There are seven sadhana in the path of devotion – Bhakti path of God realization – in Hindu religion. The seven sadhanas or upasana are viveka, vimoka, abhyasa, kriya, kalyana, anavasada and anuddhra.
Viveka is kaya siddhi or the purification of the body by
means of sattvic food. Vimoka is freedom from the circle of kama and krodha.
Abhyasa follows from bodily purity and mental calmness. Kriya is the five-fold
duty to the sub-human species, human society, the guru, the forefathers and the
gods. It is the overt action or duty. Kalyana is the practice of virtue as the
inner side of duty. Anavasada is freedom from despair due to disappointment, remembrance
of past sorrows and horrible imaginings. Anuddharsa is the absence of
exaltation, i.e., excessive joy and absence of joy.
The chief aim of seven sadhana is the practice of moral and
spiritual discipline by the harmonious development of thought, feeling and will
which are partial expressions of the attributive consciousness of the meditating
bhakta.
Bhakti upasana is the practice of the presence of the atman
and admits of the three stages of firm meditation, repetition and the origin of
union.