The aforementioned uttama bhakti (superior devotion) can be divided into three kinds: 1) sadhana bhakti 2) bhava bhakti and 3) prema bhakti.
Now let us divide uttama bhakti into two divisions: sadhana and sadhya — devotional service in practice (sadhana) and devotional service in the perfected state (sadhya). Now let bhava bhakti be included within sadhya bhakti. Then what is the necessity of having three divisions? However this doubt is not appropriate. Since in the southern division of our source book (Nectar of Devotion), in the first wave it has been explained —
“There are those whose attachment to Krsna has reached the stage of bhava, but whose service is not totally free from interruption or impediment though they are qualified to meet Krsna face to face. They are referred to as sadhaka bhaktas - devotees in the stage of practice. Thus within the sadhaka bhakta this symptom is seen, that, though his attachment has reached the stage of bhava bhakti, even after the appearance of bhava bhakti, impediments have not fully ceased. In light of this attribute it can be understood that within the sadhaka bhakta at least some portion of the prevalent tendency to commit serious offences is remaining. Therefore, that which is able to generate difficulty and obstacles — even a slight vestige of serious offence present within a devotee means that to that extent the appearance of perfected devotion (sadhya bhakti) is not possible.
Therefore in our source book (BRS-NOD) the symptoms of a perfected devotee whose devotion is characterized by the presence of sadhya-bhakti, have been de scribed as — 'one who doesn't know any kind of difficulty and who is constantly addicted to activities in relationship to Kṛṣṇa - he is a perfected devotee.' Therefore bhava bhakti cannot be included within sadhya-bhakti.
In that case, let us now include bhava bhakti within sadhana bhakti. In answer to that we must again assert that there is no possibility of including bhava bhakti within sadhana bhakti. The reason is that the characteristic of sadhana bhakti is that devotional service in the stage of practice one hopes to attain bhava bhakti. Therefore this doubt that bhava bhakti might be included within sadhana bhakti has also been expelled. Since bhava bhakti cannot possibly be the (sadhana) practices meant to realize bhava bhakti (bhava bhakti sadhana), so these three divisions, sadhana bhakti, bhava bhakti and prema bhakti have been delineated very nicely. Sadhana bhakti is of two types: vaidhi and rāganuga.