Six Classifications of Bhakti

Six Classifications of Bhakti

by Swami sivananda
There are the following six classifications in Bhakti:

Apara (lower) and Para (higher) Bhakti.

Ragatmika and Vidhi Bhakti.

Sakamya and Nishkamya Bhakti.

Vyabhicharini and Avyabhicharini Bhakti.

Mukhya (primary) and Gauna (secondary) Bhakti.

Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic Bhakti.

Ragatmika Bhakti is otherwise known as Mukhya or primary Bhakti. Para Bhakti is also primary devotion. Sakamya Bhakti is Gauna or secondary devotion. Nishkamya Bhakti, Avyabhicharini Bhakti or Para Bhakti is otherwise known as Ananya Bhakti.

In Apara Bhakti the devotee is a neophyte. He observes rituals and ceremonies. He rings bells, applies sandal-paste to the Murti and offers flowers, Arghya, Naivedya, etc. He has no expanded heart. He is sectarian. He dislikes other kinds of Bhaktas who worship other Devatas.

Para Bhakti is Nirguna Bhakti which is free from the three Gunas. It is the spontaneous, unbroken flow of pure love towards God. It is Ahaituki (free from any sort of motive) altogether. It is Avyavahita or unmeditated devotion towards God. This type of devotee does not care for divine Vibhutis even if they are offered. He wants the lotus feet of the Lord. He does not want even Kaivalya Mukti or absolute independence. He wants to serve God. He wants to see His face always. He wants pure divine love. God is the be-all and end-all of the devotee of Para Bhakti.

A devotee of Para Bhakti type is all-embracing and all-inclusive. He has cosmic love or Visva Prem. The whole world is Vrindavana for him. He does not visit temples for worship. He sees his Ishtam everywhere. He has equal vision. He has no hatred for any object. He welcomes snakes, pain, disease and suffering as messengers of God. His mind is ever fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord. His Prem flows like oil in one continuous current. Para Bhakti is Jnana only. This is the highest culminating point in devotion. Nama Dev, Tukaram, Rama Das, Tulsidas and Hafiz had Para Bhakti.

In Ragatmika Bhakti there are no fetters, shackles or barriers of customs or rules of society. There is no binding of any sort. There is an absolutely free flow of divine Prem. The devotee cares not a jot for public opinion. He is above public criticisms. He is as simple as a child. He pours forth exuberantly his love towards his Beloved. The devotee is intoxicated with divine Prem. Whereas in Vaidhi Bhakti the devotee observes rules and ceremonies and has certain restrictions. The simple-hearted cow-maids of Vrindavana and Mira had Ragatmika Bhakti. Though Mira was a Rani, she never cared for the opinion of the public and her relations and husband. When she was under intoxication of Krishna Prem she danced in the streets and open places amidst men and ordinary people. Ordinary people were not able to gauge the depths of her heart. Even Bhaktas were not able to fathom out the recesses of her innermost chambers of heart, the depth of her unbounded love for Lord Krishna. Her thrilling devotional songs which bring tears from the eyes of the hearers bespeak clearly the exalted state of her heart that was deeply saturated with the nectar of devotion towards Lord Krishna. She says: “I have none else for me besides my Giridhar Gopal. ” Can anyone fully understand the God-intoxicated Mira?

Showing devotion to God for getting riches or son or removal of sufferings from diseases is Sakamya Bhakti. Sakamya Bhakti will eventually terminate in Nishkamya Bhakti. Prahlada only had Nishkamya Bhakti from the very beginning. Even the boy Dhruva had only Sakamya Bhakti. It was for getting dominion that he retired into the forest on the advice of his mother in the beginning. It was only later on that he developed Nishkamya Bhakti after he had Darshan of Hari. All his desires melted away.

To love God for sometime and then wife, children and property for sometime is Vyabhicharini Bhakti. To love God and God alone for ever and ever is Avyabhicharini Bhakti. Mark this carefully!

In Sattvic Bhakti the quality of Sattva predominates in the Bhakta. He worships God to please Him, to destroy Vasanas etc. All these three types of Bhakti are secondary devotion only.

In Rajasic Bhakti the quality of Rajas predominates in the devotee. He worships God to get estates, wealth, name and fame.

In Tamasic Bhakti the quality of Tamas predominates in the devotee. He is actuated by wrath, arrogance, jealousy and malice in showing devotion to God. To worship God for destroying one’s enemy and for getting success in an enterprise through unlawful means is Tamasic Bhakti. The thief prays to God: “O God Ganesha! Let me get something tonight. I will offer Thee 100 cocoanuts. ” This is Tamasic Bhakti.

Sandilya also mentions of primary Bhakti and secondary Bhakti. The primary devotion is the attachment to the Lord. It is single-minded devotion. It is one-pointed, whole- hearted devotion to God (Ekanta Bhava). Primary devotion is the principal, because others are subservient to it.

According to the Gita (VII-16), there are four kinds of Bhaktas. “Fourfold in division are the righteous ones who worship Me, O Arjuna! The distressed, the seeker for knowledge, the selfish and the wise. ” The devotion of the distressed, the seeker for knowledge and the selfish man is after all secondary as they have ulterior, selfish motives in view. But the devotion of the wise is pure and absolutely unselfish. It is Para Bhakti or primary devotion. He has undivided love and whole-hearted devotion to the Lord. He is eternally united with Him. God is the dearest to him and he is the dearest to God. Lord Krishna says: “Noble are all these but I hold the wise as verily Myself; he self-united is fixed on Me, the highest path” (Gita: VII-18).

Prahlada later on meditated on his own Self as Lord Hari. This is Abheda Bhakti. This is the advanced stage of devotion.

