# भक्ति (bhakti)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhakti

भक्ति (bhakti) is a Sanskrit word meaning distribution, partition, separation, a division, portion, or share, a division of a Saman, division by streaks or lines, a streak, line, or variegated decoration, a row, series, or succession. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Devotion, Faith, and Worship, Division, Partition, or Share, Component or Attribute.

- **Etymology:** E. भज् to serve, or भञ्ज् to break, aff. क्तिन् । — E. bhaj to serve, or bhañj to break, aff. ktin
- **SLP1:** `Bakti`  **IAST:** bhakti  **Devanagari:** भक्ति
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/bhakti/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** भाक्ती (bhāktī), भक्ती (bhaktī)

## Meanings by context

### Devotion, Faith, and Worship (8 definitions)
- 1. Attachment, fondness, or devotion. 2. Trust, homage, or worship. 3. Religious faith, love, or piety as a means of salvation.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > attachment, devotion, fondness for, devotion to (with loc., gen. or ifc. ), trust, homage, worship, piety, faith or love or devotion (as a religious principle or means of salvation, together with कर्मन् (karman), ‘works’, and ज्ञान (jñāna), ‘spiritual knowledge’; cf. Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 326; Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 97 ), Śvetāśvatara-upaniṣad (Title); Bhagavad-gītā (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category); Purāṇas (Literary category) &c. [ ID=147669 ]
- 1. Partition or portion. 2. Division, streak, or line. 3. Order or succession. 4. Attachment, devotion, homage, respect, worship, or faith.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 200-a1 ] भक्ति (bhakti) bhak-tí, f. partition ( V. ); the being a part of or belonging to anything; appurtenance; portion, part; division, streak, line; order, succession; attachment, devotion, homage, respect, worship, faith (in, etc., g., lc., or —°; ordinary mg. ); —°, assumption of the form of ( e. g. steps ): in. figuratively; in succession ( also -tas ): -ccheda, m. pl. broken lines or streaks; -jña, a. knowing devotion, faithfully attacked: -tva, n. faithfulness, loyalty; -pūrva-kam, -pūrvam, ad. devoutly, reverentially; -bhāj, a. possessed of faithful attachment or devotion; greatly devoted to a thing ( lc. ); -mat, a. attached, loyal, faithful, devoted, having pious faith (in, etc., lc. or —° ); -yoga, m. pious faith, devotion; -rasa, m. feelings of devotion; -rāga, m. predilection for ( lc. ); -vāda, m. assurance of devotion; -hīna, pp. destitute of devotion. [ ID=12987 ]
- 1. Service or worship. 2. Faith or belief. 3. Devotion or attachment. 4. Part or portion. 5. Fracture or division. 6. Metonymy.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 610 ] भक्ति (bhakti) f. ( - क्तिः (-ktiḥ) ) 1 Service, worship. 2 Faith, belief. 3 Devotion or attachment to. 4 Part, portion. 5 Fracture, division. 6 Metonymy. E. भज (bhaja) to serve, or भञ्ज (bhañja) to break, aff. क्तिन् (ktin). [ ID=28115 ]
- 1. Service, faith, or devotion. 2. A part or division.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 547-b ] भक्ति (bhakti) ( क्तिः ) ((ktiḥ)) 2. f. Service; faith, devotion; part, division; metonymy. [ ID=27625 ]
- 1. Service or worship. 2. Devotion, loyalty, or attachment. 3. Partition or separation. 4. A portion or share. 5. Decoration or ornament. 6. An attribute.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 517-01 ] भक्ति (bhakti) f. 1. Service, worship; 2. devotion, loyalty, attachment, faithfulness, R. ii.63; 3. partition, division, separation; 4. division, portion, share; 5. decoration, ornament, भक्ति (bhakti) च्छेदैरिव विरचितां भूतिमंगे गजस्य (bhakticchedairiva viracitāṃ bhūtimaṃge gajasya) Megh. i.19, R. xiii.55, 75; 6. attribute. [ ID=26997 ]
- 1. Service or worship. 2. Faith or belief. 3. Devotion or attachment. 4. Part or portion. 5. Fracture or division. 6. Metonymy.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 523-a ] भक्ति (bhakti) f. ( - क्तिः (-ktiḥ) ) 1. Service, worship. 2. Faith, belief. 3. Devotion or attachment to. 4. Part, portion. 5. Fracture, division. 6. Metonymy. E. भज् (bhaj) to serve, or भञ्ज् (bhañj) to break, aff. क्तिन् । (ktin.) [ ID=28987 ]
- 1. Worship or service. 2. Devotion. 3. Attachment. 4. Faith or belief. 5. Fracture or breaking.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 0638-b ] भक्ति (bhakti) bhakti, i. e. bhaj and bhañj + ti, 1. Worship, Vikr. d. 1; service. 2. Devotion, Hit. iii. d. 65. 3. Attach- ment, Pañc. i. d. 326. 4. Faith, Pañc. 71, 4; belief, Śāṇḍilyas. ed. Ballantyne, 76 sqq. 5. Fracture, break- ing, Megh. 61. 6. In bhakti-cheda, Megh. 19, see cheda. — Comp. Kṣetra-, f. partition of a field, Pāṇ. 5, 1, 46, Sch. Dṛgbhakti, i. e. dṛś-, f. a side look, an amorous look, Lass. 66, 11. [ ID=10386 ]
- Selfless devotion that leads to self-realization, destroys ignorance and passion, roots out sorrow and fear, redeems sinners, and is superior to ritual action.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 2-522 ] Bhakti — selfless devotion; leads one to self-realisation; methods and results of; destroys rajas and tamas qualities; roots out sorrow, illusion and fear; redeems the sinners; 1 superior to karma; 2 one of the five means of concentrating the mind on Hari, (i.e.) (1) kāma as in the case of the Gopis; (2) fear and hatred as in the case of Kamsa and Śiśupāla; (3) relationship as in the case of the Vṛṣṇis; Page2-523+ 43 (4) friendship as in the case of Yudhiṣṭhira and (5) devo- tion as in the case of Nārada; Vena does not come under any of these heads; 3 but nine-fold according to Prahlāda: hearing of Hari, praising of, remembering, serving His holy feet, arcana, prostrating, service, friendship and surrender of self; 4 women more devout than men. 5 Three-fold — uttama as that of Nārada and Śuka: middling as that of Vasiṣṭha, and inferior; 6 another classification: three-fold, Śāṅkhya, Yoga, and Jñānam; a pure man can meditate on the Supreme Being by means of Pratyāhāra finally leading to the supreme knowledge; 7 mārga to. 8 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. I. 2. 12-21; 5. 28; 7. 7; VI. 1. 15.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. X. 23. 39-50] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. VII. 1. 29-31.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. VII. 5. 23.] [ Footnote: 5) Ib. X. 23. 38, 41-43.] [ Footnote: 6) Br. III. 34. 37-8; 36. 3.] [ Footnote: 7) M. 183. 49-55.] [ Footnote: 8) Vā. 104. 15.] [ ID=9346 ]

