DEVOTION-BHAKTHI- भक्ति:

SUBHASHITHANI:201
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 intense devotion and supreme attachment to God. Bhakti is supreme love for God. It is the spontaneous out-pouring of Prem towards the Beloved. It is pure, unselfish, divine love or Suddha Prem. There is not a bit of bargaining or expectation of anything here. This higher feeling is indescribable in words. It has to be sincerely experienced by the devotee. Bhakti is a sacred, higher emotion with sublime sentiments that unites the devotees with the Lord.- Swami Sivananda

In this blog we will see some beautiful subhashithas on' bakthi '.

Ways of worshipping the supreme are many. Srimad Bhagavata mentions nine important lakshnas (aspects) of devotion.

श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम् ।
अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं सख्यमात्मनिवेदनम् ॥

इति पुंसार्पिता विष्णौ भक्तिश्चेन्नवलक्षणा | 
क्रियते भगवत्यद्धा तन्मन्येऽधीतमुत्तमम् || 

Shrawanam keertanam vishnoh smaranam padsevanam I Archanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atmanivedanam IIIti pumsaarpitaa vishnau bhakthischet nava lakshanam IKriyate bhagavatyaddha tanmanye adheetamuttamam IIHearing stories about the glories of the Lord, singing His praises, remembering His captivating form and His exploits, serving His lotus-feet, worshipping Him by flowers and fruits, obeisance or prostration before Him , humble service to Him, friendship with Him and complete surrender to Him – these are the nine types of bhakti. 

The following sloka gives examples of devotees who excelled in each of these types of bhakti:

श्रीविष्णोः श्रवणे परीक्षिदभवत् वैयासकिः कीर्तने
प्रह्लादः स्मरणे तदंघ्रिभजने लक्ष्मीः पृथुः पूजने ।
अक्रूरस्त्वभिवन्दने कपिपतिर्दास्येऽथ सख्येऽर्जुनः
सर्वस्वात्मनिवेदने बलिरभूत् कृष्णाप्तिरेषाम् परम्॥।

Shreevishnoh sravane pareekshidabhavat vaiyaasakih keertane
Prahladah smarane tadanghribhajane lakshmeeh prithuh poojane
Akroorastwabhivandane kapipatirdaasye’tha sakhye’rjunah
Sarvaswaatmanivedane balirabhootkrishnaaptireshaam param
Pareekshit excelled in hearing, shuka in singing, Prahlada in remembering, Goddess Lakshmi in serving His lotus-feet, Prithu in worshipping, Akrura in obeisance, Hanuman in humble service, Arjuna in friendship and Bali in total surrender.

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जना: सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन |
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ || BG7.16||
chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha
O best amongst the Bharatas, four kinds of pious people (Bhakthas) engage in my devotion—the distressed, the seekers after knowledge, the seekers of worldly possessions, and those who are situated in knowledge.

यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ ।
तस्यैते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ॥   Shvetashvatara Upanishad 

He who has highest Bhakti of Deva (God), just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher),
To him who is high-minded, these teachings will be illuminating. 

तरवः किं न जीवन्ति भस्त्रा किं न श्वसन्त्युत ।
न खादन्ति न मेहन्ति किं ग्रामपशवोऽपरे? ॥
Taravah kim na jeevanti bhastraah kim na shwasantyuta I
Na khadanti na mehanti kim graamapashavo’pare II  SB 2.3.18
Are not the trees living? Are not the bellows used in the smithy breathing? Are not the cattle in the village eating and excreting?  All these activities are common to man and animals.

तदेव रम्यं रुचिरं नवं नवं तदेव शश्वन्मनसो महोत्सवम्।
तदेव शोकार्णवशोषणं नृणां यदुत्तमश्लोकयशोनुगीयते॥ SB12.12.49
Tadeva ramyam ruchiram navam navam tadeva shashwanmanaso mahotsavam
Tadeva shokaarnava shoshanam nrinaam yaduttamaslokayasho’nugeeyate
Singing the praise of Lord Krishna’s deeds and his glory is the only thing dearest to the heart of the devotee. For him it is the sweetest thing, it is ever new and he never tires of it, it is the greatest celebration for his heart and it dries up the ocean of his sorrows.

निरपेक्षं मुनिं शान्तं निर्वैरं समदर्शनं ।
अनुव्रजाम्यहं नित्यं पूयेयेत्यंघ्रिरेणुभिः॥ SB11.14.16
Nirapeksham munim shaantam nirvairam samadarshanam I
Anuvrajaamyaham nityam pooyeyetyanghrirenubhih  II
 My devotees who do not want anything, who have control over their speech, who are tranquil and at peace, who have no enemies and who see the same divinity in all living beings – them I follow wherever they go in the fond hope that I may be purified by the dust of their feet.

मोक्षकारणसामग्र्यां भक्तिरेव गरीयसी ।
स्वस्वरूपानुसन्धानं भक्तिरित्यभिधीयते ॥ ३१ ॥ Viveka Choodamani
mokṣakāraṇasāmagryāṃ bhaktireva garīyasī |
svasvarūpānusandhānaṃ bhaktirityabhidhīyate || 31 ||
31. Among things conducive to Liberation, devotion (Bhakti) holds the supreme place. The seeking after one’s real nature is designated as devotion.

भक्त्या त्वनन्यया शक्य अहमेवंविधोऽर्जुन |
ज्ञातुं द्रष्टुं च तत्वेन प्रवेष्टुं च परन्तप || BG11.54||

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śhakya aham evaṁ-vidho ’rjuna I

jñātuṁ draṣhṭuṁ cha tattvena praveṣhṭuṁ cha parantapa II
O Arjuna, by unalloyed devotion alone can I be known as I am, standing before you. On receiving my divine vision, O scorcher of foes, one can enter into union with me.

मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्त: सङ्गवर्जित: |

निर्वैर: सर्वभूतेषु य: स मामेति पाण्डव ||BG11. 55||

mat-karma-kṛin mat-paramo mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ I

nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣhu yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava II
Those who perform all their duties for my sake, who depend upon me and are devoted to me, who are free from attachment, and are without malice toward all beings, such devotees certainly come to me.

सम: शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयो: |
शीतोष्णसुखदु:खेषु सम: सङ्गविवर्जित: || BG12.18||
तुल्यनिन्दास्तुतिर्मौनी सन्तुष्टो येन केनचित् |
अनिकेत: स्थिरमतिर्भक्तिमान्मे प्रियो नर: || BG12.19||

samaḥ śhatrau cha mitre cha tathā mānāpamānayoḥ
śhītoṣhṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣhu samaḥ saṅga-vivarjitaḥ
tulya-nindā-stutir maunī santuṣhṭo yena kenachit
aniketaḥ sthira-matir bhaktimān me priyo naraḥ

Those, who are alike to friend and foe, equipoised in honour and dishonour, cold and heat, joy and sorrow, and are free from all unfavourable association; those who take praise and reproach alike, who are given to silent contemplation, content with what comes their way, without attachment to the place of residence, whose intellect is firmly fixed in Me, and who are full of devotion to Me, such persons are very dear to Me.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH