Abstract
This chapter presents the pursuit of divine love and devotion (bhakti yoga), one of three main yogas taught in the Bhagavad Gı̄tā. In Hinduism, the bhakti yoga is a spiritual path of loving devotion to a personal God. The Gı̄tā postulates two main paths to spiritual freedom: karma yoga: the pursuit of enlightened action; and jñāna yoga, the pursuit of Self-knowledge (BG 3.3). Bhakti yoga is considered a concomitant to both karma yoga and jñāna yoga, for without loving devotion to the ideal of action or knowledge, it is not possible to succeed in either the pursuit of action or Self-knowledge. Through equanimity, service, detachment, and surrender, the Gı̄tā teaches the art of spirituality while being deeply engaged in worldly conduct.
One of the most important applications of bhakti yoga is by way of treating everything as sacred, invested with intrinsic goodness and meaning. Bhakti yoga bestows the perspective that everyone and everything has a purpose. Essentially, it means a feeling of oneness (at-one-ment) with the whole existence (sarvātmabhāva) and seeing God in everything and everything in God. This understanding lends a certain sanctity to all of our activities and helps foster an environment of empathy, kinship, and solidarity. This reclaiming of the sacred dimension of life is sorely needed in the present-day world plagued by distrust, disengagement, and disharmony. The chapter will conclude with leadership lessons based on the path of loving devotion.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The use of the word “faith” here requires some clarification. It is not used in the sense of “blind” faith in the form of some religious dogma. It means initial belief in some teaching, pending verification. It means “religious spirit” or loving devotion to an ideal. The proper Sanskrit term for faith is śradhā .
- 2.
S. K. Maitra, The Spirit of Indian Philosophy (Allahabad, India: The Indian Press, 1947), 103.
- 3.
Verse
Verse आत्मैक्यबोधेन विनापि मुक्तिः न सिध्यति ब्रह्मशतान्तरेऽपि ॥ ६॥
See: Pranipata Chaitanya and Satinder Dhiman, translated by Chaitanya & edited with notes and an introducation by Dhiman, Śrī Śaṅkarā’s Vivekacūḍāmaṇi: Devanāgari Text, Transliteration, Word-for-Word Meaning, Notes, and a Lucid Translation (Burbank, CA: House of Metta, An Imprint of ASPEX, 2012), 54.
- 4.
Ibid., 82.Verse
Verse मोक्षकारणसामग्र्यां भक्तिरेव गरीयसी । स्वस्वरूपानुसन्धानं भक्तिरित्यभिधीयते ॥ ३१॥
- 5.
R. C. Zaehner, The Bhagavad-Gītā with a Commentary Based on Original Sources (London, Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1973), 3.
- 6.
Ibid., 8.
- 7.
Ibid., 2.
- 8.
Ibid., 3.
- 9.
Ibid., 3.
- 10.
After presenting the entire teachings of the Gītā, Śrī Kṛṣṇā points out, “Thus has this wisdom, more mysterious than the mystery itself, been imparted to you by Me. Fully pondering over it, do as you like.” (BG 18.63).
- 11.
See: Satinder Dhiman, trans., Sahaja Gītā (chapters 7–11).
- 12.
According to Swami Ramsukhdasji , the word “sulabhaḥ” (easily) is used by the Lord only once in the context of spiritual practices to attain God. In all the 574 ślokas spoken by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the word “sulabhaḥ” occurs only once in the entire Gītā! Hence, its great importance. The great-souled devotee (bhakta) who has experientially realized the truth “vāsudevaḥ sarvam” is very “durlabhaḥ,” or rare indeed, to find in this world (BG 7.19). The implications of these two verses (BG 7.19 and 8.14) are highly profound: the Lord Himself is easy to attain through devotion; the Lord’s great-souled devotees are very hard to come by indeed!
- 13.
Verse
Verse मन्मना भव मद्भक् तोमदयाजी मां नमस्कुरु। मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायणः।।9.34।।
VerseVerse manmanā bhava madbhakto madyājī māṃ namaskuru / mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṃ matparāyaṇaḥ //9.34//
This śloka (BG 9.34) occurs in essentially the same form in chapter 18 (18.65). Many consider it the summit of bhakti yoga in the Gītā.
- 14.
This concluding verse of chapter 11 (11:55) represents the essence of Bhakti and is declared to be the very heart, the quintessence of the whole teaching of the Gītā, by Hindu commentators.
- 15.
A. G. Krishna Warrier, trans., Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā Bhāṣya of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya (Madras, India: Śrī Ramakrishna Math, 1983), 509–510.
- 16.
See: Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, II.i.2: hyakṣarātparataḥ paraḥ puruṣaḥ: the Supreme Being is higher than that which is even higher than the Imperishable.
- 17.
S. K. Maitra, The Spirit of Indian Philosophy (Allahabad, India: The Indian Press, 1947), 103.
- 18.
See: Dhiman, trans., Sahaja Gītā, 172.
- 19.
W. D. P. Hill, The Bhagavad Gītā: A Translation and Commentary (Madras, India: Oxford University Press, 1928/1953), 62.
- 20.
Nik Wallenda completes tightrope walk across gorge near Grand Canyon https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nik-wallenda-completes-tightrope-walk-across-gorge-near-grand-canyon/
- 21.
See: The rich, tragic history of daredevil Wallendas: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-rich-tragic-history-of-daredevil-wallendas/
- 22.
Swami Gambhirananda, Bhagavad Gītā with the Commentary of Sri Shankaracharya (Calcutta, India: Advaita Ashrama, 1984), 302.
- 23.
See: W. D. P. Hill, The Bhagavad Gītā: A Translation and Commentary (Madras, India: Oxford University Press, 1928/1953), 167. See also: The Bhagavad Gītā, Translated and Interpreted by Franklin Edgerton (New York, NY: Harvard University Press, 1944), 176.
- 24.
S. Rādhākrishnan, The Bhagavad Gītā: With an Introductory Essay, Sanskrit Text, English Translation and Notes (London, UK: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1958), 289.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dhiman, S. (2019). Bhakti Yoga: Love and Faith in Leadership. In: Bhagavad Gītā and Leadership. Palgrave Studies in Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67573-2_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67573-2_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67572-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67573-2
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)