heavens

with its copper-coloured soothing rays.

It wiped away the cares of the onlookers,
like a lover who has been absent for a long time.1
Then KRSNa begins to play his flute:
capturing the hearts of the beautiful-eyed women.2
When the gops come into contact with KRSNa and gain his attention, they are filled with
pride at their achievement, at which point KRSNa then deserts them leaving them to lament their
loss.3 He then spends time with his favoured gop and the others become jealous until he returns
to sedate them with a rsa dance which shows KRSNa as his manifold divine self. 4 They are
then all filled with sublime happiness and the bliss of Samadhi. The protection of faith in God is
shown to them resulting from their unfailing devotion. 5 Anything that causesed such strong
emotion that can be directed toward KRSNa was then seen as the height of devotion.
The more intellectual approach to devotion tends to centre on the traditions of the
Bhagvad-Gt. Certain texts fit more easily into the intellectual framework of bhakti as opposed
to an emotional one. The bhakti of the Gt for example is more contemplative and quiet in its
structure than that of the Bhgavata.6 The Gt is set in battle but still has KRSNa-rati (love of
KRSNa) in play as its devotional element but the loving emotion is more intellectual in its
pursuit, in that the love here as with everything else is contemplative and rational rather than
being emotional outpourings without thought. Its purpose here is to focus devotion on KRSNa so
that attachment to all else might be forgotten. KRSNa says:
I consider the most expert in yoga to be those who
ever-disciplined, having fixed their minds on me,
attend on me filled with the highest faith.7
clearly showing a more traditional meditation based approach to bhakti through yoga, and
the ideal of detachment from the world. Salvation in this form of bhakti is offered through quiet
contemplation of the teaching of the deity.
1 Bryant 2003, 125 (Bhgavata Purna X. 29:2)
2 Bryant 2003, 125 (Bhgavata Purna X. 29:3)
3 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
4 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
5 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
6 Hopkins 1968, 9
7 Johnson 1994, 55 (Bhagvad-Gt 12:2)

For those who resign every action to me

meditating on me,
with exclusive discipline worship me,
I am the one who rapidly hauls them
out of the ocean of continual rebirth.8
All of the teachings offered in this text are set out in a similarly matter-of-fact tone
without any use of emotive language to bring a point to bear. This is thought to be the strongest
appeal to intellectuals of this form of bhakti.
Van Buitenen has suggested that the Sanskritization9 of bhakti movements by scholars
such as Rmnuja, may have helped to incorporate bhakti studies into the brahmanical
traditions, and in effect intellectualised them. There are two general ideas behind the concept of
sansktitization, the first is the notion of translation and rendering something from a vernacular
into Sanskrit. The second views Sanskrit as a way of life, for which the language is merely the
vehicle. Sanskritization is then adaptation of traditions so that they fit into the Sanskritic way of
life.10 The process whereby a person or a group consciously relates himself or itself to an
accepted notion of true and ancient ideology.11 Some texts as outlined above are more easily
adaptable to this Sanskritic formation based on their actual content. Overall, it would seem that
these scholars managed to equate ViSNu of personal devotion12 with Brahman, the supreme
principle of the UpaniSads.13 The adoration of the worshipper equated with MokSa.14 For the
Bhgavata PurANa it is suggested that most sanskritization was done in order to make the
texts sound more Vedic in origin since old foundations15 need to support the new edifice. 16
Although for many years the claim has been made that the PurANas are thought of as the fifth
Veda any way. Through this the acts of worship and veneration17 of the bhakti traditions can be
classed alongside rites prescribed by scripture and tradition,18 with Vedic authority.
8 Johnson 1994, 55 (Bhagvad-Gt 12:6-7)
9 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
10 Van Buitenen 1968, 34
11 Van Buitenen 1968, 35
12 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
13 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
14 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
15 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
16 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
17 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
18 Van Buitenen 1968, 33

