Positive principles of truthfulness, non-violence, harmony, morality and humanistic values were their creed and motto. Thus Bhakti was superior to Gnana or knowledge and Karma, or Action. Prohibited Content 3. [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. [84], The Bhakti movement of Hinduism saw two ways of imaging the nature of the divine (Brahman) Nirguna and Saguna. 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. I shall deliver thee from all sins. (XVIII 66). Ramanuja proclaims the love for God to attain salvation. It preached against the caste system, used local languages to reach among the crowds. During the medieval time, a new wave of cultural development emerged in the shape of the Bhakti Movement, giving rise to many cultures, rituals, philosophical and theological traditions, and ideas. Answer: The Saiva Nayanars and Vaishnava Alvars founded the Bhakti movement. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. This aspect of tenacity and sheer devotion turned many minds to breaking peoples superstitious beliefs about the lower-caste category. 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. It was believed that all creations of God were equal and hence, all men should be treated equally. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: 1. [54] Yet other scholars state that Muslim invasions, their conquering of Hindu Bhakti temples in south India and seizure/melting of musical instruments such as cymbals from local people, was in part responsible for the later relocation or demise of singing Bhakti traditions in the 18th century. He writes, that in virtually every Bhakti movement poet, "the Upanishadic teachings form an all-pervasive substratum, if not a basis. Pure devotion to a deity was most important aspect. [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. image source: theharekrishnamovement.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/lord-brahma-steeling-the-cowherd-boys-and-calves.jpg. The Bhakti movement aimed at the purification of Hindu religion and liberation of the people from the monopoly and injustices of the priestly classes. [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. [128][129] Arti and devotional prayer ceremonies are also found in Ravidassia sect, previously part of Sikhism. Therefore, one should constantly chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Both consciously and unconsciously the ideals of Islam produced a benevolent effect upon the minds of a section of Hindus and fostered the growth of a liberal attitude. Adultery and sodomy were also discouraged. We also learn about the Shankaracharya, salvation, idol worship and much more about the topic. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. 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. [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. [117] Sikhism, for instance, disagreed with some of the views of Bhakti saints Kabir and Ravidas. He used to believe in the idea of One God and honesty. 5. Get answers to the most common queries related to the Railway Examination Preparation. [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. 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. It is as old as Hinduism itself. Learn more topics related to Medieval India, Access more than 469+ courses for UPSC - optional, Access free live classes and tests on the app, The Bhakti movement also rejected priestly dominance and rituals. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. Bhakti movement advocated the need of a preceptor or guru who would guide the devotee to this ultimate goal. Thus Bhakti is one of the three recognized means of achieving salvation. Thus, the general public was greatly influenced by the reforms of these Bhakti cults. In the ancient period Hinduism had to face challenges from new religions like Buddhism and Jainism. [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. Goswami Tulsi Das composed his works in Awadhi. For instance the language of Kabir was a mixture of several languages of every day use. The. They emphasized the virtues of love and devotion, brotherhood and equality etc. Image Guidelines 4. Bhakti soon spread to North India, appearing most notably in the 10th-century Sanskrit text the Bhagavata-purana. 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. Chaitanya Chaitanya took part in the Bhakti revolution in the early 15th century and led the foundation of Achintya Bheda Abheda. This marked the beginning of an era of Muslim hegemony in India that lasted far into the 1700s. Main features of the bhakti movement In terms of acquiring an answer to the question of what were the main features of bhakti , some significant factors need to be noted. It was a challenge to the Hindu religious leaders. [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. According to them there was no distinction and consideration of high and low on the basis of birth. They believed in freedom from the cycle of life and death. Various poems were compiled as Alvar Arulicheyalgal or Divya Prabhandham, developed into an influential scripture for the Vaishnavas. The idea of the unity of God is reflected in the words, Even those devotees who worship other gods worship Me alone. (IX 23). 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. [86] The two had parallels in the ancient pantheistic unmanifest and theistic manifest traditions, respectively, and traceable to Arjuna-Krishna dialogue in the Bhagavad Gita. In the devotional literature the word is used to mean unquestionable faith and utter devotion to God. This was on account of the spirit of toleration preached by the Bhakti saints. 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. To him who is high-minded, 6. 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. In Rig Veda Samhita, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chhandyoga Upanishad, Katha and Kausitaki Upanishad, the word Bhakti has been referred to several times. Repetition of the True Name. Madeleine Biardeau states, as does Jeanine Miller, that Bhakti movement was neither reform nor a sudden innovation, but the continuation and expression of ideas to be found in Vedas, Bhakti Marga teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the Katha Upanishad and the Shvetashvatara Upanishad. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. How did India trade with Europe? It describes the love of Lord Radha and Krishna. The movement aroused awakening among the Hindus and Muslims regarding the futility of ritualism and superstitions. According to the Bhagavadgita, a Hindu religious text, the path of bhakti, or bhakti-marga, is superior to the two other religious approaches, the path of knowledge (jnana) and the path of ritual and good works (karma). [17][18], The meaning of the term Bhakti is analogous to but different from Kama. [7] Salvation which was previously considered attainable only by men of Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya castes, became available to everyone. The poet was a disciple of Guru Ramananda Ji, who guided Kabir on the path of devotion. The genesis of the Bhakti movement lies in the social evils prevalent in the-then Hindu society. these teachings will be illuminating. Salient features of Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement was based on the principles of monotheism and it generally criticized idol worship. This movement originated in South India in the 7 th and 10 th CE, mostly in the poems of Alvars and Nayanars. image source: bhaktiwomen.org/sites/default/files/field/image/asta-gopis_0.jpg. To be specific, the impact of Bhakti movement was felt in all spheres of Hinduism. [11] It evoked shared religiosity, direct emotional and intellection of the divine, and the pursuit of spiritual ideas without the overhead of institutional superstructures. The Bhakti reformers believed in freedom from the cycle of life and death and preached that salvation could be attained only by deep devotion and faith in God. Self-Surrender. The orientalist images of bhakti were formulated in a context of discovery: a time of organized cultural contact, in which many agencies, including administrative, scholarly, and missionary sometimes embodied in a single person sought knowledge of India. The term Sufi has come from the word Safa meaning pure which implies purity of thought and action. [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. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. It is known as the cult of Satyapir. [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. 3. The Bhakti movement brought them hope and support and inner strength to save themselves. It also describes maintaining unity in society, which begins with worshipping God. 3. 16.4.1 Political Factors for the Rise of Bhakti Movement 16.4.2 Socio-Economic Factors 16.5 Main Popular Movements and their Characteristics 16.5.1 Monotheistic Movements of North India 16.5.2 Common Characteristic Features 16.5.3 Vaishnava Bhakti Movement in North India 16.5.4 Vaishnava Bhakti Movement in Bengal 16.5.5 Bhakti Movement in . The most glorious period of the Lodi Dynasty was the ruling period of Sikander Lodi. According to conclusion of all the revealed scriptures, by constantly chanting the holy names of the Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva and Devi or Adi Para Shakti (in their any form) one can achieve all perfection, even in this Dark Age of Kali. The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. The movement encouraged religious toleration. Hinduism, therefore, tried to defend itself by purging off some of its evil practices particularly those related to regions of caste and image worship. Thus, Hinduism needed purification. Subsequently by the beginning of the 13th century AD they began to rule over the destiny of the Indians. [35][36] In verses 6.31 through 6.47 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna (Incarnation of Vishnu), the source of everything, describes bhakti yoga and loving devotion, as one of the several paths to the highest spiritual attainments. [123][124] The Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib includes suggestions for a Sikh to perform constant Bhakti. Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, 'The Brajabuli idiom developed in Orissa and Bengal also. Many doctrines of the Bhakti cult may be found in the Bhagavad-Gita. Bhakti movement that originally began in South India in the 9th century with Shankaracharya spread over all parts of India and by the 16th century was a great spiritual force to reckon with, especially after the great wave made by Kabir, Nanak and Shri Chaitanya. They believed in a formless and shapeless God which was the Supreme power. It highlighted the importance of acquiring money via hard effort and honest ways. Knowledge (Jana) was recognisedas a constituent of bhakti by the Bhakti saints of both North and South India. [46] The Panchasakha Balarama Dasa, Achyutananda, Jasobanta Dasa, Ananta Dasa and Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet) preaching Bhakti by doing mass sankritana across the Odisha before Chaitanya's arrival. The paths of Gnana marga and Karma marga were difficult for them to practise in day to day life. Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. 6. within the body the puja-leaves. [7] Contemporary scholars question whether the Bhakti movement ever was a reform or rebellion of any kind. The chief exponents of the movement were Shankara, Ramanuja, Kabir, Nanak, Shri Chaitanya, Mirabai, Ramananda, Namdev, Nimbarka, Madhava, Eknath, Surdas, Tulsidas, Tukaram, Vallabhacharya and Chandidas. An important factor which led to the popularity of Bhakti movement was that most of the promoters of this movement attempted to reconcile the differences between the Hindus and the Muslims by stressing that Rama and Rahim were one and the same. The Bhakti saints derive Bhakti, devotion and love to be the only way to attain salvation. [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. Repeating the actual name. Need of a guru for guidance advocated by some. The formers adherents, known as Vaishnavas, were further classified into Krishna both avatars of Vishnu as their personal God. Several harmful habits had crept into Hindu culture over time. ADVERTISEMENTS: 4. 2. Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters. Learn about the life of Vallabhacharya, a great saint and philosopher. 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. He used to enchant songs and poems for Lord Krishna, resulting in an uprising in Vaishnavism. 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 teachings acted as a healing balm to the suppressed classes. One God with different names. Bhakti, in contrast, is spiritual, a love and devotion to religious concepts or principles, that engages both emotion and intellection. A person was free to choose his ways and means to worship a god. [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". It reformed the religion to a great extent. [11][12], The Bhakti movement also witnessed several works getting translated into various Indian languages. The Supreme Bramhan is most merciful. Learn More: Discuss the main features of Bhakti movement Right from the time of the compilation of the Vedas, the word Bhakti has come into vogue. 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. Giving up their mutual suspicion, hatred and rivalry a new bond of unity and fraternity began to emerge. Guru Granth Saheb the holiest book of the Sikhs which was complied later on included the messages of saints belonging to different sects. The Sufi Saints like Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti, Bakhyiya Kaki, Nizamudin Aulia and Nasiruddin Chirag-i-Delhi etc. Before uploading and sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. TheBhakti saints, including Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Jaidev, Kabir, Ramanand, believed in the unity of God. The term 'Bhakthi' refers to 'devotion'. 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. [19] Bhakti movement in Hinduism refers to ideas and engagement that emerged in the medieval era on love and devotion to religious concepts built around one or more gods and goddesses. Many, but not all, bhakti movements were open to people of both genders and all castes. 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). Many people suggest that Ramanuja travelled from Chola to Mysore and established the Vaishnav group before their death.