Bhaktamal stands first and foremost as a work of bhakti, a devotional garland of saints, rather than as a critical historical chronicle. Its verses are crafted to glorify the lives and virtues of bhakti figures, often highlighting miracles, idealized qualities, and sectarian praise. The primary aim is spiritual inspiration and instruction, not the careful recording of dates, events, and verifiable details. In this sense, it belongs firmly to the genre of hagiography, where the transformative power of the narrative outweighs concern for strict factual precision.

Yet, precisely because it gathers so many figures from across regions and lineages, Bhaktamal cannot be dismissed as mere pious fiction. It preserves names of saints and teachers, hints at the sequencing of gurus within various sampradayas, and gestures toward the geographical spread of devotional movements. References to actual persons, places, and relationships between communities offer a window into how the bhakti tradition was remembered and honored at the time of its composition. The work, along with its later commentaries, also carries traces of oral traditions and local memories that reflect the religious and social atmosphere in which these saints were revered.

For this reason, scholars approach Bhaktamal as a devotional source that contains historically usable material, but only when read with care and corroborated by other evidence. It can reliably show that certain figures and lineages were known, esteemed, and associated with particular regions or doctrinal orientations, while remaining unreliable for precise dates, literal speeches, or accounts of miracles. Its value lies less in reconstructing exact biographies and more in revealing the self-understanding of the bhakti communities, their networks, and their perceived spiritual genealogy. In this way, the text serves as a bridge between the realm of sacred memory and the concerns of historical inquiry, inviting a reading that honors both its devotional heart and its fragmentary historical witness.