2.ii) Devotee interaction

heavens
with its copper-coloured soothing rays.
It wiped away the cares of the onlookers,
like a lover who has been absent for a long time.19
Then KRSNa begins to play his flute:
capturing the hearts of the beautiful-eyed women.20
When the gops come into contact with KRSNa and gain his attention, they are filled with
pride at their achievement, at which point KRSNa then deserts them leaving them to lament their
loss.21 He then spends time with his favoured gop and the others become jealous until he
returns to sedate them with a rsa dance which shows KRSNa as his manifold divine self.22 They
are then all filled with sublime happiness and the bliss of Samadhi. The protection of faith in
God is shown to them resulting from their unfailing devotion. 23 Anything that causesed such
strong emotion that can be directed toward KRSNa was then seen as the height of devotion.
The more intellectual approach to devotion tends to centre on the traditions of the
Bhagvad-Gt. Certain texts fit more easily into the intellectual framework of bhakti as opposed
to an emotional one. The bhakti of the Gt for example is more contemplative and quiet in its
structure than that of the Bhgavata.24 The Gt is set in battle but still has KRSNa-rati (love of
KRSNa) in play as its devotional element but the loving emotion is more intellectual in its
pursuit, in that the love here as with everything else is contemplative and rational rather than
being emotional outpourings without thought. Its purpose here is to focus devotion on KRSNa so
that attachment to all else might be forgotten. KRSNa says:
I consider the most expert in yoga to be those who
ever-disciplined, having fixed their minds on me,
attend on me filled with the highest faith.25
clearly showing a more traditional meditation based approach to bhakti through yoga, and
the ideal of detachment from the world. Salvation in this form of bhakti is offered through quiet
contemplation of the teaching of the deity.
19 Bryant 2003, 125 (Bhgavata Purna X. 29:2)
20 Bryant 2003, 125 (Bhgavata Purna X. 29:3)
21 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
22 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
23 Venkateswaran 1968, 155
24 Hopkins 1968, 9
25 Johnson 1994, 55 (Bhagvad-Gt 12:2)

For those who resign every action to me

meditating on me,
with exclusive discipline worship me,
I am the one who rapidly hauls them
out of the ocean of continual rebirth.26
All of the teachings offered in this text are set out in a similarly matter-of-fact tone
without any use of emotive language to bring a point to bear. This is thought to be the strongest
appeal to intellectuals of this form of bhakti.
Van Buitenen has suggested that the Sanskritization27 of bhakti movements by scholars
such as Rmnuja, may have helped to incorporate bhakti studies into the brahmanical
traditions, and in effect intellectualised them. There are two general ideas behind the concept of
sansktitization, the first is the notion of translation and rendering something from a vernacular
into Sanskrit. The second views Sanskrit as a way of life, for which the language is merely the
vehicle. Sanskritization is then adaptation of traditions so that they fit into the Sanskritic way of
life.28 The process whereby a person or a group consciously relates himself or itself to an
accepted notion of true and ancient ideology.29 Some texts as outlined above are more easily
adaptable to this Sanskritic formation based on their actual content. Overall, it would seem that
these scholars managed to equate ViSNu of personal devotion30 with Brahman, the supreme
principle of the UpaniSads.31 The adoration of the worshipper equated with MokSa.32 For the
Bhgavata PurANa it is suggested that most sanskritization was done in order to make the
texts sound more Vedic in origin since old foundations33 need to support the new edifice. 34
Although for many years the claim has been made that the PurANas are thought of as the fifth
Veda any way. Through this the acts of worship and veneration35 of the bhakti traditions can be
classed alongside rites prescribed by scripture and tradition,36 with Vedic authority.
26 Johnson 1994, 55 (Bhagvad-Gt 12:6-7)
27 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
28 Van Buitenen 1968, 34
29 Van Buitenen 1968, 35
30 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
31 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
32 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
33 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
34 Van Buitenen 1968, 36
35 Van Buitenen 1968, 33
36 Van Buitenen 1968, 33

2.ii) Devotee interaction