Short definitions for verse forms, theological terms, and recurring words in the Bhakti literature — enough to orient a reader, not to close an argument.
Bhakti भक्ति
Devotion — often translated as love, attachment, or surrender to the divine. In the Bhakti movement it also names a way of relating to God outside temple hierarchy and Sanskrit learning.
Doha दोहा
A couplet form especially associated with Kabir and other north Indian sant poets. Dohas compress argument, paradox, and spiritual insight into two rhyming lines.
Abhanga अभंग
An unbroken devotional song in Marathi, closely linked to the Varkari tradition and poets such as Tukaram, Namdev, and Eknath.
Pad पद
A devotional verse or song — literally a foot or step of a poem. Used across several north Indian traditions for short lyrical compositions.
Bhajan भजन
A devotional song meant to be sung, often in a congregational setting. Bhajans helped carry Bhakti poetry across regions and generations.
Pasuram பாசுரம்
A Tamil devotional hymn, especially in the Sri Vaishnava tradition associated with the Alvar poets, including Andal.
Sakhi साखी
A witness couplet or short teaching verse, often attributed to Kabir. The word also means witness or female friend in other contexts.
Nirguna निर्गुण
Without qualities — describing a formless, attributeless divine often emphasized by poets such as Kabir and Nanak.
Saguna सगुण
With qualities — devotion directed toward a named, embodied, or personal form of God, as in much Krishna or Rama bhakti.
Varkari
A Marathi devotional tradition centred on pilgrimage to Pandharpur and the worship of Vithoba, with a major poetic lineage including Jnaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram.