Shiva, Vishnu, and the conjoined forms of three goddesses representing Shakti: Lakshmi, Parvati, and Saraswati
Shiva, Vishnu, and the conjoined forms of three goddesses representing Shakti: Lakshmi, Parvati, and Saraswati

Bhakti (also spelled Bhakthi, Sanskrit: भक्ति^[1]) in Hinduism and Buddhism is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine. Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Iṣṭa-devatā (also as Svayam Bhagavan in Gaudiya Vaishnavism).

Bhakthi can be used of either tradition of Hindu monotheism, Shaivaism or Vaishnavism.^[2] While bhakti as designating a religious path is already a central concept in the Bhagavad Gita,^[3] it rises to importance in the medieval history of Hinduism, where the Bhakti movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE.^[4][5] The Bhagavata Purana is text associated with the Bhakti movement which elaborates the concept of bhakti as found in the Bhagavad Gita.^[6]

The Bhakti movement reached North India in the Delhi Sultanate and throughout the Mughal era contributed significantly to the characteristics of Hinduism as the religion of the general population under the rule of a Muslim elite. Its influence also spread to other religions during this period,^{[clarification needed][7][8][9][10]} and became an integral aspect of Hindu culture and society in the modern era.^[5]

Terminology[link]

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The Sanskrit and old hindi noun bhakti is derived from the verb root bhaj, whose meanings include "to share in", "to belong to", and "to worship".^[11] It also occurs in compounds where it means "being a part of" and "that which belongs to or is contained in anything else."^[12] Bhajan, or devotional singing to God, is also derived from the same root.^[13] "Devotion" as an English translation for bhakti doesn't fully convey two important aspects of bhakti—the sense of participation that is central to the relationship between the devotee and God, and the intense feeling that is more typically associated with the word "love".^[11] An advaitic interpretation of bhakti goes beyond "devotion" to the realization of union with the essential nature of reality as ananda, or divine bliss.^[12] Bhakti is sometimes used in the broader sense of reverence toward a deity or teacher. Bhaktimarga is usually used to describe a bhakti path with complete dedication to one form of God.^[11]

A more literal translation of bhakti would be "participation";^[14] The sage Narada defines Bhakti as "intense love" for God.^[15] Similarly Sage Shandilya defines Bhakti as "intense attraction" for God.^[16] One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta,^[17] while bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti marga, or the bhakti way.^[18][19] Bhakti is an important component of many branches of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and schools.^[11]

Bhakti emphasises religious devotion and sentiment above ritual and orthopraxy. In this sense it parallels the early 20th century movement of Pentecostalism in Christian history, where direct personal experience of God was also emphasized over liturgy or ritual.

The Classical Sanskrit term bhakti has a general meaning of "attachment, devotion, fondness for, devotion to" etc. also in terms of human relationships, most often as beloved-lover, friend-friend, parent-child, and master-servant.^[6] It may refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher (Guru) as guru-bhakti,^[20][21] to a personal form of God,^[22] or to divinity without form (nirguna).^[23]

History[link]

Scholarly consensus sees bhakti as a post-Vedic movement that developed primarily during the era of Indian epic poetry.^[24][25] The Bhagavad Gita is the first text to explicitly use the word "bhakti" to designate a religious path, using it as a term for one of three possible religious approaches.^[26] The Bhagavata Purana develops the idea more elaborately,^[6] while the Shvetashvatara Upanishad evidences a fully developed Shiva-bhakti (devotion to Shiva)^[18] and signs of guru-bhakti.^[27] An early sutra by Pāṇini (c. 5th century BCE) is considered by some scholars as the first appearance of the concept of bhakti, where the word "vun" may refer to bhakti toward "Vasudevarjunabhya" (with implied reference to Krishna Vasudeva).^[28] Other scholars question this interpretation.^[29][30]

The Bhakti Movement was a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Tamil Nadu in Southern India with the Saiva Nayanars (4th-10th century CE)^[5] and the Vaisnava Alvars (3rd-9th century CE) who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE.^[4][5] The Alvars ("those immersed in God") were Vaishnava poet-saints who wandered from temple to temple singing the praises of Vishnu. They established temple sites (Srirangam is one) and converted many people to Vaishnavism. Their poems were collected in the 10th century as the Four Thousand Divine Compositions also referred to as Dravida Veda or Alwar Arulicheyalgal or Divya Prabhandham, which became an influential scripture for the Vaishnavas. The Alwars and Nayanmars were instrumental in propagating the Bakti tradition and played probably the most important role of reviving Hinduism from the dying embers. For the first time, Bagwan or God reached the masses and the masses were able to associate themselves with the religion. Another significant thing was that the Alwars and Naynmars came from various background and castes including that of the Sudras (working class). The Bhagavata Purana's references to the South Indian Alvar saints, along with its emphasis on a more emotional bhakti, have led many scholars to give it South Indian origins, though there is no definitive evidence of this.^[31][32]

