Bhakti (Devanāgarī: भक्ति, Sanskrit: devotion, or portion) in practice signifies an active involvement by the devotee in divine worship. The term is often translated as "devotion", though it has been suggested that a better rendering would be "participation". One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta, while bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti marga, or the bhakti way.

Bhakti is an important component of many branches of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and schools. The practice of bhakti emphasises devotion above ritual. Bhakti is commonly represented in terms of human relationships, most importantly beloved-lover, friend-friend, parent-child, and master-servant.

It may refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher (Guru) as guru-bhakti, or to a personal form of God, or a divinity without form (nirguna). Different traditions of bhakti in Hinduism are sometimes distinguished: Shaivas, who worship Shiva and the gods and goddesses associated with him; Vaishnavas, who worship forms of Vishnu, his avataras, and others associated with; Shaktas, who worship a variety of goddesses. Belonging to a particular tradition is not always exclusive—devotion to one deity does not preclude worship of another.

The Bhagavad Gita is the first text to explicitly use the word "bhakti" to designate a religious path, which the Bhagavata Purana develops more elaborately. The so-called Bhakti Movement saw a rapid growth of bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century CE. The influence of bhakti in India eventually included Sufism, Sikhism, Christianity, and Jainism.

Prominent bhakti poets such as Ravidas and Kabir wrote against the hierarchy of caste. Bhakti poetry and attitudes colored many aspects of Hindu culture, from religious to secular, and became an integral part of Indian society.

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