Bhakti

[Dr. M. Giridhar]

>1) shravaNam (Hearing of God's name)
>2) kIrtanam (Singing God's glories)
>3) mananam (Remembering God's name)
>4) pAdasevanam (Resorting to God feet)
>5) archana or pUja (worshipping God )
>6) namaskAram (Salutation to God)
>7) dAsyam ( Having a servant attitude towards God like shrI hanumAn)
>8) sakhyam ( Having a friendly attitude towards God like arjuna)
>9) Atmanivedanam ( Surrendering oneself completely to God)

        I had posted a two page article on the above on some forum, will
try to find it and post it here. Maybe the bhakti list would have
immense details on the above topic,

        In the mean time, would like to post something from Narada's
Bhakti sutras (it is one of the preliminary texts on bhakti along with
Sandilya's sutras). In sutra 81 (or 82 ?), Narada explains 11 types of
love one can profess towards God,

Expressing love by

        singing glories - Narada, Vyasa
        enchanting beauty - Gopis
        worship - Ambarisha
        rememberance - Prahlada
        service - Hanuman
        friend  - Uddhava, Arjuna
        husband- Rukmini, Satyabama
        son- Kauslaya, Devaki and YAshoda
        surrender- Bali, Vibhisana
        bliss- Sanatkumara and other great sages

The 11th characteristic is pain of separation from the Lord, which is
common to most real bhaktas but personified in Radha.