### Division, Partition, or Share (4 definitions)
- distribution, partition, separation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 743,1] भक्ति (bhakti) f. distribution, partition, separation, Ṛg-veda (Title); Tāṇḍya-brāhmaṇa (Title) &c. ( cf. क्षेत्र - (kṣetra-), भङ्गी - भ् (bhaṅgī-bh) ° (°) ) [ ID=147660 ]
- a division, portion, or share  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a division, portion, share, Aitareya-brāhmaṇa (Title) [ ID=147661 ]
- 1. Distribution, partition, or share. 2. A line, streak, decoration, or variegation. 3. Devotion, attachment, love, or piety.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 371 ] भक्ति (bhakti) f. distribution, partition, division, portion, share; division by lines, variegation, decoration, line, streak; devotion, attachment, love or piety for ( loc., gen., or —°). [ ID=22484 ]
- 1. Allotment, partition, division, or separation. 2. Portion or share. 3. Variegation, decoration, embellishment, or ornament. 4. A division of a Saman. 5. Belonging to, or being a part of. 6. An attribute. 7. Devotion, devotedness, attachment, loyalty, loving faith, belief, or faith. 8. Love, affection, or fondness. 9. Reverence or homage.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > भक्ति (bhakti) [Printed book page 0695-b ] Bhakti, is, f. allotment, partition, division, sepa- ration [cf. kṣetra-bh° ]; dividing, separating into (various forms &c., cf. bhaṅgī-bh° ); division, por- tion, share; variegation, decoration, embellishment, ornament; a division of a Sāman (also called Vidhi, of which sometimes seven, sometimes only five are enumerated); the being a part of, belonging to; that which belongs to or is contained in anything else, an attribute; devotion, devotedness, attachment, loyalty, loving faith, belief, faith; love, affection, fondness for; reverence, homage. —Bhakti-kara, as, ī, am, see Pāṇ. III. 2, 21. —Bhakti-candrodaya (°ra- ud°), as, m. ‘rise of the moon of devotion,’ N. of a work. —Bhakti-ccheda, as, m. ‘distinctive mark of faith,’ a coloured streak, the separating or distin- guishing marks of devotion to Viṣṇu, particular streaks on the forehead, nose, cheeks, breast, and arms, which denote a follower of the Vaiṣṇava sect. —Bhakti-taraṅgiṇī, f., N. of a work. —Bhakti- tas, ind., Ved. accurately. —Bhakti-namra, as, ā, am, bent down in devotion, making obeisance. —Bhakti-pūrvam or bhakti-pūrvakam, ind. pre- ceded by devotion, devoutly, reverentially. —Bhakti- Page0695-c+ 81 prakaraṇa, am, n., N. of a portion of Halāyudha's Purāṇa-sarvasva. —Bhakti-praśaṃsā-varṇana, am, n., N. of a section of the Gaṇeśa-Purāṇa. —Bhakti- prārthanā, f., N. of a portion of the Purāṇa-sarvasva. —Bhakti-bhāj, k, k, k, possessing pious faith or true devotion; firmly attached or devoted to (with loc.). —Bhakti-mat, ān, atī, at, possessing faith, devoted, attached, faithful, loyal; religious, devout; accompanied by devotion. —Bhakti-mārga-nirū- paṇa, am, n., N. of a work. —Bhakti-muktāvalī, f., N. of a work. —Bhakti-yoga, as, m. faithful devotion, loving faith; N. of the first chapter of the Śiva-gītā. —Bhakti-ratnāvalī, f., N. of a work on devotion by Viṣṇu-purī. —Bhakti-rasa, as, m. a sense of devotion, feeling of loving faith. —Bhakti- rasāmṛta-sindhu (°sa-am°) and bhakti-rasā- yana, am, n., N. of two works. —Bhakti-rāga, as, m. affection or predilection for (with loc.). —Bhakti- vardhinī, f., N. of a metrical work on the means of increasing religious faith. —Bhakti-vāda, as, m. declaration of devotion, assurance of attachment. —Bhakti-viśiṣṭa, as, ā, am, distinguished by faith or devotion. —Bhakti-śata, am, n. ‘a hundred verses on faith,’ N. of a work on devotion by Sūrya. —Bhakti-siddhānta, as, m. or bhaktisiddhānta- vivṛti, is, f., N. of two works (‘explanation of the fundamental doctrines of faith’). —Bhakti-sudho- daya (°dhā-ud°), as, m. ‘production of the nectar of devotion,’ N. of the first part of the Nāradīya- Purāṇa. —Bhakti-sūtra, am, n., N. of a work con- taining the aphorisms of Śāṇḍilya. —Bhakti-haṃsa, N. of a treatise by Viṭṭhala-dīkṣita on faith in Kṛṣṇa. —Bhakti-hetu-nirṇaya, as, m., N. of a disquisition by Viṭṭhaleśvara on the sources of faith and devotion. —Bhakty-upakrama, as, m., N. of a work mentioned in the Śakti-ratnākara. —Bhakty- upahṛta, as, ā, am, offered with faith. [ ID=35002 ]

