Mahamahopadhyaya Dr. Gautam Patel born on 4th August, 1936 is an internationally known scholar of Sanskrit Literature and Culture. He is honored by the President of India for his contribution in the field of Sanskrit Scholarship. He is the Former Chairman of Sanskrit Sahitya Akademi, Gujarat State. There Sanskrit University have conformed upon him honorary D.Litt. for his contribution in the field of Sanskrit Literature. He is Bharata-Shree, Vedaratna, Brahmarshi and Shastrachudamani also.
He has more than 150 works in English, Hindi, Sanskrit and Gujarati of his credit on subjects right from Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad-Gita, Works of Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Bhasa, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Bana etc. He has published more than 100 Research Papers in various Research Journals.
He has visited countries like UK, USA, France, East Africa, China, Nepal etc. to deliver lectures on various subjects related to Indian Literature and Culture.
Bhakti is recognized as one of the three major paths for the realization of ultimate truth in Indian Religious Literature; other two paths are Jnana and Karma. The origin of Bhakti is traceable in Vedic Mantras and its development as an institution also traceable before B.C.
Here in this book Bhakti, its origin its major principles and its discussion in Narada-Bhakti-Sutra, Sandilya-Bhakti-Sutra, Bhagavad-Gita as well as Bhagavata Purana etc. are dealt in detail with proper quotations from the original works.
The Contribution of Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Vallabhacharya, Narsimha Mehta, Kabir etc. is also examined in this book.
Hope this book will prove interesting and helpful to scholars of the subjects and common reader alike.
In Indian tradition Bhakti, Jnana and Karma these three and only three paths for the realization of God are traded right from the Vedic Age. Among them the seedlings of Bhakti are traceable easily in the oldest religious text of Sanatana Dharma viz. Rigveda. Though Upanisads insists more on Jnana yet Bhakti was not totally ignored.
I was invited as a resource person by the director of Indian Institute of Advance Study, Shimla, where during my stay for a month I delivered four lectures and now with some inavitable additions they are presented here in a book form. I am highly thankful to the authority of the institute for publishing those lectures. I am thankful to Dr. Mahesh Champaklal who helped me in expediating the matter. I thank Shri Devendra, the Publication Officer of IIAC for his active interest in publishing this book.
I am specially indebted to my Gurudeva Anantshri-Vibhushita Vedadarshanacharya Swami Shri Gangeshwaranandji Maharaja who has initiated me in Sanskrit study and made be worthy of his blessings by which I could study Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, various Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as the works of Bhasa, Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Jagannatha in literature and those of Shankaracharya, Ramanuja-charya, Vallabhacharya in philosophy.
Whatever little I have learnt is reproduced here as "Devotion in Indian Tradition". I have no claim of perfection. Whatever presented here belongs to our great ancient seers. I accept my indebtedness to them. I pray Almighty with deep sense of devotion to make me an instrument in His work.
Hope the readers would enjoy the tradition of Bhakti which has proved a great consolation as well as a boosting power to a seeker of salvation or a Supreme Bliss.
I am highly thankful to Naushil Shah for his help in producing this book because in the absence of his help this book might have fail to see the day light.
Vedas (1295)
Upanishads (481)
Puranas (610)
Ramayana (837)
Mahabharata (331)
Dharmasastras (163)
Goddess (473)
Bhakti (240)
Saints (1296)
Gods (1270)
Shiva (341)
Journal (144)
Fiction (49)
Vedanta (330)
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