Devotion Modes is a term used to describe different types of devotion.
For more than a century, devotion to God (bhakti) has been
the most powerful force in Hindu religion.
The shape and tone of this devotion, on the other hand, have
changed greatly throughout time and location.
Rupa Goswami, who lived in the mid-sixteenth century, did
the most detailed articulation of several possible kinds of devotion.
Rupa was a follower of Krishna (bhakta) and a member of the
Gaudiya Vaishnava religious sect, which was created by the Bengali saint
Chaitanya.
The focus on relationship in Krishna devotion is marked by
imagery of mythological occurrences from Krishna's life, through which one
might enter his divine universe and thereby participate in his divine
"play" (lila) with the world.
Rupa identified five such modes, each of which was marked by
increasing emotional intensity.
The first was the "peaceful mode" (shanta bhava),
in which the devotee achieved mental serenity by realizing his or her total unity
with Brahman.
Because the god was perceived impersonally and the devotee
had no personal contact with God, this was seen as a lower form.
The last four modes were based on human connections, ranging
from the most remote to the most personal and loving: master and servant (dasa
bhava), friend and friend (sakha bhava), parent and kid (vatsalya bhava), and
lover and beloved (vatsalya bhava) (madhurya bhava).
Despite the fact that all of these types of interaction with
the divine were valid, the final was regarded as the highest since it elicited
the most powerful feelings.
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