Talk:Practices of Vaidhī Aparā Bhakti

By Vishal Agarwal

The Shrimad Bhāgvatam and other Hindu scriptures give several lists of means by which one can start the practice of Bhakti and then grow spiritually in this path. A particularly famous list is that of nine-fold practices given by Bhakta Prahlāda- śrī-prahrāda uvāca- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ sakhyam ātma-nivedanam | iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye ‘dhītam uttamam || Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.5.23-24

1. Hearing
2. Singing about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia, and pastimes of Lord Visnu,
3. remembering them,
4. serving the lotus feet of the Lord,
5. offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia,
6. offering prayers to the Lord,
7. becoming His servant,
8. considering the Lord one's best friend,
9. and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)--these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Krsna through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 7.5.23-24

It is believed that these nine forms of Bhakti are successively superior to the preceding ones, and the list represents a progression in Bhakti Yoga from shravṇam to ātmanivedana. The first six are aspects of Vaidhī Aparā Bhakti. The seventh (‘becoming his servant’) and eighth (‘considering the Lord one’s best friend’) belong to the second state (Rāgānugā Aparā Bhakti). The last item, Ātmanivedana, represents ‘Mukhya Bhakti’ or Bhakti Yoga.

Likewise, there is a loose correlation between the nine stages of Bhakti and the four types of devotees. The Ārtta and Arthārthī category of devotees typically does not have a meaningful relationship with the Lord and resort to the initial practices like Shravaṇaṃ, Kīrttanaṃ, Smaraṇaṃ, Pādasevanaṃ, Archanaṃ, and Vandanaṃ. The Jnānī Bhakta will be more inclined towards Ātmanivedanaṃ.

In the Shaivite tradition too, the progression in the path of Bhakti is described in a somewhat parallel fashion:

The True Guru is the means of Satsanga. Satsaṇga leads to a shravaṇa of Shiva’s glories. This shravaṇa gives rise to love in one’s heart, which in turn leads to Bhakti towards Shiva. Bhakti leads to spiritual practice, and spiritual practices result in Jnāna (experience of Shiva). And when one is endowed with Jnāna, he attains Moksha. Shiva Purāṇa, Jnāna Samhitā 78.30-31 Bhagavān Shiva said: Having parental love for my bhaktas; facilitating the performance of worship to me; worshipping Me personally; doing all physical activities for my sake; listening to narratives about me with devotion; disciplining one’s speech, sight, and actions; remember me at all times; and living for My sake alone – these are the eight forms of Bhakti towards Me. Even barbarians who practice this eightfold Bhakti are superior to scholars and Brahmins (who do not practice it). They alone who practice these eight forms of Bhakti are respectable, they alone are saints, and they alone are scholars. Shivadharm Upapurāṇa 1.27-29

Pictorially, the nine expressions of Bhakti as listed by Prahlāda are shown below:

The lives of our Rishis and Sants are beautiful examples of these nine expressions of devotion. Another list provided in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa is - Charity, vows, austerity, worship through divine symbols like fire, repetition of divine names (Japa), scriptural study, meditation, and several such spiritually uplifting disciplines generate loving devotion towards Shri Krishna. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.47.25 Other disciplines were practiced or taught by King Ambarīsha, Rishi Nārada, Rishi Shaunaka, Rishi Kapila, Rishi Sanatkumāra, Rishabhadeva, Rishi Prabuddha and so on. These disciplines include:

1. Performance of Svadharm or personal duties.
2. Virtuous conduct, avoiding the six enemies (lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride and jealousy)
3. Service of the suffering, saints, and one’s parents
4. Japa
5. Kīrttana
6. Svādhyāya
7. Tīrthayātra
8. Satsaṇga
9. Performance of Pūjā
10. Yajna
11. Constructing and visiting Mandirs and other places of public utility (e.g. gardens) to glorify Bhagavān
12. Performing devotional music, dance, and dramas
13. Celebrating festivals with music and dance
14. Reverence for objects associated with Bhagavān like the Tulsi leaf/plant
15. Compassion for all creatures
16. Offering the fruit of all good karm to Bhagavān
17. Perceiving Bhagavān in all creatures.
18. Seeing Bhagavān in the entire creation.

In the Bhakti Sūtra of Nārada, the following list is provided- One can develop Bhakti through renouncing sense-objects, giving up attachment to people around us, through continuous loving service towards the Lord, hearing and singing the glories of the Lord even while engaged in worldly activities. But the primary source of Bhakti is the grace of other great saints, and secondarily the grace of the Lord as well. Nārada Bhakti Sūtra 35-38 Quite clearly, no list of the means to cultivate Bhakti can be complete. Let us consider in detail some of the important means of cultivating Bhakti, ending with Ātmanivedana.