7. They advocated that the salvation could be attained only by deep devotion and faith in God. Image Guidelines 4. [7], The Bhakti movement introduced new forms of voluntary social giving such as Seva (service, for example to a temple or guru school or community construction), dna (charity), and community kitchens with free shared food. 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. The term Bhakti means devotion, which proposed the following, The Bhakti saints derive Bhakti, devotion and love to be the only way to attain salvation, An objection to blind faith, ceremonies, norms and rituals, The objection of worshipping idols by the exponents, An open conversation and thoughtfulness in taking decisions on religious matters, No differentiation between lower and higher category castes, The movement raised the need for Guru to guide the socio-religious movement, Surrendering oneself to take the path of salvation and reach God, Promotion of religious messages by moving from one place to another through several groups, The principles and features of the Bhakti movement are interconnected. 2. [20], Ancient Indian texts, dated to be from the 1st millennium BCE, such as the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the Katha Upanishad, and the Bhagavad Gita mention Bhakti.[21]. [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. In the 16th century Tulsidass Hindi retelling of the Rama legend in the Ramcharitmanas (Sacred Lake of the Acts of Rama) focused on the sentiment of friendship and loyalty. 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. The thirteen Hindu bhagats whose hymns were entered into the text, were poet saints of the Bhakti movement, and included Namdev, Pipa, Ravidas, Beni, Bhikhan, Dhanna, Jayadeva, Parmanand, Sadhana, Sain, Surdas, Trilochan, while the two Muslim bhagats were Kabir and Sufi saint Farid. Guru Granth Saheb the holiest book of the Sikhs which was complied later on included the messages of saints belonging to different sects. Sikander Lodi was succeeded on the throne in 1489. Bhakti to God was accepted as salvation MAIN FEATURES OF BHAKTI 1. The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism[1] that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. These people were known as the Nayanars and the Alvars. I lie awake here in the thick of night. [141] These show Saivite, Vaishnavite and Hindu Brahmin monasteries revered Bhakti themes in China. the Hindus and Muslims. The main features of the Bhakti movement include-. Report a Violation 11. It was a religious reform movement during medieval times which emphasized single-minded intense devotion to God. The reasons for the birth and growth of this movement are therefore not far to seek. Andal went a step further by composing hymns in praise of God in vernacular Tamil rather than Sanskrit, in verses known as the Nachiyar Tirumoli, or the Woman's Sacred Verses:[97]. 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. Eventually, many religious groups came in their support and moved from one place to another, enchanting poems and songs to devote to God. The spiritual yearning made Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Surdas, Tulsi Das, Chaitanya and others, the great exponents of Bhakti movement. The Bhakti movement succeeded to a very small extent in realizing its two-fold objective i.e. The saints of Bhakti movement gave three means or margas for attaining salvation, which they referred as moksha. They emphasized the self-surrender for obtaining the bliss and grace of God. There was a good deal of bitter men between the two communities i.e. The movement was inspired by many poet-saints, who championed a wide range of philosophical positions ranging from theistic dualism of Dvaita to absolute monism of Advaita Vedanta.[11][12]. They not only patronized these new religions but also extended whole-hearted support to the spread of these religions. The poets' itinerant lifestyle helped create temple and pilgrimage sites and spread spiritual ideas built around Shiva. Before uploading and sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Bhakti, devotion, and Love are the sole essence of salvation. Introduced Social giving like Seva Introduced dana (charity) Community kitchens with free food. what message has the dark-hued lord 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. Self-Surrender. The Hindu saints of India were influenced by the liberal approach of Sufism. The Bhakti Yoga of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita is more descriptive on this point. Rejection of idol worship by many saints 7. [119][125][note 2] The Bhakti themes in Sikhism also incorporate Shakti (power) ideas. The movement started in the 9th century A.D. by Shankaracharya which continued up to 16th century A.D. by a number of Hindu devotees, preachers and religious reformers. It drew attention to the evils of anger, greed and vanity. As a matter of fact Bhakti movement had raised its voice against racial discrimination, caste hierarchy and such social differentiations. Bhakti movement constitutes a very important chapter in the socio-cultural history of India. Nanaks teachings emancipated his followers to break the social shackles and caste system of Indian society. Thus, the general public was greatly influenced by the reforms of these Bhakti cults. There were a lot of castes and social class division. One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta. The principles and features of the Bhakti movement are interconnected. W. Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi (1997), A Mandair (2011), "Time and religion-making in modern Sikhism", in, "CBSE Class 12 History #CrashCourse: Bhakti movement's emergence and influence", "Ankiya-bhaona of Sankaradeva and Madhavadeva performed in the Sattra Institutions of Assam: A study", The History and Culture of the Indian People, "Andal-Nacciyar Tirumoli Poetry Makes Worlds", "Religious Movements in Hindu Social Contexts: A Study of Paradigms for Contextual "Church" Development", "The Sacred Geography of the Tamil Shaivite Hymns", "Shrines, Shamanism, and Love Poetry: Elements in the Emergence of Popular Tamil Bhakti", "Mrb and Her Contributions to the Bhakti Movement", "Author and Authority in the Bhakti Poetry of North India", "The Vithoba Faith of Maharashtra: The Vithoba Temple of Pandharpur and Its Mythological Structure", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhakti_movement&oldid=1151004976, All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 09:44. Several divisions had occurred. Causes Of Bhakti Movement Nirguna Bhakti adherents rejected idol worship. The most glorious period of the Lodi Dynasty was the ruling period of Sikander Lodi. [90] Some scholars disagree that the Bhakti movement was premised on such social inequalities. To be specific, the impact of Bhakti movement was felt in all spheres of Hinduism. Uploader Agreement. [23], Doris Srinivasan[30] states that the Upanishad is a treatise on theism, but it creatively embeds a variety of divine images, an inclusive language that allows "three Vedic definitions for a personal deity". The society also suffered from polytheism, segregation, severe economic disparity due to casteism, untouchability etc. Shankaracharya is claimed to have been a child genius who knew all of the Hindu sacred books by eight. [130][131], Bhakti has been a prevalent practice in various Jaina sects, wherein learned Tirthankara (Jina) and human gurus are considered superior beings and venerated with offerings, songs and rat prayers. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. [7], The Bhakti movement regionally developed around different gods and goddesses, and some sub-sects were Shaivism (Shiva), Vaishnavism (Vishnu), Shaktism (Shakti goddesses), and Smartism. Some of the most important features of the Bhakti movement include: The unity of all the Hindu gods into one God Rejection of the worship of idols and de-emphasis on rituals or dogma that. [85][87] It is the same Brahman, but viewed from two perspectives, one from Nirguni knowledge-focus and other from Saguni love-focus, united as Krishna in the Gita. 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. The Sufi saints of the Muslims also emphasized devotion to Allah (God). Five writers of repute Achyuta, Balaram, Jagannath, Yasobanta and Ananta heralded the age of Panchasakha literature, known for its socio-religious exposition of Bhakti. (4) A large number of temples and idols of the Hindus had been destroyed by the Muslims and the people had to resort to Bhakti movement. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. The method of worship and belief in God took a new turn during the movement. Self-Surrender. Although, his lessons greatly impacted the Indian society that still enchanted Kabir Chaura Varanasi. Seen as a reform movement, bhakti presented a parallel to the orientalist agenda of intervention in the service of the empire. [82] Several 11th and 12th century writers developed different philosophies within the Vedanta school of Hinduism, which were influential to the Bhakti tradition in medieval India. Each of the major divinities of HinduismVishnu, Shiva, and the various forms of the Goddesshave distinct devotional traditions. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. Repetition of the True Name. So it became the religion of the ruling community. [87] Nirguna bhakta's poetry were Jnana-shrayi, or had roots in knowledge. These Islamic ideas threw a powerful challenge to the existing corrupt aspect of Hinduism and the accompanying social evils. Bhakti arose in South India in the 7th to 10th centuries in poems that the Alvars and the Nayanars composed in Tamil to the gods Vishnu and Shiva, respectively. Causes for the Origin of Bhakti Movement. Because such knowledge might be obtained through a teacher or guru, the Bhakti movement placed a high value on obtaining authentic knowledge through a guru. Ranade, in his book, The Rise of Maratha Power, sums up the deep impact of this spiritual awakening. Within the body is the god, the temple, The movement tried to instila sense of piety in the peoples daily lives. It also describes maintaining unity in society, which begins with worshipping God. Brotherhood: [132], Medieval-era bhakti traditions among non-theistic Indian traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism have been reported by scholars, wherein the devotion and prayer ceremonies were dedicated to an enlightened guru, primarily Buddha and Jina Mahavira respectively, as well as others. It is a reform movement within the Islamic religion which started in Persia. He writes, that in virtually every Bhakti movement poet, "the Upanishadic teachings form an all-pervasive substratum, if not a basis. It also describes maintaining unity in society, which begins with worshipping God. [23][26] Scholars[27][28] have debated whether this phrase is authentic or later insertion into the Upanishad, and whether the terms "Bhakti" and "God" meant the same in this ancient text as they do in the medieval and modern era Bhakti traditions found in India. Many of those poems continue to be recited and sung, often at all-night celebrations. It was a complete surrender of oneself to God. image source: theharekrishnamovement.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/lord-brahma-steeling-the-cowherd-boys-and-calves.jpg. It developed a humanitarian attitude. One God with different names. Bhakti movement in Odisha known as Jnana Misrita bhakti or Dadhya Bhakti which started in the 12th century by various scholars including Jayadeva and it was in the form of mass movement in the 14th century. A true guru was the main source to attain God. Content Filtration 6. Salient Features of Bhakti Movement 1. That God is one single entity, with different names. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th century CE, it gained prominence through the poems and teachings of the Vaishnava Alvars and Shaiva Nayanars before spreading northwards. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. [89] These were two alternate ways of imagining God during the bhakti movement. An objection to blind faith, ceremonies, norms and rituals. image source: hinduhumanrights.info/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VIKHANASA-RISHI.jpg. Their doors were open to all classes. [7] Most scholars state that Bhakti movement provided women and members of the Shudra and untouchable communities an inclusive path to spiritual salvation. Among activities of Bhakti yoga, hearing and chanting the glories of the deities are most important. Rejection of idol worship by many saints Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters. Among all these, absolute monotheism or equality of all men greatly appealed to the Hindus, especially the Sudras who were the worst sufferers and had no religious freedom. 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. 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. The movement aroused awakening among the Hindus and Muslims regarding the futility of ritualism and superstitions. Bhakti, in contrast, is spiritual, a love and devotion to religious concepts or principles, that engages both emotion and intellection. This was due to the ethos of tolerance espoused by Bhakti saints, In place of Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian, the Bhakti saints taught in local languages that were easily comprehended, Kabirs language, for example, was a mash-up of various ordinary languages. Omissions? Jaidev-Jaidev was a Sanskrit poet of the 12th century, famous for Gita Govindas poem. It also helped to harmonise the conflicting interests. [48][49], Like the Alvars, the Saiva Nayanar poets were influential. What are the effects of the Bhakti Movement? And the answer is the Bhakti movement. They wanted a simple way of worship, simple religious practices and simple social customs. [22] Through the Indo-European language connection, early orientalists believed that they were, in a sense, seeing their own ancestry in the antique texts and "antiquated" customs of Indian peoples. The Muslim rule had put dread in the hearts of the Hindu masses. The Supreme Bramhan is most merciful. In this article, we will learn about the features of the Bhakti Movement in Medieval India. 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. [89] Yet given the "mountains of Nirguni bhakti literature", adds Lorenzen, bhakti for Nirguna Brahman has been a part of the reality of the Hindu tradition along with the bhakti for Saguna Brahman. HistoryDiscussion.net All rights reserved. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. Image Source: krishna.