Like the Alvars the Saiva Nayanar poets softened the distinctions of caste and gender. The Tirumurai, a compilation of hymns by sixty-three Nayanar poets, is still of great importance in South India. Hymns by three of the most prominent poets, Appar (7th century CE), Campantar (7th century) and Cuntarar (9th century), were compiled into the Tevaram, the first volumes of the Tirumurai. The poets' itinerant lifestyle helped create temple and pilgrimage sites and spread devotion to Shiva.^[33] Early Tamil-Siva bhakti poets quoted the Black Yajurveda specifically.^[34]

By the 12th to 18th centuries, the bhakti movement had spread to all regions and languages of India. Bhakti poetry and attitudes began to color many aspects of Hindu culture, religious and secular, and became an integral part of Indian society.^[5] Prominent bhakti poets such as Ravidas and Kabir wrote against the hierarchy of caste.^[35] It extended its influence to Sufism,^[36] Sikhism,^[8] Christianity,^[9] and Jainism.^[10] Bhakti offered the possibility of religious experience by anyone, anywhere, at any time.^[37]

[edit] Bhakti Yoga

The Bhagavad Gita introduces bhakti yoga in combination with karma yoga and jnana yoga,^[38][39] while the Bhagavata Purana expands on bhakti yoga, offering nine specific activities for the bhakti yogi.^[40] Bhakti in the Bhagavad Gita offered an alternative to two dominant practices of religion at the time: the isolation of the sannyasin and the practice of religious ritual.^[37] Bhakti Yoga is described by Swami Vivekananda as "the path of systematized devotion for the attainment of union with the Absolute".^[41] In the twelfth chapter of the Gita Krishna describes bhakti yoga as a path to the highest spiritual attainments.^[42] In the ninth chapter, he says,

Fill thy mind with Me, be My devotee, sacrifice unto Me, bow down to Me; thus having made thy heart steadfast in Me, taking Me as the Supreme Goal, thou shalt come to Me. (B-Gita 9.34)^[43]

Shandilya and Narada produced two important Bhakti texts, the Shandilya Bhakti Sutra and Narada Bhakti Sutra.^[44][45] They define devotion, emphasize its importance and superiority, and classify its forms.^[46]

Types and classifications[link]

In Valmiki's Ramayana, Rama describes the path as ninefold (nava-vidha bhakti):

Such pure devotion is expressed in nine ways, . First is satsang or association with love-intoxicated devotees. The second is to develop a taste for hearing my nectar-like stories. The third is service to the guru (...) Fourth is to sing my kirtan (communal chorus) (...) Japa or repetition of my Holy name and chanting my bhajans are the fifth expression (...) To follow scriptural injunctions always, to practice control of the senses, nobility of character and selfless service, these are expressions of the sixth mode of bhakti. Seeing me manifested everywhere in this world and worshipping my saints more than myself is the seventh mode of bhakti. To find no fault with anyone and to be contented with one's lot is the eighth mode of bhakti. Unreserved surrender with total faith in my strength is the ninth and highest stage. Shabari, anyone who practices one of these nine modes of my bhakti pleases me most and reaches me without fail.^[47]

The Bhagavata Purana teaches nine similar facets of bhakti, as explained by Prahlada:^[48]

(1) śravaṇa ("listening" to the scriptural stories of Kṛṣṇa and his companions), (2) kīrtana ("praising", usually refers to ecstatic group singing), (3) smaraṇa ("remembering" or fixing the mind on Viṣṇu), (4) pāda-sevana (rendering service), (5) arcana (worshiping an image), (6) vandana (paying homage), (7) dāsya (servitude), (8) sākhya (friendship), and (9) ātma-nivedana (self-surrender). (from Bhagata Purana, 7.5.23-24)

[edit] Bhavas

Traditional Hinduism speaks of five different bhāvas or "affective essences".^[49] In this sense, bhāvas are different attitudes that a devotee takes according to his individual temperament to express his devotion towards God in some form.^[50] The different bhāvas are: śānta, placid love for God; dāsya, the attitude of a servant; sakhya, the attitude of a friend; vātsalya, the attitude of a mother towards her child; and madhura, the attitude of a woman towards her lover.^[50] Several saints are known to have practiced these bhavas. The nineteenth century mystic, Ramakrishna is said to have practiced these five bhavas.^[51] The attitude of Hanuman towards lord Rama is considered to be of dasya bhava.^[52] The attitude of Arjuna and the shepherd boys of Vrindavan towards Krishna is regarded as sakhya bhava.^[51][53] The attitude of Radha towards Krishna is regarded as madhura bhava.^[51] The attitude of Yashoda, who looked after Krishna during his childhood is regarded as vatsalya bhava.^[54] Caitanya-caritamrta mentions that Mahaprabhu came to distribute the four spiritual sentiments of Vraja loka: dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and sringara. Sringara is the relationship of the intimate love.

Name[link]

As a name, Bhakthi is a unisex name. It's in use by both males and females.

[edit] Notable proponents of bhakti

• Krishna
• Narada
• Nayanars 3rd to 10th century CE
• Alvars approx. 6th to 9th century CE
• Adi Shankara 788 CE to 820 CE
• Ramanuja 1017 CE 1137 CE
• Madhvacharya 1238 CE to 1317 CE
• Dnyaneshwar 1275 CE to 1296 CE
• Jayadeva 12th century CE
• Nimbarka 13th century CE
• Kabīr 1398 CE to 1518 CE
• Annamacharya 1408 CE to 1503 CE
• Vallabha Acharya 1479 CE to 1531 CE
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 1486 CE to 1533 CE
• Tulsidas 1497 CE to 1623 CE
• Poonthanam 16th century CE
• Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri 1559 CE to 1632 CE
• Kancherla Gopanna 1620 CE - 1680 CE
• Tyāgarāja died 1847 CE
• Ramakrishna Paramahamsa 1836 CE to 1886 CE
• Shirdi Sai Baba 19th Century CE
• Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 1896 CE to 1977 CE
• Pandurang Shastri Athavale 1920 CE to 2003 CE
• Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj 1922 CE
• Mata Amritanandamayi born 1953

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Swami Chinmayananda, Love Divine – Narada Bhakti Sutra, Chinmaya Publications Trust, Madras, 1970
• Swami Tapasyananda, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1990
• A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam (12 Cantos), The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust,2004
• Steven J. Rosen, The Yoga of Kirtan: conversations on the Sacred Art of Chanting (New York: FOLK Books, 2008)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bhakti

Find more about Bhakti on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
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	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

• Bhakti Poets: A History of Bhakti by Doris Jakobsh
• The full text of the Bhagavata Purana (Srimad-Bhagavatam)
• English Translation of Narada Bhakti Sutra
• Bhakti Live Channel
• Bhaktivedanta College's online study of bhakti books

Manoj Tiwari
Born	1 February 1971 Atarwalia, Bihar, India
Other names	Mridul[1]
Occupation	Actor, singer, director, television presenter
Years active	1983 – present
Spouse	Rani Tiwari[2][clarification needed]
Children	One daughter[3]

Manoj Kumar Tiwari (born 1 February 1971)^[3] is a singer, actor, television presenter and music director^{[clarification needed]} from Bihar, India. He has acted in the Bhojpuri genre of the Indian film industry and in 2005 was reported to be one of the two leading male stars of that genre.

Early life[link]

Manoj Tiwari was born on 1 February 1971, one of the six children of Chandra Deo Tiwari and Lalita Devi.^[3] His birthplace was Atarwalia, a small village in Kaimur district of Bihar.^[4]

Career[link]

Prior to Tiwari's involvement in cinema, he had spent ten years working as a singer.^[5]

In 2003, he took a role in the film Sasura Bada Paise Wala. The BBC reported that the production costs of US$ 65,000 were turned into takings of US$ 3 million, while The Hindu reported a 35,000–40,000 lakh cost resulting in takings of 4.5 crore. Indian Express reported a figure of 6.5 crore as the takings. The Bihar Jharkhand Motion Picture Association saw this production as being a turning point for Bhojpuri cinema.^[6][7] He followed this with the successful films Daroga Babu I Love You and Bandhan Toote Na.^[5] Tiwari is reported to have said in 2005 that although the Bhojpuri genre had generally kept to its traditional storylines, "Gone are the double entendres, thin story lines and poor technical quality. Films have been slick and producers are willing to put in close to Rs 80 lakh in a film because the returns are not bad,"^[5]

