What is Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita?

“Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita” – One of the three types of yoga given by the Bhagavad Gita is bhakti. According to Peter Bishop, bhakti yoga is the discipline of a person’s passionate dedication to a specific deity as a way to achieve spirituality.

Although it may appear that the term “yoga” has only recently come to be associated with contortionist poses practiced by healthy, non-disabled, white bodies in idyllic settings, that is far from the whole scope of what this rich discipline has to provide.

The actual physical positions make up a very small portion of the exercise. In actuality, many types of yoga don’t even call for doing positions.

Referring to the word’s origin, “Yuj-,” which means “to yoke, bond, or link,” is what we find. All yoga styles and schools share the need to feel connected to something more than ourselves, despite the fact that there are numerous traditions of yoga, each with its own approaches and goals.

It may be claimed that Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita, or the yoga of bhakti, is the form of yoga that is most committed to that pursuit.

What exactly is Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita?

Along with Jnana Yoga (learning or self-study), Karma (activity), and Raja Yoga (concentration), Bhakti yoga in Bhagavad Gita is among the four traditional schools of yoga, each of which offers a route to moksha (spiritual freedom) and consciousness.

Bhakti yoga, which means “to serve God,” in Sanskrit, is a form of unwavering dedication that emphasizes seeing the Divinity in just about everything.

One of the most popular routes for spiritual growth is bhakti yoga, especially in India, where the discipline has its roots. The Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads, two classical Hindu writings that emphasize freedom from suffering, are where the idea was first introduced.

Bhakti yoga in Bhagavad Gita comprises activities like reciting, singing, dancing, and voluntary community assistance in order to submit to the Almighty or to become one with the global consciousness.

What is the origin of Bhakti Yoga?

Bhakti is a religious fire that runs in the heart in its most pure state. One of the earliest and most intense instances of a bhakti yogi may be found in the 12th century when a young girl named Akka Mahadevi gave up playing with her friends in favor of turning into a disciple of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity renowned as the manifestation of destructive powers.

Mahadevi wed a local monarch in the end. But she discovered that her intense love for Shiva eclipsed all other forms of love. She abandoned her husband and fled. She reportedly abandoned everything of the kingdom’s wealth, including her clothing, and covered her body with her long hair. 

Mahadevi dedicated the rest of her life to Shiva, chanting his glories as she joyfully wandered the land of India as a traveling writer and saint.

The Gita, which is frequently referred to as a “love song to God,” presented the idea that through forging a relationship with the heart, one can advance toward the highest objective—that of spiritual awareness. “Bhakti yoga was created in the Gita.”

How to Practice Bhakti Yoga

Even though it is now available in well-known studios, this kind of yoga can be practiced without a mat. In actuality, your heart is all you really need.

Bhakti yoga makes use of a wide range of meditative rites and traditions, in contrast to many other varieties of yoga that are concentrated on physical motions (asana) or specialized breathing or meditative practices.

Bhakti yoga classes are now frequently mixed in with other yoga classes. For instance, a class named Bhakti Flow Yoga might be scheduled, which combines physical poses with Bhakti components like mantra or kirtan.

9 Principles of Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad Gita

The teacher-poet-philosopher Rupa Gosvami’s famous Hindu classic, the Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu, lists nine fundamental tenets of Bhakti yoga in Bhagavad Gita.

Svarana: Svarana entails hearing ancient poetry, texts, or tales, particularly those recounted by a Saint (aka Bhakta). This idea does not occur on its own. You’ll need to associate with other followers.

Kirtana: The practice of humming or singing prayers to the Divine is known as kirtan. These mantras will be useful at this point.

Smarana: Smarana translates as constantly keeping the Divine in mind. Bhakti involves maintaining spirituality in the foreground of your thoughts wherever you are.

Padasevana: In Padasevana, one shows their devotion to the Divine by performing deeds of service. This could entail giving back to the community, assisting the less fortunate, or even just creating a spirit of service and full of love toward the people in your life.

Archana: The goal of Archana is to cleanse the heart via love by worshiping the Divine with external representations, gods, or icons. Deities including Shivji, Krishna, Parvati, Ganesh, Durga, and Surya are frequently revered in Hinduism.

Vandana: Vandana makes reference to adoration and prayer. Bhakti seeks to reduce self-indulgence and consciousness through prayer in order to link with the whole.

Dasya: Dasya entails putting the Divine’s will ahead of your own ego. The next stage is revealed when you respond to the Divine without hesitation, fear, or questions.

Sakhya: Sakhya entails developing a friendship with the Divine. It means having a close friendship with everything that exists, whether you believe in gods or see the Divine in everything.

Atmanivedana: Atmanivedana is the term for complete surrender to everything’s Divine nature.

Benefits of Bhakti Yoga

There are several advantages to engaging in this contemplative, spiritual, and thankful style of yoga. Bhakti Yoga has a number of advantages, including:

Enhances Mood: A recent study discovered that even digital chanting appears to have significant psychosocial advantages, demonstrating the power of communal song. Public music and chanting have long been related to increased mood and cognitive health.

Makes you positive: Studies have shown for many years that prayer is associated with an increase in the psychological well-being of those who pray.

Eliminates Stress: Despite the paucity of evidence, recent discoveries relate mantra meditation to decreased stress.

Hatha yoga, a kind of yoga that emphasizes movement, is frequently linked to a decrease in stress, therefore hybrids classes like Bhakti Flow or Hatha Yoga & Bhakti Yoga may also offer these advantages.

Relief with Pain: Poetic expression—reading, writing, and listening—has long been associated with pain reduction. Research indicates that during the most recent COVID-19 outbreak, poetry appeared to have notably therapeutic effects.

Improves Focus: According to a study, hoping that a situation would become better-helped people focus less on their fears and improved their general ability to maintain their focus on the things they desired to.

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