Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion among different types of yoga. In this yoga, a yogi is devoted to the God, higher self or the higher power, universe, the true self or any higher being in this world or the beyond. Bhakti yoga was started in the ancient time. Bhakti yoga is mentioned in Shvetashvatara Upanishad.
The detailed description can be found in the Shreemad Bhagvat Geeta, the most famous holy scripture of the Hinduism. Simply, Bhakti means to love without any condition and doubt. When we love unconditionally to the God or any higher being or things for the purpose of spirituality, we can be in this path. It is also a way to be liberated as in other types of yoga. This yoga is the natural way of getting enlightenment.
The main goal of all yoga is to be oneness with the higher self by practicing different techniques. After all, yogis want to dissolve themselves to the God. Bhakti yoga believes that if our ultimate goal is to unite with the higher self, why we don’t practice of acting as we are already united with the God or higher self from the starting point. If one doesn’t have the total faith, for him or her this yoga is not suitable. Who are emotionally powerful and can dedicate themselves to the God or to the higher self are the real devotees of this Bhakti yoga. Intellectual personality can choose the Gyana yoga for their spiritual quest.
There are many ways in Bhakti yoga. The most famous way is to sing hymns to the God whom they love and make their beloved God. The Bhakti yogis forget everything and surrender themselves to their beloved God. Yogis make the hymns by praising to their favorite Lord. There are many lords in Hinduism to pray such as Shiva, Debi, Krishna, Bishnu, Ram etc. It is believed that God exists in all the particles of the world. There is nothing which doesn’t have the presence of God so if we feel the presence of God in anything; we can realize the existence of God.
In most religions of the world, devotion to the God is essential because it is an easy way or the effective way to attain God. In the Christianity also we can find the devotion to the Christ to find the God. Christ is the main lord to devote to the Christianity. There is great value in praying to the Christ in the Christian religion.
It is believed that love to the Christ leads us to the salvation or to the God. Praying is the main way to dedicate them to the Christian culture. They believe that the seat of the heaven is secured to whom who pray to the God in the name of Christ. Christ is the son of God and he is the representative of God in this world to give the message of God to the people of this earth.
Bhajans and Kirtans are the main part of Hindu culture. In Hindu culture, Hymns are the inseparable part of every aspect of their life. In every function of the Hindu culture, there are the different types of hymns of songs to celebrate. The main purpose of those songs is to praise the almighty God.
Hindus offer their food to the God before they eat. They think that it is not good to eat without offering the food to the God first. They have the opinion that God is our guide; he is the real security in our life. If we become the right hand of God, we never have to be frightened in our life for anything. This types of activities are also the example of Bhakti yoga.
Bhakti Yogi believes that whatever happens in our life, that happens for the good reason. There can’t be mistaken for the God. God puts us in the right place at the right time. There is not any doubt about God or the creator. There never can be replaced anything and any event. God’s choice is always right and he never fails to make this world beautiful. They enjoy the creation and become grateful to the God for this beautiful world.
Bhakti yogis think that every part of their life is the gift of God and they pray to God for giving them abundance in their life. They never ask anything in their praying but they become thankful to be the part of the God in this world. Bhakti Yogis worship making the statues of the God they love. They think the real God of the statue and respect that statue as their lover or beloved. Sometimes, they forget themselves in the worship of their beloved God. They forget to eat and sleep because they sink in the worship that they don’t feel the time and place.
Some of Bhakti yogis find their Guru is the reflection of God and devote to the Guru as he is the representative of God in this world. At last, the devotion converts into the salvation to those who are really believed in the existence of God. This yoga is the person who never doubts the existence of God. Who is skeptical about the presence of God cannot go with this yoga. For him or her, Gyana yoga is suitable. Yoga can be chosen by the quality of the person.
In Shrimad Bhagvat Geeta, Lord Krishna said not to be fearful. If we surrender everything to Lord Krishna, he is the protector of all the dangers in the life yogis but for that, they have to totally believe him. Bhakti yoga believes that what we love that we become. If we love the higher self, sooner or letter we become dissipated with the higher self or the supreme power. Our love to the God determines how fast we will get salvation in our life. If we love God totally forgetting ourselves, we can be at the deeper level.
Bhakti yogis think about only God in their mind whatever they do. Their body does many things but the mind always repeats the name of God. They become aware of reciting the holy name of God. For Bhakti Yogis, there is nothing important than to worship the God and to praise the God’s Grandeur. For them, God is omnipotent and omnipresent.
Some person gives their love to the people and believes totally. One day they are deceived and become sad and live sorrowful life. They become unhappy in their life because they put their belief in the wrong place. If we put our belief in the wrong place, we surely get betrayed. There is the right place to put our love that is God or higher self. If we can put our love to the supreme power, we never have to be deceived. And that becomes the way of Bhakti yoga.