We put our Devas on posters.
We cheer when sacred ślokas play behind random violence to glorify a hero.
We blast vulgar film songs in front of Gaṇeśa.
Festivals turn into political rallies.
Temples become photo-op locations.
Dharma gets reduced to WhatsApp forwards.
And then we claim to be protecting the Dharma.
In the midst of all this noise, performative displays, and cultural theater—
Where is Bhakti?
Let me give you a reality check.
Because Sanātana Dharma did not survive for millennia because of noise.
It survived because of devotion.
Not through slogans.
Not through political mobilization.
Not through cultural performance.
Through Bhakti.
And śāstra defines what the highest Dharma actually is.
Sanskrit (Devanāgarī):
स वै पुंसां परो धर्मो यतो भक्तिरधोक्षजे ।
अहैतुकी अप्रतिहता ययाऽत्मा सुप्रसीदति ॥Sanskrit (IAST Transliteration):
sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaitukī apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdatiWord-by-Word Breakdown:
Translation:
“The supreme Dharma for humanity is that by which devotion to the Transcendent Lord is cultivated — devotion that is causeless and uninterrupted — by which the soul becomes fully satisfied.”
Paro dharmaḥ (परो धर्मः) = supreme Dharma
The Bhāgavatam does NOT say:
❌ Ritual is the supreme Dharma ❌ Display is the supreme Dharma ❌ Political mobilization is the supreme Dharma ❌ Cultural performance is the supreme Dharma ❌ Temple construction is the supreme Dharma ❌ Festivals are the supreme Dharma
The Bhāgavatam says:
✓ Bhakti is the supreme Dharma
That which cultivates devotion to the Transcendent Lord—that is paro dharma.
Everything else is secondary.
The verse defines bhakti with two essential characteristics:
1. Ahaitukī (अहैतुकी) — Without Selfish Motive / Causeless
Etymology:
Meaning:
Bhakti that is ahaitukī is not performed for:
Ahaitukī bhakti means:
“I worship not to GET something. I worship because I LOVE.”
Contrast with modern practice:
Modern “devotion” is often transactional:
This is NOT ahaitukī bhakti.
This is motivated religion—using God as a means to material ends.
2. Apratihatā (अप्रतिहता) — Uninterrupted / Unbroken
Etymology:
Meaning:
Bhakti that is apratihatā is:
Apratihatā bhakti means:
“My remembrance of the Divine continues regardless of external conditions.”
Contrast with modern practice:
Modern “devotion” is event-based:
This is NOT apratihatā bhakti.
This is seasonal religion—wearing devotion like festival clothing.
1. We Put Devas on Posters
The scene:
Truck drivers paste posters of Hanuman on their vehicles.
Political parties print Rama’s image on flags.
WhatsApp groups forward Ganesha GIFs on Wednesdays.
The question:
Is there remembrance? Or is there decoration?
Is there devotion? Or is there cultural performance?
Putting a deity’s image somewhere without internal connection is not bhakti.
It’s aesthetic Hinduism—using sacred imagery for cultural identity, not spiritual transformation.
2. We Cheer When Ślokas Play Behind Violence
The scene:
A film hero massacres dozens of enemies while Hanuman Chalisa plays in the background.
The audience erupts in applause.
Sacred verses become background score for bloodshed.
The question:
Do we honor the śloka? Or do we weaponize it?
Do we contemplate its meaning? Or do we use it for emotional manipulation?
When sacred sound becomes entertainment enhancement, we’ve lost the core.
The Hanuman Chalisa is not a battle anthem.
It is a devotional hymn of surrender.
Using it to glorify violence is sacrilege disguised as devotion.
3. We Blast Vulgar Songs in Front of Ganesha
The scene:
Gaṇeśa Chaturthi pandals with loudspeakers blaring:
Right in front of Ganesha’s mūrti.
The question:
If we truly felt the presence of the Divine, would we behave this way?
If we believed Ganesha is actually there, would we blast obscenity at Him?
The answer is obvious:
We don’t actually believe He’s there.
We treat the mūrti as a cultural prop.
The noise, the vulgarity, the disrespect—all of it reveals:
We are performing a cultural festival. We are not practicing bhakti.
4. Festivals Turn Into Political Rallies
The scene:
Rām Navami processions with:
The purpose:
Not devotion. Mobilization.
Not remembrance. Demonstration of power.
The question:
Has the festival honored Rama? Or has it used Rama?
Has it cultivated bhakti? Or has it generated political energy?
When a festival’s primary function is political messaging, the spiritual core has been hollowed out.
