The Nine Modes of Devotion
In all there are nine modes of devotion in the path of bhakti yoga which help the devotee feel closer to God.
1. Sravanam
This is listening to stories of the Lord's lilas or plays. The same
way that hearing sermons on the new gospel will inspire awe and wonder
in the heart of the aspirant and increase his faith and devotion to
Jesus Christ, listening to stories about the deities will help the
bhakta increase his devotion. The mythological scriptures of
yoga/sanatana dharma are called puranas. Each purana is dedicated to a
deity. Some of the most well know puranas, and the deities to which they
are dedicated are:
- Siva purana - Lord Siva
- Srimad bhagavatam or Vishnu purana - Lord Vishnu
- Devi mahatmya - the divine mother, Goddess Durga
Of course there are many more.
An important aspect of practice of sravanam is that although the
scriptures can be read directly by the aspirant, it will be much more
powerful to hear the stories as told by a saint or genuine bhakta who
has had mystical experiences.
2. Kirtanam
This is chanting of God's glories. Over the course of history
countless mystics and yogis have spontaneously composed and written
devotional songs. Most kirtans and bhajans are in the Sanskrit
language and, to take full advantage of the inherant spiritual power of
this ancient sacred language, it is highly recommended to chant them in
the original.
When you feel happy, you find yourself chanting naturally and
spontaneously. Chanting sattvic kirtans will bring the joy and bliss of
devotion into the devotee's heart.
3. Smaranam
Smaranam consists in remembering the presence of the Lord constantly.
You can do that by remembering His name - meaning repeating His mantra.
Smaranam will change one's mental attitude. Becoming aware of the
omnipresence of God, there is a respect for not only human beings but
all creatures, plants and even objects of one's surroundings.
Unceasing prayer is also a form of smaranam. If somebody is in love
with another person the first thought that comes to their mind in the
morning is the beloved one. Automatically they will mentally see his/her
face, mentally say his/her name and feel good. Practicing remembrance
of the Lord will bring about complete love.
4. Padasevanam
Pada means feet. Seva means service. This is when you get to blend
your practice of karma yoga (seva) with bhakti. In doing your duty and
serving humanity, develop the bhava that you are serving and
worshiping the Lord's Feet.
It is to be noted here that in the bhakti tradition of India, the
Lord's Feet are an important symbol of the sacredness of the Divine.
Psychologically worshiping the feet of God drives home the
point that God is a higher entity and it helps establish humility in the
devotee's heart.
5. Archanam
Worship of God through rituals such as puja, havan or homa. Again,
performing rituals is now recognized as a basic psychological need. If
you observe well you will see that in daily life everyone around you is
performing rituals. Most of them of course are meaningless.
Bhakti yoga teaches us how to worship god in a codified manner using
gestures, offering different items such as flowers, incense, food, light
etc. while chanting corresponding mantras in order to express our love
and devotion to a certain aspect of the divine.
Many like to argue the necessity of rituals by pointing out that the
true feelings in the yogi's heart and the spirit of the teachings are
more important than performing rituals with an empty heart. This is very
true but with equal heart, the one who does ritual will feel closer to
God than the one who does not. Furthermore if devotion is lacking at
first, it can develop after regular practice of rituals.
Anyhow, this argument is often presented out of laziness owing to the
so-called yogi's tamasic nature or out of pride by jnani-wannabes who
like to think they are too evolved for such practices forgetting that
the great Adi Sankara himself was no stranger to practicing and
instructing archanam.
6. Vandanam
Vandanam is prostration. The yogi expresses his respect and love to
God by prostrating physically to the ground thereby developing humility.
There are different techniques but the main thing is to touch the
floor with the forehead.
As for every yogic practice, the most important part is the bhava.
Therefore as you prostrate you want to cultivate the awareness that the
Almighty is present in the altar in front of you and in all names and
forms.
7. Dasyam
The devotee is developing the feeling of being the Lord's servant.
This will weed out pride, selfishness, arrogance and egoism which are
all based on avidya.
8. Sakhyam
Feeling of friendship. This bhava helps the
devotees establish a personal relationship with God, picturing him as
his best friend. One should be ready to do anything for their friend.
9. Atmanivedanam
Complete surrender of self. The term bhakti
is often translated as devotion or love but rarely as surrender.
Actually surrender is the highest aspect of bhakti. One's ego is totally
offered to the Lord and nothing but the atman remains and non duality
is experienced.
Bhakti means devotion to the Lord. One need only surrender all
doubts, fears and worries and express genuine love and devotion to the
almighty Lord of The Universe.
