Types of Bhakti
Bhakti means love. Love can be expressed in uncountable ways. So ,bhakti is also of uncountable types. In only one scripture Bhagavat dozens of types of bhakti are mentioned.
Listing a few ways mentioned in the scriptures and as described by Shri Maharaj Ji.
A classification
Bhakti is of three types
sakama bhakti
sakama bhakti (Devanagari: सकाम भक्ति ISO15919: sakāma bhakti) is devotion to God which is inspired with the desire to attain material pleasures.
मायिक सुख सब गोविंद राधे । राजसी, तामसी भक्ति बता दे॥
राधा गोविंद गीत ४१५७
māyika sukha saba goviṁda rādhe । rājasī, tāmasī bhakti batā de॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 4157
"All material pleasures This is rajasi or tamasi bhakti". Means this bhakti is still results in increasing the karmic bondage.
kaivalya kama bhakti
kaivalya kama bhakti (Devanagari: कैवल्य कामा भक्ति ISO15919: kaivalya kāmā bhakti) is devotion performed to God with a desire for attaining non-duality union with Him.
Kaivalya gyan (Devanagari: कैवल्य ज्ञान ISO15919: kaivalya jñāna) is the knowledge of union of jiva with Brahm. It emanates from sattvik guna of Maya. So, this is also called satviki bhakti.
So this is also not condemnable but not commendable either.
मुक्ति का सुख है गोविंद राधे । सात्विकी भक्ति ही भक्त को बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत ४१५८
mukti kā sukha hai goviṁda rādhe । sātvikī bhakti hī bhakta ko batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 4158
Nirguna bhakti
Nirguna bhakti (Devanagari: निर्गुणा भक्ति ISO15919: nirguṇā bhakti) means devotion which is not laced with gunas of Maya. It is done only with the aim of pleasing God.
This is also called Siddha bhakti.
निर्गुण शुद्ध भक्ति गोविंद राधे । कृष्ण सुखार्थ ही होती बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत ४१५९
nirguṇa śuddha bhakti goviṁda rādhe । kr̥ṣṇa sukhārtha hī hotī batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 4159
Another classification
Bhakti is also classified in three more ways
Arop Siddha bhakti
1. Arop Siddha bhakti (Devanagari: आरोप सिद्धा भक्ति ISO15919: āropa siddhā bhakti) devotees perform Vaidhi Bhakti (following very strict rules as prescribed in the Vedas) while abandoning desire of attaining fruit of one’s actions.
भक्ति आरोप सिद्धा गोविंद राधे । सर्व कर्म अर्पण रूपा बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत 371
bhakti āropa siddhā goviṁda rādhe । sarva karma arpaṇa rūpā batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 371
Sang Siddha bhakti
2. Sang Siddha bhakti (संग सिद्धा भक्ति): devotees following this type of bhakti follow the precepts of karma and gyan and offering those actions to God for fulfilling their own desires.
भक्ति जो संगसिद्धा गोविंद राधे । कर्म ज्ञानादि मिश्रित बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत 3714
bhakti jo saṁgasiddhā goviṁda rādhe । karma jñānādi miśrita batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 3714
Swaroop Siddha bhakti
3. Devotees engaged in Swaroop Siddha bhakti (स्वरूप सिद्धा भक्ति) love Shri Radha-Krishna spontaneously with overpowering thirst of serving Shri Radha Krishna to please Them while keeping Their interests in mind.
भक्ति स्वरूपसिद्धा गोविंद राधे । सर्वश्रेष्ठ निषकाम रूपा बता दे ॥
राधा गोविंद गीत 3715
bhakti svarūpasiddhā goviṁda rādhe । sarvaśreṣṭha niṣakāma rūpā batā de ॥
rādhā goviṁda gīta 3715
Of these three styles of bhakti Swaroop Siddha bhakti is the easiest as one does not toil to follow precepts of karma, gyan, yog along with doing devotion. Yet, it yields the highest result. That is why Shri Maharaj Ji motivates everyone to follow this path.
Another classification
- Sadhana bhakti - Preliminary devotion done to attach the mind to God. It can be done in two ways
- Vaidhi bhakti
- Raganuga bhakti - Shri Maharaj Ji recommends this one.
- Bhav bhakti - Higher stage of sadhana bhakti.
- Prema bhakti - Perfect devotion which is attain only by the grace of Guru
Another classification
- Ragatmika bhakti - This is present in eternally liberated ones. Nobody who is was or is under control of Maya can attain this level of bhakti.
- Raganuga bhakti - Those who were under the control of Maya, if they do devotion under the guidance of those with Ragatmika bhakti follow the path of Raganuga bhakti.