main features of bhakti movement
Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. In South India passionate, often erotic, poems to Shiva and Vishnu (particularly to Krishna) were composed in Tamil and other Dravidian languages, such as Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam. 4. The Muslim rule had put dread in the hearts of the Hindu masses. bringing about reforms in Hinduism and developing harmonious relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. He who has highest Bhakti (love, devotion)[23] of Deva (God), They brought necessaryprinciples of the Bhakti movementthat could convince many to urge on the path of devotion, love and tenacity. The use of the true name on a regular basis. Explain the essential aspects of the Bhakti Movement in the main body. [2] Originating in Tamilakam during 6th century CE,[3][4][5][6] it gained prominence through the poems and teachings of the Vaishnava Alvars and Shaiva Nayanars before spreading northwards. 3. All must strive to live a clean life. the Hindus and Muslims. The evils of caste system, the unnecessary ritualism and Brahmanical orthodoxy of Hinduism received a setback due to the powerful voices of eminent socio-religious reformers during the movement. Repetition of the True Name. I suffer. The Tirumurai, a compilation of hymns on Shiva by sixty-three Nayanar poet-saints, developed into an influential scripture in Shaivism. bhakti, (Sanskrit: "devotion") in Hinduism, a movement emphasizing the mutual intense emotional attachment and love of a devotee toward a personal god and of the god for the devotee. Nanaks teachings emancipated his followers to break the social shackles and caste system of Indian society. In the devotional literature the word is used to mean unquestionable faith and utter devotion to God. The Sufi saints of the Muslims also emphasized devotion to Allah (God). Bhakti, in contrast, is spiritual, a love and devotion to religious concepts or principles, that engages both emotion and intellection. Rejection of idol worship by many saints 7. The founder of this movement was a Keralite Brahmin named Shankaracharya who started it in the 9th century A.D. Gradually it spread to various parts of the country. Following are theprinciples of the Bhakti movementyou need to know. It is to be noted that Southern Vaishnavite saints are called Alwars and the Saivite saints are called Nayanars. These people were known as the Nayanars and the Alvars. Privacy Policy 9. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. After living together for generations and continuous interaction between the people of two communities there grew a feeling of magnanimity and generosity among the Hindus and Muslims. Sufism derives is inspiration from Islam. The movement tried to reduce the growing bitterness between the two and bridge the gap. "The main results of Bhakti movement were the development of vernacular literature, modification of caste exclusiveness, sanctification of family life, elevation of status of women, preaching of humaneness and tolerance, partial reconciliation with Islam, subordination of rites and ceremonies, pilgrimages, fasts etc, learning and contemplation to 1. But the inner significance of the word Bhaja is to adore or to love with honour. Omissions? The attitude of self-surrender constituted another important tenet of the movement. In the ancient period Hinduism had to face challenges from new religions like Buddhism and Jainism. [13] They suggest the Bhakti movement was a revival, reworking, and recontextualization of ancient Vedic traditions. There was a lot of caste and class distinction. [1] It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards, reaching its zenith between the 15th and 17th century CE. Scholars writing on bhakti in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were agreed that bhakti in India was preeminently a monotheistic reform movement. Several Hindus became followers of the Sufi saints but without relinquishing their own religion. The spirit of tolerance, harmony and mutual respect which was inaugurated by the Bhakti saints had another everlasting impact the emergence of a new cult of worship by both Hindus and Muslims. 5. [58], Klaus Witz, in contrast, traces the history and nature of the Bhakti movement to the Upanishadic and the Vedanta foundations of Hinduism. The saints of the Bhakti movement rejected the difference of caste and Uati. Giving up their mutual suspicion, hatred and rivalry a new bond of unity and fraternity began to emerge. The Bhagavata Purana's references to the South Indian Alvar saints, along with its emphasis on bhakti, have led many scholars to give it South Indian origins, though some scholars question whether this evidence excludes the possibility that bhakti movement had parallel developments in other parts of India. The formers adherents, known as Vaishnavas, were further classified into Krishna both avatars of Vishnu as their personal God. The Bhakti movement aimed at the purification of Hindu religion and liberation of the people from the monopoly and injustices of the priestly classes. This movement originated in South India in the 7 th and 10 th CE, mostly in the poems of Alvars and Nayanars. The Bhakti movement succeeded to a very small extent in realizing its two-fold objective i.e. Causes Of Bhakti Movement [63][82] These writers championed a spectrum of philosophical positions ranging from theistic dualism, qualified nondualism and absolute monism. The Bhakti Movement is characterized by the following characteristics: unity of God or one God, despite the fact that he is recognized by several names. Though the movement originated in the South, very soon North India came under its spell. In Bengal the love of God was considered analogous to the sentiments involved in human relationships, such as those felt by a servant toward his master, a friend toward a friend, a parent toward a child, a child toward a parent, and a woman toward her beloved. