The Manifest Bliss of Bhakti Yoga

 The Manifest Bliss of Bhakti Yoga

That which is readily perceived by the senses, especially the sense of sight, becomes a gateway to the divine. In Sanskrit, this is termed vyakta, the manifest, tangible presence of the eternal. In every form of yoga, one must endeavor to taste this manifest bliss, a direct experience of the sacred woven into existence. Among these paths, bhakti yoga shines as the most manifest of all yogas, its vibrancy undeniable. Through the deity, the holy name (nāma), the sacred tulsi, the flowing Ganges, and other divine symbols, bhakti offers a vivid, sensory connection to the infinite.

In this practice, upāsanā ānanda—the bliss of worship—arises naturally, derived from showing reverence to this manifest divinity. Here, matter and the divine intermingle seamlessly, a union known as adhiṣṭhāna, where the mundane is infused with the transcendent. This reverence extends even among humans—to the guru, elders, and all beings—as embodiments of grace. A bhakti yogi, mālamāl in spiritual wealth, abides in perpetual bliss, enriched by every act of devotion. When one grasps the sevya-sevā tattva—the principle of serving the served—and sees it operating everywhere, life transforms. Thus, as the Gita declares, yat karoṣi—whatever you do—becomes rāja vidyā, the kingly science of living in divine harmony.

Signed, Ramarasa