# Bhakti Stages and Processes *The progressive stages of devotional service* Total entries: 96 ## The Nine Processes of Bhakti (Nava-vidhā Bhakti) As described by Prahlada Maharaja: 1. **[[index/S#śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam defined|Śravaṇaṁ]]** - Hearing about Krishna 2. **[[index/K#kīrtanam|Kīrtanam]]** - Chanting Krishna's glories 3. **[[index/S#smaraṇam|Smaraṇam]]** - Remembering Krishna 4. **[[index/P#pāda-sevanam|Pāda-sevanam]]** - Serving Krishna's lotus feet 5. **[[index/A#arcanam|Arcanam]]** - Deity worship 6. **[[index/V#vandanam|Vandanam]]** - Offering prayers 7. **[[index/D#dāsya stage of devotional service|Dāsya]]** - Servitorship 8. **[[index/S#sakhya stage of devotional service|Sakhya]]** - Friendship 9. **Ātma-nivedanam** - Complete surrender ## Types of Bhakti **[[index/V#vaidhi-bhakti defined|Vaidhi-bhakti]]** (Regulated devotion): - Following scriptural rules - Performing prescribed duties - Gradual purification **[[index/R#rāgānugā-bhakti|Rāgānugā-bhakti]]** (Spontaneous devotion): - Following in the footsteps of Vraja-vasis - Spontaneous attraction - Higher stage ## Stages of Devotional Development 1. **Śraddhā** - Faith 2. **Sādhu-saṅga** - Association with devotees 3. **Bhajana-kriyā** - Beginning devotional practices 4. **Anartha-nivṛtti** - Clearing unwanted habits 5. **Niṣṭhā** - Steadiness 6. **Ruci** - Taste 7. **Āsakti** - Attachment 8. **Bhāva** - Ecstasy 9. **Prema** - Pure love ## Forms of Surrender (Śaraṇāgati) Six aspects of surrender: 1. Accepting favorable 2. Rejecting unfavorable 3. Faith that Krishna will protect 4. Accepting Krishna as maintainer 5. Self-surrender 6. Humility ## All Related Entries - [[index/A#arcanam|Arcanam]] - [[index/A#arcanam in kṛṣṇa consciousness|Arcanam in Kṛṣṇa consciousness]] - [[index/A#arcanā, prescribed with saṅkīrtana|Arcanā, prescribed with saṅkīrtana]] - [[index/B#bhagavad-bhakti defined|Bhagavad-bhakti defined]] - [[index/entries/bhakti|Bhakti]] - [[index/entries/bhakti-defined|Bhakti defined]] - [[index/B#bhakti-bhajana defined|Bhakti-bhajana defined]] - [[index/B#bhakti-bhāva defined|Bhakti-bhāva defined]] - [[index/B#bhakti-kārya defined|Bhakti-kārya defined]] - [[index/B#bhakti-latā compared to malayadhvajas daughter|Bhakti-latā compared to Malayadhvajas daughter]] - [[index/B#bhakti-mārga|Bhakti-mārga]] - [[index/entries/bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu|Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu]] - [[index/B#bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, instructions in|Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, instructions in]] - [[index/B#bhakti-ratnākara|Bhakti-ratnākara]] - [[index/entries/bhakti-sandarbha|Bhakti-sandarbha]] - [[index/entries/bhakti-yoga|Bhakti-yoga]] - [[index/B#bhakti-yoga defined|Bhakti-yoga defined]] - [[index/B#bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo|Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo]] - [[index/B#bird compared to surrendered soul|Bird compared to surrendered soul]] - [[index/C#caṇḍālas, devotional service elevates|Caṇḍālas, devotional service elevates]] - [[index/C#cintāmaṇi prayer recommended|Cintāmaṇi prayer recommended]] - [[index/C#constitutional position of surrender|Constitutional position of surrender]] - [[index/C#creeper & devotional service, analogy of|Creeper & devotional service, analogy of]] - [[index/C#creeper of devotion|Creeper of devotion]] - [[index/D#dancing in devotion to lord|Dancing in devotion to Lord]] - [[index/D#debts & devotional service|Debts & devotional service]] - [[index/entries/devotional-service-to-lord|Devotional service to Lord]] - [[index/entries/devotional-service-to-supreme-lord|Devotional service to Supreme Lord]] - [[index/D#dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes|Dhyāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes]] - [[index/D#digestive fire compared to devotional service|Digestive fire compared to devotional service]] - [[index/D#dāsya stage of devotional service|Dāsya stage of devotional service]] - [[index/G#gold & silver in fire compared to living entity in devotional service|Gold & silver in fire compared to living entity in devotional service]] - [[index/I#instinct for devotional service|Instinct for devotional service]] - [[index/I#iron rod in fire, devotee in devotional service compared to|Iron rod in fire, devotee in devotional service