When a devotee has devotion for Lord Hari, Lord Siva, Devi, Lord Rama, Lord Krishna and thinks that Lord Hari is Siva, Rama, Devi or Krishna this is Samarasa Bhakti. He has equal vision. This is also advanced stage of devotion. He makes no difference between Rama and Krishna, between Siva and Hari, between Krishna and Devi. He knows and feels that Radha, Sita and Durga are all inseparable Saktis of Lord Krishna, Rama and Siva respectively.

Narada also classifies Bhakti into two kinds, primary and secondary. Secondary devotion is of three kinds according to Sattva, Rajas and Tamas in the devotee. Or it is of three kinds according as the devotees are the distressed (Aartha), the seeker after knowledge (Jijnasu) and the selfish (Artharthi).

Just as you see wood alone in chairs, tables, doors, windows, bed-steads, clay alone in earthen jars, pots and jugs, so also see Lord Krishna alone in all these names and forms. This is Ananya Bhakti. Para Bhakti, Ananya Bhakti, Avyabhicharini Bhakti are one and the same.

Six Classifications of Bhakti – Devotion, Purity, and Divine Love

Six Classifications of Bhakti helps a seeker understand devotion in a clear and practical way. Bhakti means love for God, surrender to the Divine, and constant remembrance of the higher reality. It is not merely emotional expression, singing, ritual, or outer worship. True devotion purifies the heart, softens the ego, controls the mind, and leads the soul toward peace, grace, and liberation.

Devotion appears in different forms because seekers are not all at the same level. Some approach God for worldly help, some for protection, some for peace, some for knowledge, and some only out of pure love. The Divine accepts every sincere call, but spiritual progress depends on the purity of motive and depth of surrender.

Six Classifications of Bhakti can be understood as stages or types of devotional growth. They show how the heart slowly rises from selfish prayer to selfless love. In the beginning, devotion may be mixed with fear, desire, or need. Later it becomes calmer, purer, and more surrendered. Finally, it becomes unconditional love where the devotee wants nothing except union with God.

The first form is devotion born of fear or suffering. When a person is in danger, pain, illness, loss, or helplessness, they turn toward God and pray for relief. This is not wrong. Suffering often becomes the first doorway to spiritual awakening. When worldly support fails, the heart remembers a higher power. Such devotion may begin with distress, but it can become sincere and transformative.

The second form is devotion mixed with desire. Here the devotee prays for success, wealth, family welfare, health, position, protection, or fulfilment of personal wishes. This type is common in ordinary life. It is still better than complete forgetfulness of God, because it keeps some connection with the Divine. But the seeker must gradually understand that God is not only a giver of objects; God is the highest goal itself.

Six Classifications of Bhakti also includes devotion inspired by curiosity and inquiry. Some people approach spiritual life because they want to know the truth. They ask: Who is God? What is the soul? What is the purpose of life? Why is there suffering? This questioning attitude can become noble when joined with humility, study, reflection, and prayer. Such devotion opens the intellect and purifies understanding.

The fourth form is devotion supported by duty and discipline. The devotee worships regularly, repeats mantra, reads scriptures, attends satsang, practices self-control, and performs daily duties as an offering to God. This form gives steadiness. Feelings may rise and fall, but discipline keeps the seeker on the path. Regular worship slowly changes the heart and makes remembrance natural.

The fifth form is selfless devotion. Here the devotee does not worship merely for personal gain. Prayer becomes an offering, service becomes worship, and life becomes a field for surrender. The devotee says, “Let Thy will be done.” This attitude reduces ego and attachment. Joy and sorrow, success and failure, praise and blame are accepted with greater balance because the heart trusts the Divine plan.

Six Classifications of Bhakti reaches its highest beauty in pure divine love. In this state, the devotee loves God for God alone. There is no bargaining, fear, pride, or demand. The heart longs only for remembrance, surrender, nearness, and union. This love is simple, innocent, deep, and powerful. It burns impurities and fills life with sweetness.

Such pure devotion transforms the whole personality. Speech becomes gentle, actions become selfless, thoughts become noble, and the mind becomes peaceful. The devotee sees the Divine presence in all beings and becomes compassionate. Worship is no longer limited to temple, image, song, or ritual. Every act becomes a form of offering.

Six Classifications of Bhakti also reminds us that no sincere devotion should be condemned. A beginner who prays for help may later become a saint of pure love. A person who starts with desire may gradually learn detachment. A seeker who begins with ritual may enter deep meditation. The path of devotion is generous because it accepts the heart as it is and slowly lifts it higher.

The important thing is growth. The devotee should examine their motive honestly. Am I praying only when I need something? Am I remembering God in comfort as well as difficulty? Am I becoming kinder, humbler, and more truthful? Is my devotion reducing ego? Such questions help the seeker move from lower devotion to higher love.

Devotion should be supported by purity of life. Harsh speech, selfish actions, jealousy, pride, anger, greed, and dishonesty weaken the heart. Truthfulness, compassion, forgiveness, humility, selfless service, mantra repetition, and good company strengthen devotion. A pure heart becomes a fit temple for divine love.

Knowledge and devotion are not enemies. True knowledge deepens love, and true love opens the door to wisdom. When the devotee understands that the same Divine dwells in all, narrowness disappears. Love expands beyond personal likes and dislikes. The seeker begins to serve others as forms of God.

In the end, Six Classifications of Bhakti shows the journey of the heart from need-based prayer to pure divine love. Every stage has value when it is sincere, but the devotee should not remain satisfied with lower motives. Through prayer, discipline, surrender, selfless service, purity, and constant remembrance, devotion becomes a sacred path to peace, grace, and liberation.

Guiding Lights for Self-Conquest