5. Temples Become Photo-Op Locations
The scene:
People at temples:
The question:
Why are you here?
To see God? Or to be seen seeing God?
To connect with the Divine? Or to broadcast your cultural identity?
The shift:
From darśana (seeing and being seen by the Divine)
To display (showing others you were there)
Who were they?
The Āḻvārs (ஆழ்வார்கள்) were 12 Vaishnava saint-poets in Tamil Nadu who sang devotional hymns to Vishnu.
Etymology:
Āḻvār (ஆழ்வார்) comes from Tamil root āḻ (ஆழ்) = “to immerse deeply”
Meaning: “Those immersed in God”
What did they do?
Their focus:
NOT: ❌ Political mobilization ❌ Cultural superiority ❌ Temple construction projects ❌ Festival spectacles
BUT: ✓ Pure devotion ✓ Personal surrender ✓ Love for Vishnu ✓ Service without motive
The result:
Society re-centered around bhakti.
Temples became houses of devotion, not tourist sites.
Festivals became expressions of love, not political events.
The Dharma stabilized through bhakti.
Who were they?
The Nāyanmārs (நாயன்மார்கள்) were 63 Shaiva saint-poets who sang devotional hymns to Shiva.
Etymology:
Nāyanār (நாயன்மார்) = “leaders,” “teachers,” “devotees of Shiva”
What did they do?
Their focus:
NOT: ❌ Ritual mechanics ❌ Brahminical hierarchy ❌ Caste purity ❌ External display
BUT: ✓ Ecstatic love for Shiva ✓ Complete surrender ✓ Devotion transcending social barriers
The result:
Shaivism became a living bhakti tradition, not just ritual orthodoxy.
Their hymns are still chanted in South Indian temples today.
Who was he?
Tukārām (तुकाराम) was a Varkari saint and poet in Maharashtra, devoted to Vitthala (Vishnu).
What did he do?
His teaching:
“God is not reached through ritual complexity, but through simple, sincere devotion.”
His focus:
NOT: ❌ Building grand temples ❌ Performing elaborate yajñas ❌ Brahminical learning ❌ Social status
BUT: ✓ Constant remembrance of Vitthala ✓ Surrender in all circumstances ✓ Singing God’s name ✓ Living with humility
The result:
The Varkari tradition became Maharashtra’s spiritual backbone.
Even today, millions walk to Pandharpur singing Tukaram’s abhangs.
This is bhakti that endures.
Who was she?
Mīrābāī (मीराबाई) was a Rajput princess who renounced everything for her love of Krishna.
What did she do?
Her declaration:
“मेरो तो गिरधर गोपाल, दूसरो न कोई”
“My Giridhar Gopal (Krishna) is everything; there is no one else.”
Her focus:
NOT: ❌ Social respectability ❌ Family duty ❌ Royal position ❌ Cultural conformity
BUT: ✓ Unconditional love for Krishna ✓ Personal relationship with the Divine ✓ Devotion over convention
The result:
Her songs are sung across India even today.
She became the symbol of bhakti transcending social barriers.
Who was he?
Chaitanya Mahāprabhu (चैतन्य महाप्रभु) was a Bengali saint who initiated the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement.
What did he do?
His teaching:
“In this age of Kali, chanting the holy names is the only way.”
His focus:
NOT: ❌ Complex philosophy ❌ Ritual expertise ❌ Social hierarchy ❌ External purity
BUT: ✓ Nama-sankirtana (chanting God’s names) ✓ Ecstatic devotion ✓ Love over knowledge ✓ Accessibility for all
The result:
The Hare Krishna movement spread globally.
Chaitanya’s bhakti crossed all boundaries—geographic, cultural, social.
This is the power of pure devotion.
Every time bhakti movements rose:
✓ Society re-centered around devotion ✓ Temples became living spaces of worship ✓ Caste barriers weakened (bhakti doesn’t discriminate) ✓ Local languages flourished (devotion speaks the people’s tongue) ✓ Saints emerged from all backgrounds ✓ Dharma stabilized through internal transformation, not external force
What these movements did NOT emphasize:
❌ Political mobilization ❌ Cultural superiority ❌ Ritual mechanics ❌ Temple construction as primary goal ❌ Festival spectacles ❌ Identity politics
What they DID emphasize:
✓ Personal devotion ✓ Surrender to the Divine ✓ Constant remembrance ✓ Love transcending social barriers ✓ Simple, sincere practice ✓ Internal transformation
When bhakti is no longer central:
❌ Practice becomes external performance
❌ Identity replaces transformation
❌ Display replaces sincerity
❌ Politics replaces spirituality
❌ The foundation shifts
If Bhakti is the supreme Dharma (paro dharma),
And bhakti is defined as:
Then most of what passes for “Hinduism” today is NOT practicing the supreme Dharma.
