Navadha Bhakti

Nine Forms of Bhakti

Devotional service can be expressed through hearing, chanting, remembering and serving.

Nine traditional practices

The list follows the traditional Navadha Bhakti enumeration.

01

Sravana

Hearing about the Lord, His names, qualities and activities.

02

Kirtana

Chanting and glorifying the Lord, including Nama Sankirtana.

03

Smarana

Remembering the Lord and cultivating devotional remembrance.

04

Pada-sevana

Serving the Lord’s lotus feet as described in the devotional tradition.

05

Archana

Worship through prescribed devotional offerings and practices.

06

Vandana

Offering prayers and respectful obeisances.

07

Dasya

Serving the Lord with the attitude of a devoted servant.

08

Sakhya

Cultivating a relationship of friendship with the Lord.

09

Atma-nivedana

Offering oneself in full surrender to the Lord.

Study further: Precise scriptural references and lineage-specific explanations will be added after editorial verification.

Where does chanting fit?

Kirtana is one of the nine practices, while hearing and remembering also naturally accompany attentive chanting. NamaAmrita places chanting at the centre of its practical tools and offers learning resources to support devotional study.