View source for Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevaya. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti

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{{terms|"''Bhakti'' means application of love. ''Bhaja sevayā''. When you love, you serve somebody. That is called ''bhakti''"}}
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[[Category:Bhakti Means... - Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Devotional Service to God Means Application of Love]]
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[[Category:That Is Bhakti - Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1972]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Srimad-Bhagavatam]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in India, Hyderabad]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB126HyderabadNovember261972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="38" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972">
<div class="heading">Bhakti means application of love. Bhaja sevayā. When you love you serve somebody. That is called bhakti. Therefore, what kind of love? That is also described here. Ahaitukī—without any motive. Here in this material world, I love you, you love me, with a motive of sense gratification.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972|Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, November 26, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">
''Vāyu, vāyu. Khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca. Bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā me prakṛti'' ([[Vanisource:BG 7.4 (1972)|BG 7.4]]). This ''bhinnā'' means separated. This material nature—earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—Lord Kṛṣṇa says that, "They are My nature, but separated." So ''apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā'' ([[Vanisource:BG 7.5 (1972)|BG 7.5]]). They are inferior nature, this material nature, inferior; but there is another, superior nature. ''Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā. Para'' means superior. What is that? ''Jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat'' ([[vanisource:BG 7.5 (1972)|BG 7.5]])—the living entity.

Just like the whole material world is important because the living entity is utilizing it for his purpose. This New Delhi city is important because the living entity is utilizing it for purpose. Otherwise it was a jungle. Anything you take material, material thing has no value, it is inferior, but by the touch of the superior energy, living entity, it becomes important. Therefore there are two nature—inferior nature and superior nature.

Similarly, there are two kinds of ''dharmas''. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, this, that or white, black, so many ways, according to the designation of the body you have created ''dharma'', or characteristics. That is inferior quality. But when you come to the superior quality of characteristic, of ''dharma'', then you become happy. Anywhere there are two qualities always—inferior and superior. When you are attached to the inferior quality you don't get very much satisfaction, but when you come to the superior quality, then you get satisfaction, happiness.

So here it is said, ''dharma'', religion, or the characteristic of human being, there are so many, but ''sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo'', that is superior quality of religion or characteristic. What is that? ''Sa vai puṁsām paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje'': "Following which you become a devotee of the Adhokṣaja." Adhokṣaja means the Supreme Lord, God. God has got many names. Actually, God has no name, but according to different calculation or different situation, He has got a name.

Just like "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is the characteristic of the Supreme Lord. "Kṛṣṇa" means all-attractive. If God is not all-attractive . . . not everyone is all-attractive, but God is all-attractive. Therefore He is called Kṛṣṇa. God appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Nanda Mahārāja; therefore He is called Yaśodānanda, Nandananda, Vasudevanandana—His relationship. Kṛṣṇa enjoys the company of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī; therefore He is called Rādhā-ramaṇa, Rādhā-Govinda. So God's name is there according to His pastimes, relationships. So Kṛṣṇa is the supreme name because it means all-attractive.

Similarly, here it is name, God's name, Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja. ''Adha. Adha'' means defeated. ''Adha-kṛta'', subdued. What is that subdued? ''Akṣaja-jñānam. Akṣa. Akṣa'' means eyes, direct perception. We want . . . we say sometimes, "Can you show me God?" ''Akṣa''. Or ''akṣaja'' means ah, the alphabet, and ''kṣa'', beginning from ah up to kṣa. So all the letters are there. So we make words by combination of these letters. So ''akṣaja'', so within our power, we make so many words by combining these alphabets, but God is beyond that. ''Akṣaja-jñānam''. Either you are beyond the direct perception or beyond your word-making capacity. Therefore God's another name is Adhokṣaja. ''Adhaḥ-kṛta akṣaja jñānam jata.'' So Adhokṣaja means beyond direct sense perception. That is also nice name of God. God is not understood by speculating our senses.

:''athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvaya-''
:''prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi''
:''jānāti tattvaṁ'' (''bhagavan mahimno'')
:''na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan''
:([[Vanisource:SB 10.14.29|SB 10.14.29]])

We cannot understand God by mental speculation. That is not possible. Realization God means when God reveals unto you. ''Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ'' ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). By our these blunt senses, speculating, we cannot understand what is God. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, Adhokṣaja, "beyond material speculation." And still you have to apply your ''bhakti'', devotion. Just try to understand. He is beyond our sense perception, but still we have to search Him out and employ our feelings of devotion, love.

Therefore, ''yato bhaktir adhokṣaje.'' One side is beyond the perception of senses, and another side you have to love Him. If I say: "Love the air" as an example, so that love is not very factual. How can I love air, something in the air? Somebody must be person; then love is possible. Somebody must be tangible; then there is love possible. Here it is called ''bhakti''. ''Bhakti'' means application of love. ''Bhaja sevayā''. When you love, you serve somebody. That is called ''bhakti''.

Therefore, what kind of love? That is also described here: ''ahaitukī''—"Without any motive." Here in this material world, I love you, you love me, with a motive of sense gratification. Actually there is no love in the world, material world. The show of love is there with a motive. Here love of Godhead means ''ahaitukī''—without any motive. ''Ahaituky apratihatā. Apratihata'' means without being deterred, without being impeded. If you develop your love of Godhead . . .

You must know first of all what is that God, Adhokṣaja, because beyond your mental perception. But fortunately, if you understand what is God, and when you begin to love Him without any motive . . . generally we go to temple, to church or to mosque, anywhere, the place of worship, "O God give us our daily bread." There is a motive. Similarly, others also, they go to the temple, "O God, I am in need of money, I am distressed. Kindly mitigate my distress, give me some money." There is motive. But here it is said ''ahaitukī'', without any motive. If you can love God, who is beyond your sense perception, and without any motive, that activities of love will never be stopped. ''Ahaituky apratihatā''—without being impeded, without being impeded by any material condition.

That means that if you actually love God, there is no condition. Because you are poor man you cannot love God, that is not the fact. Or because you are rich man you cannot love God, no, that is also not fact. Because you are not educated you cannot love God, that is also not acceptable. Because you are very much educated, highly philosophical . . . so many conditions you can bring, but all these conditions are not applicable in the business, in the transaction, of loving God without motive.

So this is the description of love of Godhead, and if we practically try to cultivate this knowledge of Godhead, that is called . . . that process is called ''bhakti''.