Based on the traits exhibited by the devotee, his devotion can be classified into Sattva guna bhakti, Rajo guna bhakti and Tamo guna bhakti.

_(_Sattva means traits of goodness and purity; rajas includes traits of passion and activity while tamas comprises of spiritual ignorance, inertia)

Sattvik bhakti is the most superior among these three types of devotion. In this, traits such as truth, compassion, forgiveness, charitable nature, tranquillity and selfless nature of intellect can be seen. This is definitely the most superior type of devotion.

A true devotee has towards his or her Lord a very strong love. The Lord too reciprocates the same love towards such a devotee. Strong and powerful feelings of love and devotion flow from the devotee towards the Lord and again from the Lord towards the devotee. The compositions (kritis) of the great devotees contain in them this great flow of love and devotion.

**_Rajasic bhakti _**is the second best. In this, all the traits found in the sattva guna bhakti can be found but in addition there is a strong ego (ahamkara).

In tamasic bhakti, the devotee has the audacity to question the Lord in derogatory terms as to why He could not accomplish a particular task or fulfill a particular request. Hence here, demonic and tamasic traits exist. Demons possess this kind of bhakti. Eg: Hiranyakashipu, Ravana.

Each and every one of us should seek pure sattvik bhakti. Devotion coupled with rajo guna is also reasonably acceptable, however devotion with tamo guna should never exist under any circumstances. Our Shastras (scriptures) declare that anyone who possesses such a devotion will have to take birth once again in 82 lakh wombs. Even though the Almighty is all forgiving, he does not forgive bhakti (devotion) that is totally tamasic.

Ravana once went to Kailasa (abode of Lord Shiva) to invite Shiva and Parvati. They did not reply. Infuriated with this, Ravana lifted the entire mountain itself and shook it. It is true that Ravana could lift an entire mountain due to his devotion and not due to his energy. Even then, this was a tamasic devotion and hence Shiva decided to punish him. Shiva gently pressed the mountain with his toe.

Similarly, Hiranyakashipu possessed a demonic bhakti.

.

Bhaktimala Sep 1981