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Bhakti

  • Living reference work entry
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Hinduism and Tribal Religions

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Indian Religions ((EIR))

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Synonyms

Dāsya Bhakti – A devotion in which a devotee considers himself as a servant of the God.

Jňāna mārga – Intellectual, meditative way of reaching the divine.

Karma mārga – The way of dedicating all actions to God.

Madhura Bhakti – A devotion in which the God is perceived as a lover.

Mokṣa/Mukti – Liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Nirguṇa Brahman – The supreme soul who is believed to be without attributes.

Saguṇa Brahman – The God with the attributes.

Sākhya Bhakti – A devotion when the God is perceived as a friend.

Vātsalya – A love between mother and child.

Definition

The word “Bhakti” is derived from the Sanskrit word bhaj which means to serve, honor, revere, love, and adore ([17], p. 743). In the Indian Dharmic traditions, Bhakti is understood as loving devotion to God. As the feeling of surrendering to the divine is inherent in the growth of religious beliefs, it is difficult to trace the beginning of Bhakti. But the expressions of similar feelings are found in...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of History, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, Mahārāṣţra, India

    Ravi Khangai

  2. Hindu University of America, Orlando, FL, USA

    Ravi Khangai

Authors
  1. Ravi Khangai
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Correspondence to Ravi Khangai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Anthropology, The University of North Texas Dept of Anthropology, Denton, TX, USA

    Pankaj Jain

  2. The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Rita Sherma

  3. Jamia Millia Islamia, Centre for the Study of Comparative Reli Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India

    Madhu Khanna

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Khangai, R. (2020). Bhakti . In: Jain, P., Sherma, R., Khanna, M. (eds) Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_522-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_522-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-024-1036-5

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