Bhakti

Bhakti (Sanskrit: भक्ति; Pali: bhatti) means love, devotion, trust, or worship. It is a word used in many Indian religions to describe a strong emotional connection or devotion to something sacred. In these religions, Bhakti can mean loving devotion to a personal god, such as Krishna, Shiva, or Devi. It can also refer to devotion to a formless spiritual reality, like Nirguna Brahman in Hinduism or the concept of God in Sikhism. In some cases, Bhakti is shown toward enlightened beings, such as a Buddha, a bodhisattva, or a guru. Bhakti is usually full of emotion and feeling, and it often reflects a close and personal relationship between the devotee (the person showing devotion) and the divine or sacred figure they love and worship.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

One of the earliest appearances of the term is found in the early Buddhist Theragatha (Verses of the Elders). In ancient texts such as the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the term simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor, while in the Bhagavad Gita, it connotes one of the possible paths of spirituality and towards moksha, as in bhakti marga.^[8]

The idea of Bhakti, or loving devotion to God, has deeply influenced Indian culture and religion. Many popular religious texts and saint-poets were inspired by Bhakti. One famous example is the Bhagavata Purana, a text focused on Lord Krishna, which is closely connected to the Bhakti movement in Hinduism.

Bhakti is not limited to Hinduism. It also appears in other religions practiced in India, such as Sikhism, where a form called Nirguni Bhakti is common. This type of devotion is directed toward a God without any form or physical qualities. Bhakti has even influenced how Christianity and Hinduism have interacted in modern times.

Outside of India, emotional devotion similar to Bhakti is seen in some Buddhist traditions in Southeast Asia and East Asia, showing how powerful and widespread this spiritual idea has become.^[5][6][9]

The term also refers to a movement, pioneered by the Tamil Alvars and Nayanars, that developed around the gods Vishnu (Vaishnavism), Shiva (Shaivism) and Devi (Shaktism) in the second half of the 1st millennium CE.^{[4][10][11][12]}

Devotional elements similar to bhakti have been part of various world religions throughout human history.^[13] Devotional practices are found in Christianity,^[13] Islam,^[14][15] Buddhism and Judaism.^[13]