etymology of the word bhakti

[Guest guest]

praNAms members,

 

What is the etymology of the word bhakti? The root 'bha'

seems to be connected to light, as in bhasate,

bharathi and bhaskar. What about the rest of the word?

What is its meaning (according to nirukta for example)?

 

praNAms again

Ramakrishna

[Guest guest]

This word is from bhaj- sevAyAm- to serve, worship.. See 'bhajate mAm ananyabhAk'.

S.N.Sastri

On 8/21/08, Ramakrishna Upadrasta <uramakrishna wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

praNAms members,What is the etymology of the word bhakti? The root 'bha'seems to be connected to light, as in bhasate, bharathi and bhaskar. What about the rest of the word? What is its meaning (according to nirukta for example)?

praNAms againRamakrishna --

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Ramakrishna,

 

> What is the etymology of the word bhakti?

 

I am explaining the derivation of the word using Paanini's grammar.

 

The word bhaktiH is from the root " bhaj sevaayaam " . Sri Sastri ji has

rightly pointed out. bhaj with ktin pratyaya will become bhaktiH . k

and n of ktin pratyayas are technically called as 'it' in Sanskrit.

Corresponding sutras for these are: 1) lashakvataddhite and 2)

halantyam. These 'it's are dropped as per the sutra 3) tasya lopaH

 

The sequence of operations as the above sutras are:

 

Step A = bhaj + ktin

Step B = bhaj + tin (after applying Sutra 1 and 3)

Step C = bhaj + ti (after applying Sutra 2 and 3)

 

When 't' follows 'j', then 'j' will become 'c'. The sutra for this is

4) khari ca

 

So, Step D = bhac + ti (after applying Sutra 4)

 

When 't' follows 'c', then 'c' will become 'k'. The sutra for this is

5) coH kuH

 

So, Step E = bhak + ti (after applying Sutra 5)

 

Step F = bhakti

 

Step G = prathamaa ekavacanam of bhakti = bhaktiH (bhaktiH cannot be

obtained simply ...!!!!)

 

Even so,

yuj + ktin = yuktiH

muc + ktin = muktiH

etc.