Daily Devotion -Apr 23, 2026 (English)- Bhakti Hierarchy
Although there are many forms of devotion, Lord Kapil taught his mother Devahuti four primary types of devotion. All other forms of devotion fall under these four types. Why is this so?
This is because there are only two entities other than the soul - Maya and God. And Maya has three qualities -ajāmekāṃ lohitaśuklakṛṣṇāṃ - sattvic (goodness, white-coloured maya), rajas (passion, red-coloured maya), and tamas (ignorance, black-coloured maya).
The four types of bhakti are -
- Tamasic bhakti - abhisandhāya yo hiṃsāṃ -
Devotion practised for violence, etc., or dambhaṃ mātsaryameva vā - for hypocrisy, deceiving the world, increasing one's pride, for jealousy and hatred - is called tamasic bhakti. - Rajasic bhakti - viṣayānabhisandhāya yaśa aiśvaryameva vā -
Devotion practised with the desire to attain fame or material opulence, such as becoming a king or a billionaire, is called rajasic bhakti. - Sattvic bhakti - karmanirahāramuddiśya parasmai vā yadarpaṇaṃ -
Devotion practised with the aim of getting liberated from the bondage of karma and done with the spirit of offering it to God, is called sattvic bhakti.
Among these three types of devotion -
- Sattvic bhakti is the best,
- Rajasic bhakti is better, and
- Tamasic bhakti is utterly condemnable.
However, these three types of devotion belong to the realm of Maya. The one who attains philosophical knowledge through the association of a genuine saint renounces these three from afar. These three are collectively termed 'bhukti. None of these liberates one from Maya or grants God-realization. At best, one can achieve material opulence up to that of Brahmaloka.
- Nirguṇa Bhakti - Beyond the three modes of Maya is Bhagavad-bhakti, the fourth kind of bhakti -
madguṇaśrutimātreṇa mayi sarvaguhāśaye। manogatiravicchinnā yathā gaṅgāmbhaso'mbudhau ॥
lakṣaṇaṃ bhaktiyogasya nirguṇasya hyudāhṛtam।ahaitukyavyavahitā yā bhakti: puruṣottame ॥
There are certain conditions in this -
i) Devotion should be practised only toward God and the Guru.
ii) Devotion must be continuous and uninterrupted - just as the river Ganga flows continuously from Gangotri to the Bay of Bengal. But you practice devotion for half an hour or two and think that is enough. You earn two rupees but spend twenty-two. This means that in twenty-four hours, you clean the cloth (mind) with soap for two hours, but smear dirt on it for the remaining twenty-two. This is because the mind remains in the three modes of Maya, as the mind cannot remain inactive even for a moment - na hi tiṣṭhati kṣaṇamapi jātu tiṣṭhatyakarmakṛt. No embodied being can remain inactive even for a moment. Before performing any action, one must bring the mind there. And there are only two realms - if the mind is not absorbed in God, it is absorbed in the world. No one can say that his mind is neither in God nor the world. It is another matter if you are unable to read the state of your mind.
iii) Devotion must be 'ahaitukī,' meaning that which is selfless - without any reason or motive. Do not ask for anything from God. You have wandered through the 8.4 million life forms for countless births, asking for things in every birth. If you must have a desire at all, then desire only His darshan, and when you meet Him, remain silent and ask for nothing. Simply say, "I will wish what You wish. I want to give You happiness, and I want to become Your servant."
iv) 'Avyavahitā' - meaning exclusive devotion - this is the final condition. It is not acceptable to practice devotion to both Maya and God. You cannot distribute your love among your mother, daughter, saint, and God - such an approach will not work. Yes, if someone's son happens to be a saint or God Himself, then that mother may love her son. Such a son ensures that his mother attains Golok.
yeṣāmahaṃ priya ātmā sutaśca sakhā guruḥ suhṛdo daivamiṣṭam॥
Lord Kapil says - I am not merely the son; I am the soul of all beings. I am the mother, father, husband - everything.
During God's descensions, those who loved God without regarding Him as God all attained Golok. The Gopis - whose foot-dust is desired by Brahma and Shankar - did not consider Shri Krishna as God. On several occasions, Shri Krishna revealed Himself to them through miracles as God, yet they did not accept Him as God. Generally, if someone abuses God, it's considered a grave offence - nāmaparādh. However, even when the Gopis hurled a thousand abuses at Krishna, He would say, "I would like to hear more of this; it feels sweet!" This was because the Gopis abused Him, knowing it brought joy to Shri Krishna.
So, in essence, God, His names, forms, pastimes, qualities, abodes, and His saints (Guru) are all one because they are pure. Loving them 'alone' will purify the mind. By loving the impure (those bound by Maya), the mind will become more impure. You must perform your duty in the world. You must let go of your attachment even to worldly objects, including your own body.
So remember these conditions -
i) 'Hari-Guru bhaju' - Do devotion to Hari Guru,
ii) 'nita' - continuously,
iii) 'bhāv nishkām' - ahaitukī - selfless devotion, and
iv) 'ananya' - avyavahitā - exclusive.
In this single couplet, Shri Maharaj Ji has encapsulated the essence of the entire scriptures and Vedas, as well as Lord Kapil's teachings. You can achieve your goal by memorising this principle and putting it into practice.
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