compared to]] - [[index/J#jñāna-yoga compared with bhakti-yoga|Jñāna-yoga compared with bhakti-yoga]] - [[index/J#jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes|Jñāna-yoga, bhakti-yoga completes]] - [[index/K#kevala-bhakti defined|Kevala-bhakti defined]] - [[index/entries/kirtana|Kīrtana]] - [[index/K#kīrtana defined|Kīrtana defined]] - [[index/K#kīrtana in kṛṣṇa consciousness|Kīrtana in Kṛṣṇa consciousness]] - [[index/K#kīrtanam|Kīrtanam]] - [[index/K#kṛṣṇa-kīrtana|Kṛṣṇa-kīrtana]] - [[index/M#mango & devotional service, analogy of|Mango & devotional service, analogy of]] - [[index/N#nectar of devotion|Nectar of Devotion]] - [[index/N#nectar of devotion as auspicious|Nectar of Devotion as auspicious]] - [[index/N#nectar of devotion cited on worship|Nectar of Devotion cited on worship]] - [[index/entries/nectar-of-devotion-the|Nectar of Devotion, The]] - [[index/N#nectar of devotion, bhāva described in|Nectar of Devotion, bhāva described in]] - [[index/O#obligations, worldly, devotional service &|Obligations, worldly, devotional service &]] - [[index/P#parama-bhakti-yoga explained|Parama-bhakti-yoga explained]] - [[index/P#parā bhaktiḥ defined|Parā bhaktiḥ defined]] - [[index/P#parā-bhakti defined|Parā-bhakti defined]] - [[index/P#power, material, via devotional service|Power, material, via devotional service]] - [[index/P#prayer day|Prayer Day]] - [[index/entries/prayer|Prayer(s)]] - [[index/entries/prayer-to-krsna|Prayer(s) to Kṛṣṇa]] - [[index/P#protective prayer|Protective prayer]] - [[index/entries/pure-devotional-service|Pure devotional service]] - [[index/entries/pure-devotional-service-to-lord|Pure devotional service to Lord]] - [[index/P#puruṣa-sūkta prayers|Puruṣa-sūkta prayers]] - [[index/P#pāda-sevanam|Pāda-sevanam]] - [[index/P#pāda-sevanam in kṛṣṇa consciousness|Pāda-sevanam in Kṛṣṇa consciousness]] - [[index/R#renunciation via devotional service|Renunciation via devotional service]] - [[index/R#rituals of devotional service|Rituals of devotional service]] - [[index/R#rāga-bhakti defined|Rāga-bhakti defined]] - [[index/R#rāgānugā-bhakti|Rāgānugā-bhakti]] - [[index/R#rāja-guhyam, devotional service as|Rāja-guhyam, devotional service as]] - [[index/S#sakhya stage of devotional service|Sakhya stage of devotional service]] - [[index/entries/sankirtana|Saṅkīrtana]] - [[index/S#saṅkīrtana movement|Saṅkīrtana movement]] - [[index/S#saṅkīrtana movement. see: kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; international society for krishna consciousness|Saṅkīrtana movement. See: Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement; International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] - [[index/entries/sankirtana-yajna|Saṅkīrtana-yajña]] - [[index/S#self-interest, devotional service as|Self-interest, devotional service as]] - [[index/S#smaraṇam|Smaraṇam]] - [[index/S#smaraṇam defined|Smaraṇam defined]] - [[index/S#smaraṇam in kṛṣṇa consciousness|Smaraṇam in Kṛṣṇa consciousness]] - [[index/entries/surrender|Surrender]] - [[index/entries/surrender-to-lord|Surrender to Lord]] - [[index/entries/surrender-to-supreme-lord|Surrender to Supreme Lord]] - [[index/S#surrender to pure devotees|Surrender to pure devotees]] - [[index/S#sādhana-bhakti|Sādhana-bhakti]] - [[index/S#sādhana-bhakti defined|Sādhana-bhakti defined]] - [[index/T#taste for devotional service|Taste for devotional service]] - [[index/V#vaidhi-bhakti defined|Vaidhi-bhakti defined]] - [[index/V#vandanam|Vandanam]] - [[index/V#vandanam in kṛṣṇa consciousness|Vandanam in Kṛṣṇa consciousness]] - [[index/V#vidhi-bhakti|Vidhi-bhakti]] - [[index/V#vidhi-bhakti defined|Vidhi-bhakti defined]] - [[index/V#vātsalya stage of devotional service|Vātsalya stage of devotional service]] - [[index/S#śaraṇāgati|Śaraṇāgati]] - [[index/S#śaraṇāgati defined|Śaraṇāgati defined]] - [[index/S#śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam defined|Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam defined]] - [[index/S#śuddha-bhakti|Śuddha-bhakti]] - [[index/S#śānta stage of devotional service|Śānta stage of devotional service]] - [[index/S#”scholars” deny surrender to kṛṣṇa|”Scholars” deny surrender to Kṛṣṇa]] - [[index/S#”seed” of devotional service|”Seed” of devotional service]] ## Related Categories - [[index/concepts/rasa-theory|Rasa Theory]] - [[index/personalities/devotees|Devotees]] - [[index/scriptures/nectar-of-devotion|Nectar of Devotion]]