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: 1. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. HistoryDiscussion.net All rights reserved. image source: hinduhumanrights.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VIKHANASA-RISHI.jpg. The reasons for the birth and growth of this movement are therefore not far to seek. 4. Such as Gods oneness, deep love and devotion as the sole means to redemption, self-surrender, formal condemnation, rejection of idol worship, open-mindedness, etc. [87], Jeaneane Fowler states that the concepts of Nirguna and Saguna Brahman, at the root of Bhakti movement theosophy, underwent more profound development with the ideas of Vedanta school of Hinduism, particularly those of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta, Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta, and Madhvacharya's Dvaita Vedanta. The saints of Bhakti movement gave three means or margas for attaining salvation, which they referred as moksha. The Bhakti movement brought them hope and support and inner strength to save themselves. Answer: Only one God exists. In this article, we will learn about the significance of temples and monastic institutions. They aimed to set up a good social order upholding high moral values. Adultery and sodomy were also discouraged. Wendy Doniger is the Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago. [101] Other saints such as Dadu Dayal championed the similar social movement, a community that believed in Ahimsa (non-violence) towards all living beings, social equality, and vegetarian kitchen, as well as mutual social service concepts. 2. The major similarities and common ideas can be summarized in the following manner: 1. Its real impact was felt when prominent saints like Kabir, Nanak and Shri Chaitanya spread the ideas of fraternity, equality and love inherent in both the religions. Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. [7] These poet-saints championed a wide range of philosophical positions within their society, ranging from the theistic dualism of Dvaita to the absolute monism of Advaita Vedanta. Observing fasts, going on pilgrimages, reading namaz or worshipping deities were totally useless if they were not done with purity of thought or a sense of surrender to God. To him who is high-minded, [139][140], John Guy states that the evidence of Hindu temples and Chinese inscriptions from the 8th century CE about Tamil merchants, presents Bhakti motifs in Chinese trading towns, particularly the Kaiyuan Temple (Quanzhou). The Bhakti religion was a vast movement engulfed the whole Indian subcontinent for several centuries. [138] Further, states Pollock, evidence of Bhakti trends in ancient southeast Asian Hinduism in the 1st millennium CE, such as those in Cambodia and Indonesia where Vedic era is unknown, and where upper caste Tamil Hindu nobility and merchants introduced Bhakti ideas of Hinduism, suggest the roots and the nature of Bhakti movement be primarily spiritual and political quest instead of the rebellion of some form. Common men in general had developed an averse attitude towards these social evils and were in need of a liberal form of religion where they could identify themselves with simple religious practices. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: 1. Therefore, all the leaders and sub-groups played a significant role in improving the societal structure. Its results have deeply influenced contemporary religious and cultural trends in India. Their efforts helped in the promotion o Answer: Only one God exists. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. It highlighted the importance of acquiring money via hard effort and honest ways. Thus Bhakti was superior to Gnana or knowledge and Karma, or Action. The movement attempted to infuse a spirit of piety in the daily life of the people. [39][40][41], The Bhakti movement originated in South India during the seventh to eighth century CE, spread northwards from Tamil Nadu through Karnataka and gained wide acceptance in fifteenth-century Assam,[43] Bengal and northern India. Sufism is an old religious sect of Islam. Sikander Lodi was succeeded on the throne in 1489. We have here a state of affairs that has no parallel in the West. Knowledge (Jana) was recognisedas a constituent of bhakti by the Bhakti saints of both North and South India. It gave a new dimension, a sense of harmony and a spirit of liberalism to religious belief of the people. Prof Srivastav remarks. Initially, the movement originated around Shaivites and Vaishnavites. Answer: The Bhakti movement was primarily dominated by the significant contributions of Guru Nanak, Kabir and Ramana Answer: The Saiva Nayanars and Vaishnava Alvars founded the Bhakti movement. Local colour, also known as regional literature, is fiction and poetry which emphasises characters, dialects, customs, landscape, and other characteristics that seem to be unique to a given area. Bhakti soon spread to North India, appearing most notably in the 10th-century Sanskrit text the Bhagavata-purana. Several divisions had occurred. