In the world, we adopt many bhavas (emotions/attitudes) towards the people we love. In the ame way, in bhakti yoga, the bhakta takes up one of these bhavas in relation to his ishta devata. One may look upon the deity as one’s parent, master, friend, child or love and develop love accordingly.
Five different bhavas are prescribed, namely, shanta
(calmess), dasya (the attitude of a privileged servant of Bhagavan), sakhya
(affection for a friendship), vatsalya (affection for offspring) and Madhura (conjugal
love).
Of these, that shanta bhava does not express any personal
relationship with the deity. Single-minded devotion to him, without any other
craving, as well as knowledge of his essential nature, brings about a calm
poise which is called shanta bhava. The seven sages headed by Sanaka (Sapta
Rishis) are the examples of this type of devotion).
The dasya devotee looks upon himself as the privileged
servant of Bhagavan of infinite glories, for example, Hanuman’s relationship to
Rama.
Sakhya Bhava is the attitude of a devotee who looks upon
Bhagavan as friend and comrade. The cowherds of Vrindavan and Krishna’s friend
Sudama are shining examples of this bhava. Krishna and Arjuna also are the
exemplars of this bhava.
Yashoda and the milkmaids of Vrindavan exhibit ideal patterns
of vatsalya and Madhura bhava. Meera Bai, the great devotee of Bhagavan Sri
Krishna, is a fine example of Madhura bhava.
Devotees associated with the shanta and dasya bhavas keep themselves as a respectful distance from Bhagavan. The three other types draw themselves closer and closer to Bhagavan. Consciousness of the might and glories of the God recedes into the background and he becomes intensely personal. In sakhya, there is actually a sense of equality as between two comrades. This surely is a very advanced state of love. In vatsalya, one looks upon him as one’s child. In her deep and intense love for Krishna, Yashoda sincerely believed that Bhagavan would go hungry if she did not feed Him. She did not think of Him as the eternal and omnipotent one. Indeed, love through vatsalya reaches a frenzied state. The culmination, however, is reached in Madhura bhava, where the lover and the beloved become one through intense love. This is typified by Radha’s love for Bhagavan Krishna.