Anasakti as Interpreted and Practised in the Bhakti Tradition

Anasakti refers to traits like detachment, non-concern for outcome, equanimity in the face of both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances and selfless duty, accompanied with the ability to disengage from the material pleasures to the extent of completely disconnecting from the fruits of ones’ actions. While anasakti could certainly be a desirable goal for every individual, it is far from easy to bring this into practice. This paper discusses how the Hindu philosophy of Tatvavada as followed by Vaishnava Brahmins impacts their world view and helps develop anasakti in facing various crises in everyday life. This paper draws from a larger ethnomethodologically informed ethnography of a Gurukula. During fieldwork that lasted over 18 months, the researcher was able to observe and interview residents in the Gurukula and devotees visiting the place. The themes that came up in in-depth interviews argue that bhakti may provide a concrete anchor to help develop anasakti in the face of traumatic events, contributing to enhancement of their well-being while providing a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.