Bhakti yoga has become popular around the world, however, few know that the term “bhakti yoga” has a precise definition, which has been provided and analyzed extensively in ancient Sanskrit texts written by Śrī Jīva Goswami and his uncle, Śrī Rūpa Goswami. Yet, Indian theology relies strongly on definitions. If our practices do not fit the definition of bhakti yoga, we are not really bhakti yogīs. It is therefore critical to understand the definition of bhakti yoga. Here we provide the essence of the Sanskrit descriptions paraphrased from a book titled “Bhakti Sandarbha” by Babaji without getting into too much technical detail.
First, a word about Sanskrit grammar. Words in Sanskrit are primarily derived or constructed from verbal roots. The noun ‘bhakti’ is derived from the verbal root √bhaj, which means to serve. The word “bhakti” means service. While service can be performed to many different individuals – such as parents, various deities, or even to one’s country, in Śrī Jīva Goswami’s definition, bhakti in its essence is service exclusively to the Supreme Absolute, who is Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This service is to be carried out with one’s entire being, which includes the body, mind, and speech.
Service can be motivated by a desire for the fruit or without any such motive. Service that is performed exclusively for the sake of Bhagavān without any desire for material or spiritual benefit is considered as the best. From this definition, it is clear that bhakti is not limited to any specific action. All actions performed by way of the mind, body, and speech can be part of bhakti if executed for the pleasure of Bhagavān. Even actions such as sleeping, bathing, or attending to one’s physical needs can be indirectly included in bhakti , because they are necessary for maintaining good health and a stable mind.
The above discussion focused on the essential nature of bhakti. But in Sanskrit texts, a complete definition requires specification of the extrinsic characteristics of bhakti as well. By way of comparison, the extrinsic characteristic of bhakti is concerned not with bhakti’s essence but with its effects — namely, that it can fulfill all aspirations of a “bhakta” or “devotee” and can bestow the direct experience of Bhagavān. Taken together, the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of bhakti form its complete definition, summarized below:
The essence of bhakti is service to Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa to be carried out with one’s entire being. Its extrinsic characteristic is that it fulfills all aspirations of a devotee, including the bestowal of direct experience of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
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