sāndrānanda goviṃda rādhe । viśeṣātmā guṇa kā hai batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5693

"This is the meaning of sāndrānanda viśeṣātmā".

Bhakti Enchants Shri Krishna

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प्रेम भक्ति गुण दूजा गोविंद राधे । श्रीकृष्णाकर्षिणी है बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5694

prema bhakti guṇa dūjā goviṃda rādhe । śrīkṛṣṇākarṣiṇī hai batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5695

“The second quality of Premā Bhakti [20] is śrī kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī means Bhakti alone has this quality to attract even the almighty God Shri Krishna.

It is not surprising that the Gopis were attracted to Shri Krishna. The surprising part is that self-satisfied, self-complacent, self-absorbed Shri Krishna got mesmerized by these Gopis. This attraction cannot be attributed to Gopis’ looks or some other attribute. Instead it is by the virtue of Bhakti which resides in their heart. Due to that Bhakti Shri Krishna forgot His Godliness and became desperate to perform Raas with the Gopis.

सब प्रिय जन सँग गोविंद राधे । कृष्ण को जो भक्ति वश में करा दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5695

saba priya jana sam̐ga goviṃda rādhe । kṛṣṇa ko jo bhakti vaśa meṃ karā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5695

“Being under the control of Bhakti, Shri Krishna forgets His Godliness [21][22] and ieev also forgets about his insignificant existence”.

वही है प्रेम भक्ति गोविंद राधे । श्रीकृष्णाकर्षिणी ही बता दे ॥

राधा गोविंद गीत 5696

vahī hai prema bhakti goviṃda rādhe । śrīkṛṣṇākarṣiṇī hī batā de ॥

rādhā goviṃda gīta 5696

“It is Premā Bhakti [20] alone which has the characteristic of ‘attracting Shri Krishna’”.

Based on the relationship, proximity and selflessness there are 8 levels of Premā Bhakti [20] that Siddha Bhakts (enlightened devotees) can attain. You can read about those in Siddha Bhakti.

So far we learned

how characteristics of Bhakti provide support to the sadhak (seeker) on the way and
the two characteristics which are found ONLY in Premā Bhakti [20].

But the greatest question still awaits to be answered. And that is “What does bhakti give to the seeker”?

Banchary Didi will answer that question in the next few articles.

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