Tattva-viveka

Sukrti and Samskara

Prema-bhakti - November 14, 2010 12:33 pm

Maybe this has been discussed before but would someone please explain the difference between bhakti sukrti and bhakti samskara.

Madan Gopal Das - November 16, 2010 7:24 pm

I'm no scholar to really get into the deep meanings of these words, but my understanding is that sukrti means something like devotional eligibility, merit, or credit. A credit in bhakti which is either being "cashed in" (at which point one takes to bhakti practice) or will be in the future. Bhakti sukrti could refer to the source of a persons devotional practice, i.e. getting the mercy of the bhakta.

Samskara on the other hand would refer to a more developed, embedded, existing inclination towards bhakti, acknowledging that bhakti has become part of the person. A bhakti samskara means one has a natural tendency towards bhakti, a developed inclination that draws one to bhakti from any situation. I think the example is given of a dry river bed; the river may be dry, but the course of the river is set. Samskaras are like these river beds in our subtle body/mind. When the water becomes available it will flow down that path. And the deeper the impression (samskara) gets, the more determined a course that bhakti will flow without diversion.