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. The exponents of the Bhakti revolution took major reforms to urge people to walk on the path of love, devotion and sacrifices. Bhakti movement advocated the need of a preceptor or guru who would guide the devotee to this ultimate goal. Image Guidelines 4. And it's believed to have come out of South India in the seventh century. Five writers of repute Achyuta, Balaram, Jagannath, Yasobanta and Ananta heralded the age of Panchasakha literature, known for its socio-religious exposition of Bhakti. He used to believe in the idea of One God and honesty. One God with different names. It describes the love of Lord Radha and Krishna. The Bhakti movement started in the South in response to the conquest of northern India by Muslim rulers. within the body the incense, the lamps, and the food-offerings, Introduced Social giving like Seva Introduced dana (charity) Community kitchens with free food. Thus in a general sense Bhakti means devotion to God. They ate their meals in the shared kitchen as a group. The Bhakti saints derive Bhakti, devotion and love to be the only way to attain salvation. image source: images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigcartel/product_images/122440308/max_h-1000%2Bmax_w-1000/bm_Tcover.jpg. The word Bhakti is a very familiar word in the Hindu religious system. We also learn about the Shankaracharya, salvation, idol worship and much more about the topic. There were two broad Sufi orders: Bashara - Those who obeyed Islamic laws. Some people would call it a reform of Hinduism that up until that point focused on the somewhat arcane rituals of the Vedas. It also describes maintaining unity in society, which begins with worshipping God. 2. The movement has traditionally been considered an influential social reformation in Hinduism in that it provided an individual-focused alternative path to spirituality regardless of one's birth or gender. This religion had its own individual characteristics like universal brotherhood, equality of all in the society, absence of any caste system or untouchability, opposition to idol worship and above all, practice of monotheism or oneness of God. The poets' itinerant lifestyle helped create temple and pilgrimage sites and spread spiritual ideas built around Shiva. [98] Practices emerged bringing new forms of spiritual leadership and social cohesion among the medieval Hindus, such as community singing, chanting together of deity names, festivals, pilgrimages, rituals relating to Saivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism. Prominent Sufists like Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya and Naseeruddin Chirag fostered a spirit of reconciliation among the Hindus and Muslims in the medieval society. The exponents, including Kabir, Guru Nanak, Ramanuja, Chaitanya and Jaidev, promoted the idea of equality and unity among the different sections of society. Period of common people's devotion to God in the medieval Indian subcontinent, These views include Sikhs believing in achieving blissful mukhti while alive, Sikhs emphasizing the path of the householder, Sikh's disbelief in. [81][80], The earliest writers from the 7th to 10th century CE known to have influenced the poet-saints driven movements include, Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasar, Sundarar, Nammalvar, Adi Shankara, Manikkavacakar and Nathamuni. Many people suggest that Ramanuja travelled from Chola to Mysore and established the Vaishnav group before their death. Following are the, A man should serve humanity to worship their God, Although, no religion is more prominent than humanity or humankind, The Bhakti movement defines worshiping the Lord as more important than performing ceremonies, People should give up all the caste system and superstitious beliefs regarding the lower caste and racism, All Gods are one; they exist in different physical forms but have the same souls, the only God is the one that lives in our hearts, Honesty and Truthfulness are of utmost importance, Universal brotherhood is of primary importance than disrespecting each other based on different religions and castes, The movement aimed at bringing equality by sharing their meals and kitchen, it led to a decrease in the negative impacts of the caste system, The followers of the Bhakti movement enchant many slogans and poems across different sections of society to remove caste discrimination, The Bhakti movement was propelled by an idea to introduce universal brotherhood and unity in God. Disclaimer 8. The former's adherents, known as Vaishnavas, were further classified into Krishna - both avatars of Vishnu - as their personal God. It is derived from the Sanskrit root word Bhaja whose literal meaning is to utter. Devotees also offered daily sacrificesfor some, animal sacrifices; for others, vegetarian sacrifices of fruit and flowersin the home or temple. The Sur Empire was an Afghan