We are practicing:
But we are NOT practicing:
Most modern “Hindus” are:
✓ More concerned with defending Hinduism than practicing bhakti ✓ More focused on cultural preservation than internal transformation ✓ More invested in political identity than devotional surrender ✓ More interested in temple selfies than quiet remembrance ✓ More energized by festivals than daily practice
This is not paro dharma.
This is apara dharma—inferior religion.
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam says:
“sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje”
Supreme Dharma = that which cultivates devotion to the Transcendent
NOT:
BUT:
Are we doing that?
Be honest.
Ask yourself:
1. Do I actually feel devotion?
Or am I performing cultural identity?
2. When I visit a temple, why am I there?
For darśana (seeing and being seen by the Divine)?
Or for social validation (being seen by others)?
3. When I celebrate a festival, what am I celebrating?
The Divine?
Or my community identity?
4. Is my “Hinduism” primarily:
5. If bhakti is the supreme Dharma, how much of my life is actually devoted to bhakti?
Ask collectively:
1. Are our festivals becoming political rallies?
If yes, we’re failing.
2. Are our temples becoming tourist attractions?
If yes, we’re failing.
3. Are our celebrations becoming louder but emptier?
If yes, we’re failing.
4. Are we using Devas as political symbols?
If yes, we’re failing.
5. Are we defending Hinduism more than we’re practicing bhakti?
If yes, we’re failing.
If we re-centered around bhakti:
1. Festivals Would Be Devotional, Not Political
✓ Focus on collective remembrance of the Divine ✓ Singing bhajans with sincere devotion ✓ Creating space for silence and contemplation ✓ Minimal noise, maximum inner connection
❌ No political slogans ❌ No provocative displays of power ❌ No weaponry or confrontation ❌ No vulgarity in front of deities
2. Temples Would Be Houses of Devotion
✓ Spaces for quiet contemplation ✓ Darśana with attention and reverence ✓ Regular chanting and bhajan ✓ Teaching and scripture study
❌ Not tourist sites ❌ Not photo-op locations ❌ Not cultural museums ❌ Not event venues
3. Daily Practice Would Matter More Than Festival Attendance
✓ Personal morning puja ✓ Chanting mantras regularly ✓ Reading scripture ✓ Constant remembrance
❌ Not seasonal devotion ❌ Not performance-based religion ❌ Not event-driven spirituality
4. Internal Transformation Would Be The Goal
✓ Becoming more compassionate ✓ Developing detachment ✓ Cultivating humility ✓ Surrendering ego
❌ Not defending cultural identity ❌ Not political mobilization ❌ Not social validation ❌ Not external display
Historically, when Dharma was in decline:
NOT political movements saved it.
NOT cultural revivals saved it.
NOT temple construction saved it.
Bhakti movements saved it.
The Āḻvārs and Nāyanmārs revived Hinduism in South India when Buddhism and Jainism were dominant—through bhakti, not politics.
Chaitanya Mahāprabhu revitalized Bengal when society was fragmenting—through nama-sankirtana, not rallies.
Tukaram sustained Maharashtra through difficult periods—through abhangs, not mobilization.
Mirabai inspired millions—through surrender, not slogans.
The pattern is consistent:
When bhakti rises, Dharma stabilizes.
When bhakti weakens, Dharma becomes hollow.
We stand at a crossroads.
Option 1: Continue the Current Path
Option 2: Return to the Core
The Bhāgavatam is clear:
“sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje ahaitukī apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati”
Supreme Dharma is that which cultivates devotion—
Devotion that is:
By which the soul becomes completely satisfied.
If bhakti becomes secondary, the foundation shifts.
If bhakti becomes central again, Dharma stabilizes naturally.
The core has always been devotion.
Not noise.
Not politics.
Not performance.
Devotion.
Has Hindu Dharma lost its core?
Only if we’ve lost bhakti.
And we’re dangerously close.
Jayanth Dev is an author writing on Hindu scriptures, Sanatana Dharma, and mythological narratives through books, long-form articles, and explanatory talks.
His work focuses on examining scriptural ideas in context—drawing from the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas to clarify commonly misunderstood concepts and traditions. Across both fiction and non-fiction, he approaches Sanatana thought as a living framework rather than a static belief system.
Jayanth is the author of I Met Parashurama, Escaping the Unknown, and the Dhantasura series.
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