### Component or Attribute (2 definitions)
- being a part of or belonging to  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( ifc. ) the being a part of ( अज्भक्तेः (ajbhakteḥ), ‘on the part of the vowels’), belonging to, Siddhānta-kaumudī (Title) &c. [ ID=147666 ]
- An attribute or something contained in anything else.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > that which belongs to or is contained in anything else, an attribute, Nirukta, by Yāska (Title); Prātiśākhya (Literary category) [ ID=147667 ]

### Order or Succession (2 definitions)
- a row, series, or succession  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a row, series, succession, order ( ° त्या (°tyā) ind. and ° ति - तस् (°ti-tas) ind. in succession), Ṛg-veda-prātiśākhya (Title) [ ID=147665 ]
- in succession  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > भक्त्या (bhaktyā) ( ° त्या (°tyā) ), ind., in succession [ ID=147672.1 ]

### Streaks, Lines, or Decoration (2 definitions)
- division by streaks or lines  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 743,2] division by streaks or lines, Raghuvaṃśa (Title) [ ID=147663 ]
- A streak, line, or variegated decoration.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a streak, line, variegated decoration, Harivaṃśa (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category) [ ID=147664 ]

### Assumption of Form (1 definition)
- assuming the form of  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( ifc. ) assumption of the form of Meghadūta (Title) 61 [ ID=147670 ]

### Division of a Sāman (1 definition)
- a division of a Saman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a division of a Sāman (also called विधि (vidhi), of which 7 or 5 are enumerated), Lāṭyāyana (Author) Śaṃkarācārya [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=147662 ]

### Figurative Usage (Adverbial) (1 definition)
- figuratively  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2C) [Printed book page 743,2] भक्त्या (bhaktyā) ind. not in the regular sense, figuratively, Śaṃkarācārya [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=147672 ]

### Medical Predisposition (1 definition)
- body predisposition to disease  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > predisposition (of body to any disease), Carakasaṃhitā (Title) [ ID=147668 ]

### Orthographic/Usage Note (1 definition)
- wrong reading for bhangi or bhukti  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > often w.r. for भङ्गि (bhaṅgi) or भुक्ति (bhukti) [ ID=147671 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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