The BBC reported in 2005 that Tiwari and Ravi Kishan were the biggest male stars in the flourishing Bhojpuri cinema market and that Tiwari was able to charge US$ 90,000 per film.^[6]

In 2010, Tiwari was a contestant in the fourth season of reality television show Bigg Boss.^[8] He was reported by Rediff to say that his wife, Rani, "is angry with me" because she suspected him of having an affair with a fellow contestant, Shweta Tiwari, and that "Arbaaz Khan tweeted and asked people to vote for Ashmit [Patel]. I felt little bad about this because his brother is the host of the show and he is asking people to vote. I somehow didn't understand that angle." When asked whether he thought that the votes were manipulated, he said "I am bound by my contract so I can't comment on this. But it is little hard to believe that I got lesser votes than Ashmit. I guess viewers enjoy watching Veena Malik and Ashmit's fake romance. I really don't understand why the channel is still keeping them inside the house."^[9] NDTV reported a similar story, adding that he had been separated from his wife and child for some months.^[10] Tiwari had previously worked with Shweta Tiwari in two films, Kab Aibu Anganwa Hamaar and Ae Bahuji ke Sister.^[2] By mid-2011 he and his wife, were involved in divorce proceedings regarding their eleven year marriage.^[2]

Tiwari continues to record music and release new albums. He performs around the world in concert.^[11] He released an album, Hey Mahadev, in 2009 that fused traditional music with contemporary genres.^[12] He is listed as being music director for numerous releases.^[13]

Politics[link]

In 2009, Tiwari contested elections for the 15th Lok Sabha as a candidate for the Samajwadi Party in the Gorakhpur constituency. He had been offered a choice of three constituencies and Zeenews reported him as saying that he was not "a political person but was concerned for the development of Poorvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh." His interest was in developing that region and he had "submitted my development proposals to industrialist Anil Ambani".^[14] He lost to Adityanath Yogi.^[15]

His house in Mumbai was allegedly attacked in November 2009 by a group of people angry with remarks that they claimed he had made about Shiv Sena. Tiwari denied having made any comment on the matter, which revolved around a dispute between the Shiv Sena leader, Bal Thackeray, and the Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.^[16]

In January 2011 Mid-Day reported that the BJP might invite him to join their party and that the association with him would assist their electoral efforts among North Indians. Tiwari dismissed the story as being hypothetical, although he would consider his options should an invitation emerge. He had been seen with BJP leaders at an event and had expressed admiration for Shatrughan Sinha, the BJP MP for Patna.^[17]

Tiwari was among the first celebrities to make an appearance in support of Ramdev's hunger strike at the Ramlila Ground protests on 4 June 2011. He sang various patriotic songs to the gathered protestors and claimed that he had ceased filming for a month in order to join the protest.^[18] In August of that year he was involved in protests surrounding the arrest of Anna Hazare, of whose popular anti-corruption movement he approved.^[19]

Support for cricket[link]

Tiwari is a keen supporter of cricket and played the sport at Benares Hindu University. He has tried to buy the franchise for an Indian Premier League team in order to boost the sport in his home region and is also involved with Kirti Azad's Association of Bihar Cricket, a body that is campaigning to be recognised by the BCCI as the official organisation for Bihar cricket.^[1]

In July 2011, Tiwari announced that he was going to build a 3 crore "temple" to the Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni on land owned by him in his home village. The "temple" would recognise the India cricket team that had won the 2011 Cricket World Cup and would be named after it. He intends to incorporate training facilities to assist in the development of young cricketers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, as well as a "world-class" cricket stadium.^[1][4] The "temple" is expected to open in January 2012 and at that time discussions were under way regarding staging international matches at the 40 acres (16 ha) site that he had bought for construction of the stadium.^[20]

Selected filmography[link]

Actor[link]

• Daroga Babu I Love You^[5]
• Bandhan Toote Na^[5]
• Kab Aibu Anganwa Hamaar^[2]
• Ae Bahuji ke Sister^[2]
• Deshdrohi^[21]
• 2006 – Ganga
• 2008 – Bhole Shankar
• 2010 – Hello Darling (Hindi)
• 2011 – Insaaf^[22]
• 2012 – Hello (Hindi)

Television[link]

• Bigg Boss 4 (2010) – Himself
• Sur Sangram (season 1 & 2) – Host^[12]
• Nehle pe Dehla – Host

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Manoj Tiwari at the Internet Movie Database