administration that controlled an enormous region in northern India for almost 16 years, somewhere in the range of 1540 and 1556. Surdas spoke in the Brij dialect. [10] In turn it influenced devotional practices in Islam such as Sufism,[56] and other religions in India from the 15th century onwards, such as Sikhism, Christianity,[57] and Jainism. On the philosophical front, both the Saguna and the Nirguna adhered to the Upanishadic doctrine of Advaita, with slight variations provided by various Bhakti saints. Answer: Following are the main features of Bhakti: This was the result of people's struggle to free the religion from control of the priests. [32] Hiriyanna interprets the text to be introducing "personal theism" in the form of Shiva Bhakti, with a shift to monotheism but in the henotheistic context where the individual is encouraged to discover his own definition and sense of God.[33]. Christopher Key Chapple (Editor) and Winthrop Sargeant (Translator), Note: The earliest arrival dates are contested by scholars. UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Paper. As a matter of fact Bhakti movement had raised its voice against racial discrimination, caste hierarchy and such social differentiations. [119] Nam-simran the realisation of God is an important Bhakti practice in Sikhism. Self-surrender. In Gods sight, everyone is comparable. The other prominent feature of Bhakti movement was its emphasis on Bhakti or devotion to God as the only means to achieve salvation. Although, the, played a vital role in the revolution of medieval India. Even Lord Buddha came to be regarded as the ninth incarnation of Lord Krishna in the Hindu pantheon. image source: static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/11/20/1321804097807/Sufi-Muslim-dervishes-dur-004.jpg. They stressed that a true religious man is one who is pure in thought and action. According to them there was no distinction and consideration of high and low on the basis of birth. They range from the 7th to 9th century, with Muslim traders settling in coastal regions of the Indian peninsula, to Muslims seeking asylum in Tamil Nadu, to raids in northwest India by, Karen Pechelis (2011), "Bhakti Traditions", in. Content Filtration 6. One should accept a genuine spiritual master (Guru), and under him or her constantly practice the activities of Bhakti yoga to achieve the highest perfection of life. For these scholars, the inextricable connection between monotheism and reform has both theological and social significance in terms of the development of Indian culture. The character of the age revealed itself for the growth of Bhakti movement. The poem mentions their long association, bonding, anger, and disappointment. It drew attention to the evils of anger, greed and vanity. Although, his lessons greatly impacted the Indian society that still enchanted Kabir Chaura Varanasi. [47] They established temple sites such as Srirangam, and spread ideas about Vaishnavism. The term Bhakti means devotion, which proposed the followingfeatures of the Bhakti movementin the early medieval period. Under the impact of the Muslim rule, the Hindus had suffered a lot materially, morally and spiritually. On the other hand the Muslims also appreciated that the Hindus were in absolute majority and it was impossible to force all of them to embrace Islam. [14] Many scholars are now characterizing the emergence of Bhakti in medieval India as a revival, reworking, and recontextualization of the central themes of the Vedic traditions.[14]. Rejection of idol worship by many saints. The most glorious period of the Lodi Dynasty was the ruling period of Sikander Lodi. [86] Saguna Brahman, in contrast, was envisioned and developed as with form, attributes and quality. They condemned several social evils. Therefore, popular dissatisfaction against the existing social religious evils was a major catalyst behind the spread of Bhakti movement all over India for a long period of time. [1], The movement started with the Shaiva Nayanars[44] and the Vaishnava Alvars, who lived between 5th and 9th century CE. The Bhakti Movement began with the Hindus response to face challenges that appeared as the Muslim religion. It also helped to harmonise the conflicting interests. However, the Bhakti movement emerged later due to changing social and political situations. There were a lot of castes and social class division. They took their meals together from the common kitchen. The Alvars, which literally means "those immersed in God", were Vaishnava poet-saints who sang praises of Vishnu as they traveled from one place to another. 2. The Bhakti saints tried to generate an environment of good will between the Hindus and the Muslims. A person was free to choose his ways and means to worship a god. Among activities of Bhakti yoga, hearing and chanting the glories of the deities are most important. It prescribes Gnana (knowledge), Karma (action) and Bhakti (devotion) as the three essential features to shatter the bondage of material world and to serve the Almighty God. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. 