Yoga philosophy- Bhakti sutras

What is Bhakti? What is devotion? What is love for God? What are the ways to practice Bhakti? What is the essence of Bhakti?

When we are studying yoga, we come across the word “Bhakti” in many texts. Bhakti is also something that we easily misunderstand its meaning and feel overwhelmed by it because it is something very big, beyond words, and not relative to any other love that we have known of.

In this course, we will study the path of devotion (bhakti) according to the sage Narada. Bhakti sutras of Narada contains 84 sutras and explains bhakti in a simple and practical way, yet deeply. The class will be held in the traditional style, going through the sutra one by one. 

Course details:

- The classes will be held 3 times a week- Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, staring on Saturday, 17 April and finishing on 12 May (Total of 12 classes)

- The class will be held livestream over zoom at 1:30pm* (Indian standard time). Each class will be for approximately 2 hours. *Helsinki, Finland- 11am, Oslo, Norway- 10am, Brisbane, Australia- 6pm, Japan- 5pm.

- We will study the first chapter of Bhakti sutras in this course. 

- You can join the class livestream or through recording- each class will be recorded and the link to the recording will be e-mailed to all the participants the next day. 

- The class materials and the zoom link will be e-mailed to the participants about one week before the course starting date. 

- The course fee is 12500 Indian rupees (approximately €144, Aus$221, JAP¥18700)

This course is for anyone who is interested in learning more about yoga, yoga philosophy and bhakti. No experience in philosophy studies is necessary.

If you have any questions, please contact Yumi by e-mail: yogagurukulaonline@gmail.com

About Vijaya-

Vijaya Kumar Manja was born in a traditional Brahmin family in the small town Pandeshwar near Udupi in South Canara in Karnataka, South India. After completing highschool (SSLC), he joined the legendary Sringeri Sharada Peetham, one of the four Advaita centers of education established by Shankaracharya (800 AD), famous for the high standard of teaching of the Vedas and Shastras. Vijaya completed three years of studies here, achieving the sahitya degree and thereby getting deep knowledge of Sanskrit literature and the text of Rig Veda.

After completing his studies in Sringeri, he went to Mysore to study at the Maharaja Sanskrit University College, one of the most ancient and well-acclaimed institutions of education in India as well as an important traditional seat of knowledge. Here he stayed more than 6 years, studying Sanskrit and philosophy with his respectable and learned guru Vidwan Gangadhara Bhat. He earned the ‘Vidwat’ degree in the disciplines of Naveena Nyaya (medieval Indian logic) and Advaita Vedanta (the system of metaphysics expounded by Sri Sankara) and also achieved distinction in both subjects. He also completed his Masters Degree in Sanskrit from the Karnataka State Open University. During this period, Vijaya attended various elocution competitions all over India and won many prizes, the most significant being the first prize in the national elocution competition in the subjects of Sankhya and Yoga. Vijaya has recently finished his Ph.D. with a subject of 'Yoga Cikitsa'; 'curative procedures prescribed in Yoga and Upanishads'.