The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (372 page)

rga). Since these are ways of being united to the ultimately true and real, they are also known as karmayoga, jñ
na-yoga, and bhakti-yoga, the latter amounting to
r
ja-yoga
.
The
G
t
appears to have been addressed (the date is uncertain, but
c.
200 BCE is likely) to a situation in which major unease about the excessive and costly rituals of
Brahmanical religion
had led to a reaction so severe that it had isolated both Buddhism and Jainism as separate religions. The
G
t
appears to make a deliberate attempt to show the worth of the major ways of the continuing tradition (though obviously it corrects any non-theistic system if taken in isolation). It therefore reads as a deliberate attempt to reconcile and hold the line against further schism. It achieves a profound reconciliation; not surprisingly, therefore, it is the most revered and influential text among Hindus.

 
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(Skt., 1st person nom. of
bhagavat
, ‘having shares’, from vbhaj, ‘distribute, partake’). Hindu epithet for God as constantly concerned for human well-being, and as ‘one who receives his share’ (sc., of offerings and honour). Although the term can be used as a title of respect for honoured individuals, especially teachers (it is used of the
Buddha
, see
BHAGAV
, or more recently in the form ‘Bhagwan’ in Rajneeshism), it is most commonly used of God as Lord. A Bh
gavata is one who is devoted to Bhagv
n, in a disposition of
bhakti
. Major texts of this devotion are
Bhagavad-g
t
and
Bh
gavata-pur
a
.
Initially, Bh
gavatas were not organized as a movement or sect. Subsequently many bhakti movements of Bh
gavatas came into being.