We hear that śravaṇaṁ (hearing) is the most important aṅga of bhakti, yet we’re also told that practical service (seva) purifies us. How do we know if we’re leaning too much on theoretical knowledge or becoming mechanical in service?
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Hare Krsna Prabhu
You are calling it 'mere' hearing.
As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart. The word used is 'susrusu' . One must be anxious to hear this transcendental message. The desire to sincerely hear is the first qualification.
But we are not doing this right, isn't it? Because had we listened well, the Supreme Personality of Godhead would have got established within our heart without delay.
Why is hearing properly so difficult?
The art of listening:
It is our experience that no matter how much we hear, we remain the same.
Actually, we have many tricks and devices not to listen. Let us understand them first.
The first trick is: we hear only that which we want to and not what is being said. With great cleverness we hear what lets us remain as we are; nothing goes in which may cause a change in us. This is not only the observation of the sages; scientists have also carried on research on the human mind say that ninety-eight percent of what we hear we do not take in.
Anything that synchronizes with your understanding cannot change you. It can only reinforce that understanding. Rather than transform you, it gives yet more stones and cement to strengthen your foundations.
The Hindu hears only what strengthens his Hindu mind; the Muslim hears only what strengthens the Muslim mind; so also the Sikh, the Christian, the Buddhist. If you listen only to strengthen your own preconceptions, to strengthen your own house, then you will miss hearing completely, for truth has no connection with Hindu or Muslim or Sikh. It has nothing to do with the conditioning of your mind.
Hearing a speaker you tell yourself that he is correct when what he says is consistent with your thoughts. To other things you say that it is not so because it disagrees with your thoughts. So you are not truly listening but only lend your ear to what agrees with you and strengthens your opinion. The rest, you don't care about, you ignore and forget. Even if you happen to hear something that is contrary to your understanding, you tear it to bits with your reasoning, because one thing you are sure of: whatever matches your thoughts is correct, what doesn't is incorrect, false.
While talking you are awake; while listening you are not. As soon as another person talks to you, you are no longer alert, but lost in an internal dialogue of your own. Then whom do you prefer to listen? Definitely to your own self, because the voice of the other person doesn't even reach you; your own voice is enough to drown out all the other voices.
He alone is capable of listening who has broken this conversation within. And that is the art of listening.
" The nine different processes enunciated by Prahlada Maharaja, who learned them from Narada Muni, may not all be required for the execution of devotional service; if a devotee performs only one of these nine without deviation, he can attain the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24 Purport
Hari Bol
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you for your reply to emphasize on shravana.
Suppose, if i want to develop sākhya rasa with him. So, how can i do without performing the previous steps? How can one chant his glories without hearing about him? Doesn't it shows a level of achieving him? Or maybe, it displays our position in devotion. Hari Hari.
Hare Krsna Prabhu
In regard to worshipping the Lord as a friend, the Agastya-samhita states that a devotee engaged in performing devotional service by sravanam and kirtanam sometimes wants to see the Lord personally, and for this purpose he resides in the temple. Elsewhere there is this statement: " O my Lord, Supreme Personality and eternal friend, although You are full of bliss and knowledge, You have become the friend of the residents of Vrndavana. How fortunate are these devotees!"
In this statement the word "friend" is specifically used to indicate intense love. This is not at all astonishing, for when a devotee is pure in heart the opulence of his worship of the Deity diminishes as spontaneous love for the Personality of Godhead is manifested. In this regard, Sridhara Svami menrions Sridama Vipra, who expressed to himself his feelings of obligation, thinking, "Life after life, may I be connected with Krsna in this friendly attitude."
Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24 Extracted from Purport
You have to judge for yourself where you stand, which limb or limbs of bhakti suits you the most. There is no step by step hierarchy here as such like in the eightfold yogic process which goes step by step from dhyan, dharana to samadhi. Hope it is clear!
Hari Bol
Bhakti and karma sādhana is different, right? Bhakti doesn't includes vidhi-vidhāna where karma sadhanā does.
In these dark days of Kali.. only Chanting is just enought as Kali sirf naam aadhara
attentive chanting is must who is doing that?
You know what until you develop prema for Krishna you wont chant with love and tears in eyes.
People chant these days to just complete rounds.
even inattentive chanting also has its benefits but attentively chanting cannot be done unless on develops prema I feel.
Good reply @Madhav das prabhu ji!
any one of the anga if performed correctly is just enough.
People chant and don't even hear to the words chanted. Hare Krishna.. awaah hare Krishna ...zzzzzzzzzzzz sleeping krishna kissa arey arey
Hare Krishna,
The nine forms of Bhakti, also known as Nava vidha Bhakti are distinct ways to cultivate devotion and love for the divine. These forms, as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam, are: Shravanam (listening), Kirtanam (singing), Smaranam (remembering), Pada Sevanam (serving the feet), Archana (adoring), Vandanam (bowing), Dasyam (servitude), Sakhyam (friendship), and Atma nivedanam (self-surrender).
These all nine forms of the bhakti are essential part and parcel of bhakti.
One cannot stick to only one form.
Well, to start with...A soul which has forgotten its original swaroopa needs to be awakened so.. It starts with shravanam ( first stage)- We hear the glories of the Lord..
Once we hear from a pure devotee.. the inherent nature of the soul is to reciprociate to that by glorifying Lord with his tongue by Kirtanam.
