Sanskrit Word of the Day: Bhakti
Bhakti is generally translated as “devotion to God.”
The full definition of bhakti weaves a wonderful melody, singing of the relation of the part to the whole, the river to the ocean, the play and interplay of separation and union.
Just roll with me on this, it’s worth it.
Bhakti:
- distribution, partition, separation
- a division, portion, share
- a streak, line, variegated decoration
- a row, series, succession, order
- being a part of
- belonging to
- that which belongs to or is contained in anything else, an attribute
- attachment, devotion, fondness for, devotion to,
- trust, homage, worship, piety, faith or love or devotion (as a religious principle or means of salvation)
To get all poetic, we could say, Bhakti is the song the river sings as it flows toward union with the ocean.
Bhakti, written in Devanagari:
भक्ति
You can learn to recognize Devanagari one letter at a time.
भ = bha.
You can read the Monier-Williams dictionary entry for Bhakti here.
If we listen to the dhatus or elements that make up the word, an even richer symphony of meanings arises. Maybe next week I will find time to write about the elements of bhakti.