5. From 8th century A.D. to 15th century A.D. this movement gathered its momentum in the south. Rejection of idol worship by many saints 7. As a result, sacrifices and everyday rituals had no place in the Bhakti movement, Because the Bhakti saints preached in common peoples languages, they made significant contributions to forming current Indian languages like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, and Gujarati, The Bhakti movement was only partially successful in achieving its two-fold goal of bringing about changes in Hinduism and creating amicable relations between Hindus and Muslims, The Rama-Sita or Radha-Krishna cult was not embraced by the Turko-Afghan rulers or the Muslim population, It is also possibly exaggerated to claim that the Bhakti movement influenced Akbars broad vision. [109] Some of the bhagats whose hymns were included in the Guru Granth Sahib, were bhakti poets who taught their ideas before the birth of Guru Nanak the first of Sikh Guru. They condemned ritualism, false practices, blind faiths and dogmas. A similar language, called Brajabuli was popularised by Vidyapati,[77][78] which was adopted by several writers in Odisha[79][80] in the medieval times, and in Bengal during its renaissance. The period witnessed the emergence of a number of saints and reformers who tried to purge Hinduism of its evils and blind practices. The earliest reformer-saint in South was Adi Shankaracharya who had a unique success. In this article, we will learn about the great ruler, Razia sultan, and the monument, Alai Darwaza. Repetition of the True Name. Main Features of Sufism: 1. [104][105] In Sikhism, "nirguni Bhakti" is emphasised devotion to a divine without Gunas (qualities or form),[105][106][107] but it accepts both nirguni and saguni forms of the divine. Promotion of regional languages of the common people: In place of Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian, the Bhakti saints preached through the medium of local languages which could be understood very easily. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. The movement tried to loosen the bond of caste. [137] Hawley describes the controversy and disagreements between Indian scholars, quotes Hegde's concern that "Bhakti movement was a reform" theory has been supported by "cherry-picking particular songs from a large corpus of Bhakti literature" and that if the entirety of the literature by any single author such as Basava is considered along with its historical context, there is neither reform nor a need for reform. Karma marga Attaining salvation through food deeds like doing services to the needy people; Report a Violation 11. Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation. Self-Surrender. They began to mix together on the basis of equality. The poem mentions their long association, bonding, anger, and disappointment. The Upanishad includes verses wherein God can be identified with the Supreme (Brahman-Atman, Self, Soul) in Vedanta monistic theosophy, verses that support the dualistic view of Samkhya doctrines, as well as the synthetic novelty of triple Brahman where a triune exists as the divine soul (Isvara, theistic God), individual soul (self) and nature (Prakrti, matter). For instance the followers of Kabir came to be known as Kabir Panthis. Uploader Agreement. Salient Features of Bhakti Movement 1. For example. It is not the way of worship but the love of a selfless devotee of pure heart that matters for Whoever offers to me with devotion, a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water I accept (IX, 26). Unity of God or one God though known by different names. Get all the important information related to the UPSC Civil Services Exam including the process of application, important calendar dates, eligibility criteria, exam centers etc. Shandilya and Narada are credited with two Bhakti texts, the Shandilya Bhakti Sutra and Narada Bhakti Sutra. The Bhakti movement promoted the growth of vernacular language and literature in different parts of the country. No distinction of different castes, higher or low. The concept of Bhakti is an age-old one. Content Filtration 6. [37][38] According to Sri Krishna, Bhakti yoga is one of the sweetest path to know the "self" and to reach to the ultimate truth. [85], The Bhakti movement led to devotional transformation of medieval Hindu society, wherein Vedic rituals or alternatively ascetic monk-like lifestyle for moksha gave way to individualistic loving relationship with a personally defined god. That God is one single entity, with different names. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. Bhakti, devotion, and Love are the sole essence of salvation. The movement attempted to break the bonds of caste, A spirit of harmony among many segments of society and religion was encouraged, The terrible practise of Sati suffered a setback, and the position of women was elevated, Under the influence of the Bhakti movement, several kings embraced liberal religious policies, The movement sparked an awareness among Hindus and Muslims about the futility of ritualism and superstitions, The feeling of respect for the differences between the two religions philosophies and practices evolved, The movement promoted religious tolerance, The holy book of the Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, which was subsequently compiled, includes messages from saints of all religions. In this respect, certain scholars could identify with the monotheism of bhakti. A guru could lead the devotee from the material world to the spiritual world.
