1. MD (Pead), Ph.D. (Yoga Science) Dr. Shamanthakamani Narendran MASTERING THE EMOTIONS BHAKTI YOGA

5. Faith  Attraction  Adoration  Suppression of mundane desires  Single-mindedness and satisfaction  Supreme love towards God How Bhakti develops?

27. Lord Gauranga Jayadeva bows to Vishnu

28. Meera and Krishna Andal

43. DHRUVA

44. PRAHA L ADA

64. Bhakti or Divine love brings God closest to a spiritual aspirant. He can be loved and adored as a spouse, or a child, or a mother,; or a servant, or a friend, as did the Gopis of Vrindavan, Yashoda, Sri Ramakrishna, Hanuman, and Arjuna, respectively.

68. For practical purposes we have depicted seven such attitudes in the painting – the gopis of Brindavan and Mirabai practises Madhura Bhava; i.e., they loved Sri Krishna as their husband. Dhruva loved the Lord as his father. The sages practise shanta bhava, the peaceful attitude by practising regular and japa. Hanuman found delight in serving his Lord Rama; it is known as Dasya Bhava – the attitude of a servant. Arjuna towards Krishna – Vatsalya Bhava, and the great devotee Bali is a supreme example of complete self surrender to the Lord. The last attitude is a common characteristic of all Bhaktas, because it is in the very nature of intense love that it can not bear separation.

69. Whatever may be the attitude, we must make God our own and develop intimacy with Him. Wholehearted and selfless love alone will lead us to the Divine.

70. Narada Bhakti Sutras

71. Sa tvasmin paramapremarupa xÉÉ iuÉÎxqÉlÉç mÉUqÉmÉëåqÉÃmÉÉ ||2|| That devotion, verily, is of the nature of the supreme love of God.

72. Tallaksani vacyante nanamatabhedat iÉssÉYvÉhÉÉÌlÉ uÉÉcrÉliÉå lÉÉlÉÉqÉiÉpÉåSÉiÉç ||15|| The characteristics of Bhakti are described variously.

73. Pujadisvanuraga iti Parasaryab mÉÔeÉÉÌSµÉlÉÑUÉaÉ CÌiÉ mÉÉUÉvÉrÉïWèû ||16|| Vyasa, the son of Parasara, is of opinion that Bhakti consists in attachment to worship of God and other similar acts

74. Kathadisviti Gargah MüjÉÉÌS͵ÉÌiÉ aÉaÉïWèû ||17|| The sage Garga thinks that Bhakti consists in talks of his glory and greatness and the stories of His various sports (lila).

75. Atmaratyavirodheneti Sandilyah AÉiqÉUirÉÌuÉUÉåkÉålÉåÌiÉ vÉÉÎhQûsrÉWèû ||18|| The sage Sandilya thinks that it must be without hindrance to the enjoyment of bliss in the Atman.

76. Naradastu tadarpitakhilacarata tadvismarane paramavyakulateti. lÉÉUSxiÉÑ iÉSÌmÉïiÉÉÎZÉsÉÉcÉÉUiÉÉ iÉ̲xqÉUhÉå mÉUqÉurÉÉMÑüsÉiÉåÌiÉ ||19|| But Narada is of the opinion that the essential characteristics of Bhakti are the consecration of observations and activities through complete self-surrender to the God and extreme anguish in the event of forgetting Him.

77. Sa tu karmajnanayogebhyo’pyadhikatara It (supreme devotion) is again higher than action knowledge and yoga.

78. Svayam phalarupateti Brahmakumarah akti is its own fruit – thus opines Brahmakumara (Narada) the son of Brahma.

79. Tattu visayatyagat sangatyagacca Devotion to God is attained by abandoning all sensual pleasures and all attachment to sensual objects.

80. Loke’pe Bhagavadgunasravanakirtanat Bhakti develops from listening to and singing of the attributes and glories of the Lord, even while engaged in the ordinary activities of life in the world.

81. Mukhyatastu mahatkrpayaiva Bhagavatkrpalesadva But it (devotion) is obtained chiefly by the grace of great men or through a slight measure of Divine grace.

82. Labhyate’pitatkrpayaiva The company of the Great ones is obtained by the grace of God alone.

83. Dusangah sarvathaiva tyajyah Evil company should be certainly given up by all means

84. Kamakrodhamohasmrtibhransa-buddhinasasarvanasakaranatvat Because it is the cause of lust, anger, delusion, loss of memory, loss of intellect and total ruin

85. Na tat siddhau lokavyavaharo heyah kintu phala tyagastat sadhananca karyameva Till bhakti is developed one must not neglect to observe social customs and ceremonies. One should surely perform them but only the fruits of all social activities are to be surrendered to the Lord.

86. Bhaktisastrani manananiyani, tadvodhakakarmani karaniyani For the attainment of Bhakti the teachings of scriptures that promote devotion should be constantly meditated upon and actions that rouse devotion should be performed

87. Adi msasatyasaucadayastikyadi caritryani paripalaniyani Virtues like non-violence, truth, purity, compassion faith in the Vedas and the existence of God, and other excellences of character should be strictly cultivated and protected

88. Ityevam vadanti janajalpanirbhaya ekamatah Kumaravyasasukasandilyagargavisnukaundilya sesoddhavarunibalihanumadvibhisanadayo Bhaktacaryah Thus the teacher of devotion: Sanatkumar, Vyasa, Suka, Sandilya, Garga, Visnu, Kaundilya, Sesa, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman, and Vibhisana

89. Yallabdhva puman siddho bhavati, amrto bhavati trpto bhavati. Yat jnatva matto bhavati, stabdho bhavati, atmaramo bhavati. PRAYER Narada Bhakti Sutra

91. Thank You