We start to say to others about the glories of the Lord.
We hear from someone the greatness we wont stop there... we tell others .. isn't it?
the same way we start to praise and glorify Lord.
Then when we are alone we are reminded of the glories.. ( SMARANAM).
When we feel intense love we now start to feel like omg Such a great worthy BHAGWAN we must do PADA abhi vandanam, Pada sevanam. ..
We must offer something like incense.. We have nothing with us.. which we own but still we want to offer.. whatever we have. .. maybe flowers.. maybe sandalwood paste.. maybe fruit maybe some tulasi.. and water.
NOW We start doing this archana, vanadanam, padasevanam, dasyam...
we are now more advanced.. we develop a relationship with the deity.. ( SNEHAM SAKHYAM) daily we are offering to the deity
ONE DAY YOU DON;t offer food you feel emptiness. This is the stage where we are forming a emotional attachemnt a bonding with the deity
and then after sakhyam.
We are done.. now we know that we don't have anything much to offer.. we offer ourselves to Lord and say-->> jo bhi mai apna maan ke phir raha tha ab jaan gaya ki mera kuch nahi hai mai bhi aapka hi hoon.
Totally surrender that is Atma nivedanam.
This is step by step process.
We hear about someone we cannot stop just by hearing. .. we have this intrinsic nature.. to go and tell that to others and glorify in our own basha. ( hum koi vidhawaan nahi na sageetagyn na koi geetkaar .. whatever however totalli basha we speak we go and do glorify what we hear to others that is Kirtanam.... arey but when we are lonely we will remember.. oh that man told us this.. oh that Lord is so and so it seems so great. . hogaya smarnam... I must do something or offer something that I have for this Lord.. in that way maybe Lord can be pleased let me offer some fruit, water, sandal paste or some bhoga or flowers incenses hogaya archana.. okay I will do namaskaram .. not sufficient I must bow down my head and do shastnaga dandavat pranama because He is supreme Lord Sri Hari.. okay hogaya Padasevanam. .. We also will take some tirtha.. the water from the Lotus feet of Lord or even do try to do more by fanning pressing the feet of Lord.. I already got attached to this Lord... yesterday I forgot to offer fruit.. I am feeling lost. That day we are having guilty feeling .. Okay here we developed relationship Sakhyam and now.. i feel I have nothing much to offer.. I think all belongs to Only Lord even me.. What is there that is mine that I have to offer? I have nothing which belongs to me.. Let me offer my own self the soul. Jivah totally surrendered.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna!
Thank you so much for explaining the nine forms of Bhakti in such a clear and beautiful way - like a step-by-step flowchart guiding the soul back to its divine nature. Your breakdown makes the journey from Shravanam to Atma Nivedanam feel so natural and attainable, like petals of a lotus unfolding one by one.
It’s truly uplifting to see how each stage builds upon the other, transforming the heart from mere hearing to complete surrender. Your words remind me that devotion isn’t rigid or forced but flows organically, just as a river merges into the ocean. The way you described the emotional bond with the Lord - feeling emptiness when we forget to offer even a simple prayer—resonates deeply. It’s a reminder that love for Krishna isn’t ritual; it’s a living, breathing relationship. Your explanation gives me faith that every kirtan, every flower offered, and every moment of remembrance is carrying me closer to that ultimate surrender.
With renewed inspiration, I’ll strive to embrace all nine forms, knowing that one day, like Shabari, the heart will whisper: "I am Yours." Thank you for lighting the way. Hari Hari.
Hare Krishna,
I got reminded of Shabari
Shabari was hearing to glories of Lord Shri Rama from the sages where she used to work as a cleaner at the ashrama of some sage. She heard about Lord Rama.. She started to sing daily while going to fetch water glories of lord all along her way.. and when she met her friends or some kids she sat with them and told about glories of Lord Shree Rama to them.. When she came back home her Hut she used to lit a lamp next to Lord's picture or deity and used to think back about what all the sages said... ( Shabari was illiterate and she never read any books) she just did smaranam of what all the sages glorified about Shree Rama repcap every night before sleep and wake up and do chores and sings the folk lore song in here own way and used to daily do Padasevanam for sages as they give her the instructions about Lord Rama. She did vanadam to Lord daily sweeping the roads to her home.. keeping her home neat and cleaning expecting today Lord Sri Rama would come.. go out and clean the pathway.. and did dasyam .. she plucked wild berries daily tasted it and placed the best fruit in front of Lord Sri Rama's deity and used to say... Lord today you have not come.. But I am collected these berries for you they are very sweet I have tasted a small part and kept it best ones are here ....I hope to see you tomorrow.. I am waiting.. next day she cleaned the pathway from the river to the home.. and collected berries and offered archana, sakhyam over. In this way.. she already formed a avinavabhava sambandham ( with the archa vigraha) the Lord has to reciprociate to that now. Sakhyma done.
When Lord shree Rama came ... He simply took the collected berries and ate with lot of love and Shabari did Atma nivedanam that day she said Lord I am done I have nothing much to offer you have come to my small hut and I just offering you petty jhoote ber ( tasted berries) I have nothing to offer I offer my own self at your service. Jivera swaroopa hoye Krishnera nitya dasa.. I am your dasi please accept me that is fully surrendered atmanivedanam.
Just by doing one anga leaving others bhakti is not completed.
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