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LordCaitanyaChanting.jpg. [8][9][10] Bhakti movement preached using the local languages so that the message reached the masses. The term Bhakti means devotion, which proposed the followingfeatures of the Bhakti movementin the early medieval period. In the words of Sheikh- al-Islam Zakariyah Ansari, Sufism teaches how to purify ones self, improve ones morals and build up ones inner and outer life in order to attain perpetual bliss. Thus, according to Sufists, self-purification is the best way to attain eternal bliss. All must strive to live a clean life. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. Learn more topics related to Ancient History of India, Download lessons and learn anytime, anywhere with the Unacademy app, Access free live classes and tests on the app, A Brief Guide On Main Principles Of Bhakti Movement, Bhakti movement swept over India in the east and north since the 15th century. Sufism is an old religious sect of Islam. Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. Further, the movement was carried forward by twelve Alwar saints and sixty three Nayanar saints of the South. 2. Before uploading and sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Self-Surrender. Although the preachers of the movement were from different parts of India, spoke different languages and presented different sermons there was a marked similarity in their thoughts and philosophy. Plagiarism Prevention 5. Their efforts helped in the promotion o Answer: Only one God exists. Bhakti movement deals with the Indian response to face a new challenge that appeared in the form of Islamic religion. [44][99] Many of these regional practices have survived into the modern era. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: 1. In this article, we will learn about the great ruler, Razia sultan, and the monument, Alai Darwaza. Repetition of the True Name. [141], Scholars increasingly are dropping, states Karen Pechilis, the old premises and the language of "radical otherness, monotheism and reform of orthodoxy" for Bhakti movement. Supreme Wisdom, which can be taken as basically non-theistic and as an independent wisdom tradition (not dependent on the Vedas), appears fused with the highest level of bhakti and with the highest level of God-realization. A person was free to choose his ways and means to worship a god. [117] Sikhism, for instance, disagreed with some of the views of Bhakti saints Kabir and Ravidas. And the word Bhakti can be translated as devotion or devotional love. Report a Violation 11. The doctrine of self-surrender is echoed in the words of Lord Krishna, Give up all religious paths, and take refuge in Me alone. Prohibited Content 3. ADVERTISEMENTS: 4. The movement which emphasized primarily these ideas was the Bhakti movementdevotion to God. They emphasized the virtues of love and devotion, brotherhood and equality etc. From 8th century A.D. to 15th century A.D. this movement gathered its momentum in the south. Even some of the prominent rulers of India became ardent followers of these religions. Knowledge (Jana) was recognisedas a constituent of bhakti by the Bhakti saints of both North and South India. 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. He approached the Indian society to bring unity in God and not differentiate any of them. The Muslims first arrived in India in the 8th century AD. [1] It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards, reaching its zenith between the 15th and 17th century CE. This purification could be achieved through a high standard of morality in ones thought and action. The movement attempted to infuse a spirit of piety in the daily life of the people. 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 Bhakti saints tried to generate an environment of good will between the Hindus and the Muslims. The Nayanars were devotees of Lord Shiva, whereas the Alvars were devotees of Lord Vishnu. The Bhakti movement received its impetus from the presence of iconoclastic Muslim preachers who stressed upon the unity of God, vehemently criticized the Hindu religion and thought and attempted to convert Hindus to their religion by resorting to all kinds of means. That is why Bhakti movement has often been presented as a Hindu response to the egalitarian message of Islam and its spread among the lower classes of Hindu society. [29] Grierson, as well as Carus, note that the first epilogue verse 6.21 is also notable for its use of the word Deva Prasada (, grace or gift of God), but add that Deva in the epilogue of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad refers to "pantheistic Brahman" and the closing credit to sage Shvetashvatara in verse 6.21 can mean "gift or grace of his Soul". Kabir Everyone knows about Sant Kabir Das and the heartwarming Dohas he has given to the world. 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.
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