In Bhakti Sandarbha (Anuccheda 217), Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī divides bhakti into three categories, namely Āropa-siddhā, Saṅga-siddhā and Svarūpa-siddhā. It is easy to understand the last category but there is some confusion about the others, especially the first one. As human beings, we have the ability to act using our mind, body, and speech. These actions can be Vedic or laukika. The Vedic actions are those that are performed based on śāstric injunctions. All other actions are laukika. These actions can further be divided into three categories, namely karma, jñāna and bhakti being related to the three paths of karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga. When we perform an action, it also becomes influenced by our bhāva or intention behind the action. The same act can give different results depending upon the intention behind it. Intentions are primarily of three types, for material benefit, for liberation, and for prema.
The devotional acts directly related to Bhagavān, such as hearing His glories, chanting or singing His name, remembering Him, worshiping Him, cleaning His temple, and so on, are bhakti by their very nature. Because these acts are directly of the nature of sevā, or “sacred service,” which is the intrinsic characteristic of bhakti, they are thus called svarūpa-siddhā-bhakti, or “intrinsic devotion”, and are considered bhakti by their very nature. Being directly of the nature of Bhagavān’s svarūpa-śakti, or inherent energy, these acts have the power to deliver their result to anyone who comes in contact with them, knowingly or unknowingly. In this regard, bhakti’s power to bring forth results is comparable to the burning power of fire. Fire will burn anyone who touches it, knowingly or unknowingly, because fire naturally possesses the potency to burn. If one executes svarūpa-siddha-bhakti with a specific intention, then one will get that result if there is no obstacle in the form of some offense. Ajāmila is a good example of executing a semblance of bhakti unknowingly.
Karma, on the other hand, be it prescribed Vedic action or secular (laukika) action, is not directly related to Bhagavān and is executed by someone who may not have śraddhā in bhakti, and thus is not considered a bhakta. Therefore, these two types of action, Vedic and laukika, are devoid of bhakti by their fundamental nature. If, however, these actions are offered to Bhagavān by specifically making a statement such as, “Kṛṣṇa arpaṇam astu – let this action be an offering to Kṛṣṇa”, then the nature of bhakti is attributed to them, as if bhakti becomes superimposed onto them. This is called āropa-siddhā-bhakti, or “bhakti by superimposition.”
Next to be considered are practices such as controlling the mind and cultivating detachment from worldly phenomena. These form part of jñāna-yoga. Although these practices are devoid of bhakti themselves, if they are used as assistants to svarūpa-siddhā-bhakti, they too are included in bhakti because of their association with bhakti. Such bhakti is called saṅga-siddhā-bhakti, or “bhakti by association.” Similarly, the actions that fall under the fold of karma can also become saṅga-siddhā bhakti if they are executed to assist bhakti or with the intention to attain bhakti. These practices are comparable to an iron cauldron that is filled with burning wood. The iron cauldron cannot be ablaze in and of itself, but being in contact with fire, it will also burn. In other words, these activities whether belonging to the path of karma or jñāna are not bhakti by themselves, but being done as supportive activities to bhakti or to attain bhakti, they also get the appellation of bhakti. For example, they are like the supportive activities of gathering wood, grains, ghee etc. to perform a yajna. Although they are not considered as the primary actions of the yajna, such as pouring oblations into fire accompanied by some mantra, yet they are still considered as part of yajña.
Thus the main difference between āropa-siddha-bhakti and saṅga-siddhā-bhakti is that the former is executed by a non-devotee, and the latter by a devotee. The first one has faith in karma, and the second in bhakti. Both āropa-siddha-bhakti, as well as saṅga-siddhā-bhakti can be executed with the intention to achieve a material goal, liberation, or prema.