Bhavas In Bhakti

Tue, 02/16/2010

The "bhakta" usually practices meditation by visualizing, thinking and feeling that the Lord is sitting or standing before him. He pours out his heart’s love, adoration, and shares his deepest thoughts and concerns with the Lord until a continual flow of awareness moves between devotee and his or her beloved Lord. This continuous flow of love and life force brings about a super-conscious state of awareness which is generally called a mood, or bhava.

In the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of devotion, there are described five bhavas (“moods” or “feelings”) which are essentially different attitudes that a devotee takes according to his individual temperament to express his devotion to the Divine. The five bhavas provide different ways of relating to the Divine and thus may offer something for everyone, suitable to different types of character and taste. These Bhavas or feelings are natural to human beings and so these are easy to practice. Practice whichever Bhava suits your temperament.

Traditional literature speaks of five different bhakti bhavas or "affective essences";
 

Shanta Bhava – placid love for God

A bhakta (devotee) in shanta (means calm) bhava cultivates a peaceful state of mind, seeing and experiencing God as supreme peace (shanti). He is neither asking for something nor expecting anything from the god. Here the devotee is enjoying the feeling that I am with god. A shanta bhakta will generally tend to be rather quiet and unobtrusive in expressing his or her devotion. His mind is filled with divine knowledge and is emotionless, always undisturbed, peaceful and tranquil.

Vidura and Bhisma, (from the Mahabharata), are regarded as good examples of a shanta bhakta.
 

Dasya Bhava – the attitude of a servant

A devotee in dasya bhava sees himself as a servant of God and visualizes God as the all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent master of creation. A dasya bhakta will feel very humble, meek and insignificant in the face of the power and grace of God. Dasya bhava is the attitude which is probably the most common in the major monotheistic religions of the world such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity, where God is called Lord, Almighty and All-Merciful.

A famous dasya bhakta of Hindu mythology is Sri Hanuman, who loved Sri Rama with the attitude of a humble servant. He found joy and bliss in the service of his Master.
 

Sakhya Bhava – the attitude of a friend

A sakhya bhakta addresses God as a dear friend, the sole supreme companion with pure friendship not degenerating into familiarity. In this attitude, the devotee is almost on equal terms with the Divine. It is therefore a more intimate relationship than that of a servant, where God may be both loved and feared. The Indian spiritual tradition allows the devotee to have such an intimate relationship with God, without any feelings of this being disrespectful or sacrilegious.

Arjuna’s relationship towards Krishna (as prescribed in the Mahabharata) is an excellent example for this bhava. Arjuna and Krishna used to sit, eat, talk and walk together as intimate friends.
 

Vatsalya Bhava – the attitude of a mother towards her child

In Vatsalya bhakta the devotee looks upon God as his child, cultivating feelings of motherly love and affection towards one’s chosen form of God. In this bhava, there is absolutely no fear, because God is your pet child. The devotee serves, feeds, and looks upon God as a mother does in the case of her child. Vatsalya is a very intimate relationship and the natural affection most women (and men!) feel for little children makes it a good attitude to develop love for God. This bhava is usually associated with Yasoda, the foster mother of Krishna who loved Krishna as her own child. Despite experiencing numerous instances of Krishna’s divine power, Yasoda couldn’t help but feel that Krishna was hers, her sweet child rather than a divine embodiment to be seen with awe and reverence.
 

Madhurya Bhava – the attitude of a person towards his/her lover

The final bhava is madhurya bhava or Kanta Bhava, in which the bhakta regards God as his/her divine love, soulmate. It is the most intimate of all the bhavas and is sometimes regarded as the highest form of devotion. This is Atma-Samarpana. The lover and the beloved become one. The devotee and God feel one with each other and still maintain a separateness in order to enjoy the bliss of the play of love between them. This is oneness in separation and separation in oneness. This bhava is mostly associated with the relationship between Radha and Krishna. Other famous madhurya bhaktas include the Indian mystics Mirabai, Chaitanya and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

When the devotee grows in devotion, there is absolute self-forgetfulness. This is called Bhava. Bhava establishes a true relationship between the devotee and the Lord. Bhava then grows into Maha-Bhava wherein the devotee lives, moves and has his being in the Lord. This is Parama-Prema, the consummation of love or Supreme Love.

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