bhaj

Bhaj is a Sanskrit verb root meaning to worship, adore, or participate in devotional practice. It appears in classical texts and serves as the linguistic basis for related terms such as bhaja (the imperative form), bhajana (devotional song), and bhakti (devotion). The form bhaja is used in hymns and mantras to instruct or encourage worship of a deity, for example in the well-known line bhaja Govindam, which invites devotion to Govinda.

In Hinduism, bhaj is closely linked with bhakti, the path of personal devotion to a deity. Devotional practices that derive from this root include singing bhajans, or devotional songs, and performing rituals that express reverence and love for the divine. The concept of bhakti has been central to various movements and traditions within Indian religiosity, influencing poetry, music, and temple worship.

In modern Indian languages such as Hindi and Marathi, forms of the root bhaj continue to be used to convey worship or devotional singing. The noun bhajan refers specifically to a devotional song, while bhakti denotes devotion more broadly. The root also appears in numerous compounds and phrases that reflect the ongoing role of devotion in religious and cultural life.

Overall, bhaj functions as a foundational term in Sanskrit and related Indian languages for practices and expressions of devotion, with its most visible legacies being bhaj (to worship), bhajan (devotional song), and bhakti (devotion).