BHAKTI
Bhakti is the path of devotion as opposed to the path
of knowledge (jnana marga) and the path of works (karma marga) in
Vedanta.
The Bhagavad Gita is the first major expression of
bhakti. It centers on the adoration of Vishnu, who
appears in the person of Krishna, the charioteer, in the work. Other
popular deities worshipped in bhakti are Shiva and Shakti.
When the bhakti movement first began to gain
popularity, it attracted brahmins (priestly caste) in large numbers.
However, since it disregarded traditional Vedic rituals, often ignored caste
differences--many of the bhakti saints and leaders were of the lowest
castes--and emphasized devotion over, especially, knowledge, bhakti fell
out of favor with brahmins. And brahmins traditionally favored
calm speculation when it came to religious matters, compared to
bhakti which preferred mystical exuberance.
Bhakti is essentially the religion of the masses
of India, since it enables the individual to approach the Divine directly and
to become a part of the Divine’s all-encompassing love.
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