The Sages Differ on Defining Bhakti
Narada acknowledges that great teachers have offered varying definitions of bhakti, then surveys them before giving his own.
In Sutra 14, Narada humbly notes the diversity of views among sages: 'Loke api bhagavad-guna-shravanadau' and the discussion that follows shows that even the greatest teachers describe bhakti differently. Rather than dismiss other definitions, Narada gathers them respectfully — those of Vyasa, Garga, Shandilya, and the cowherds of Vrindavan. This inclusiveness reveals bhakti as a living, many-faceted reality too rich for a single formula. Narada models intellectual humility, presenting multiple authoritative views before distilling the essence. The approach mirrors sound scholarship in any field: surveying the tradition of thought before advancing one's own carefully reasoned conclusion.
There are differing views among the teachers concerning the nature of devotion.
Narada's survey of competing definitions reflects the classical Indian method of purva-paksha, in which a thinker fairly presents rival positions before establishing his own conclusion.
Narada Bhakti Sutras
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- What is bhakti? Narada's definition of devotion
Before defining it himself, Narada admits the teachers disagree. He gathers their views rather than dismissing them, which is unusual in a text this confident.