B h a k ti
Tradition and the Role of Saint-Philosophers
93
incomparable reward of seeing me is that the individual soul
attains to its own original state.
The qualities of a Bhakta have been described in various ways. The
Bhagavad-Gita mentions the following twenty qualities of a Bhakta:"*
Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity,
approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness,
steadiness, self-control, renunciation of the objects of sense
gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of
birth, death, old age, and disease, detachment, freedom from
entanglement with children, wife, home, and the rest, even
mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events, constant and
unalloyed devotion to Lord Krishna, aspiring to live in a
solitary place, detachment from the general mass of people,
accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical
search for the Absolute Truth.
Other Hindu scriptures also describe the qualities of a Bhakta in a similar
manner:^
Kripalu (merciful), Akrit-droha (not defiant), Satya-sara
(truthful), Sama (equal to everyone), Nidosha (faultless),
Vadanya (magnanimous), Mridu (mild), Suchi (clean),
Akinchana (without material possessions), Sarvopakaraka
(performs welfare work for everyone), Shanta (peaceful),
Krishnaka-sharana (surrendered to Krishna), Akama
(desireless), Aniha (indifferent to material possessions), Sthira
(fixed), Vijita-sad-gima (completely controls the six bad
tendencies of Kama - lust, Krodha - anger, Lobha - greed,
Moha - illusion, Mada - madness, and Matsarya - envy), Mitabhuk (eats only as much as required), Apramatta (without
inebriation), Mananda (respectful), Amani (without false
prestige), Gambhira (grave), Karuna (compassionate), Maitra
(a friend), Kavi (a poet), Daksha (expert), and Mauni (silent).
Bhakti Tradition and Popular Indian Culture
As background to the discussion of Bhakti tradition and popular Indian
culture, it should be noted that Hinduism prescribes four main goals in life in the
following order: Dharma (fulfilling of the duties and responsibilities and living
life properly), Artha (earning of wealth and having possessions through ethical
and moral means), Kama (full and timely enjoyment of the collected wealth and
possessions), and Moksha (finally liberating oneself of all worldly possessions