within the body all the Jangamas[95] 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 Kama connotes emotional connection, sometimes with sensual devotion and erotic love. Adi Shankaracharya, an 8th-century Hindu religious reformer and scholar, was also instrumental in extending the Bhakti movement throughout India. Their efforts ultimately helped spread bhakti poetry and ideas throughout India by the 12th18th century CE.[44][45]. Devotees also offered daily sacrificesfor some, animal sacrifices; for others, vegetarian sacrifices of fruit and flowersin the home or temple. This movement originated in South India in the 7 th and 10 th CE, mostly in the poems of Alvars and Nayanars. 6. 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. Bhakti movement - SlideShare While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Their dedication to the deities gave rise to the term Bhakti and later turned into the Bhakti movement. This aspect of tenacity and sheer devotion turned many minds to breaking peoples superstitious beliefs about the lower-caste category. image source: images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigcartel/product_images/122440308/max_h-1000%2Bmax_w-1000/bm_Tcover.jpg. Saundarya Lahari, written in Sanskrit by Adi Shankara, was translated into Tamil in the 12th century by Virai Kaviraja Pandithar, who titled the book Abhirami Paadal. This aspect of tenacity and sheer devotion turned many minds to breaking peoples superstitious beliefs about the lower-caste category. [15][16] The word also means "attachment, devotion to, fondness for, homage, faith or love, worship, piety to something as a spiritual, religious principle or means of salvation". Image Source: krishna.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/LordCaitanyaChanting.jpg. 10. However, the real development of Bhakti took place in South India between the 7th and the 12th centuries through the teachings of poet saints known as Alvars and Nayanar whose hymns were collected and compiled in the 10th century. It was a complete surrender of oneself to God. [1], The movement started with the Shaiva Nayanars[44] and the Vaishnava Alvars, who lived between 5th and 9th century CE. 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. The Bhakti movement was propelled by an idea to introduce universal brotherhood and unity in God. The influence of Sufism cannot be set aside from the origin of Bhakti movement in India. 2. In the devotional literature the word is used to mean unquestionable faith and utter devotion to God. 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. One of the most important features of the Bhakti movements is the concept of God as one single entity. [127], Some Sikh sects outside the Punjab-region of India, such as those found in Maharashtra and Bihar, practice Aarti with lamps in a Gurdwara. Bhakti movement swept over India in the east and north since the 15th century. [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]. The character of the age revealed itself for the growth of Bhakti movement. The doctrine of self-surrender is echoed in the words of Lord Krishna, Give up all religious paths, and take refuge in Me alone. During the course of time, several evil practices had crept into the Hindu society. One God with different names. 3. The Muslims first arrived in India in the 8th century AD. The term 'Bhakthi' refers to 'devotion'. As a matter of fact Bhakti movement was the direct outcome of the emergence of Islam in India. The term "Bhakti" means "devotion", which proposed the following features of the Bhakti movement in the early medieval period. Prohibited Content 3. Over 8L learners preparing with Unacademy. Answer: The Saiva Nayanars and Vaishnava Alvars founded the Bhakti movement. [133] Karel Werner notes that Bhatti (Bhakti in Pali) has been a significant practice in Theravada Buddhism, and states, "there can be no doubt that deep devotion or bhakti / Bhatti does exist in Buddhism and that it had its beginnings in the earliest days". 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. Ranade, in his book, The Rise of Maratha Power, sums up the deep impact of this spiritual awakening. Repetition . Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, 'The Brajabuli idiom developed in Orissa and Bengal also. 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]. Account Disable 12. Learn about the life of Vallabhacharya, a great saint and philosopher. bringing about reforms in Hinduism and developing harmonious relations between the Hindus and the Muslims. Copyright 10. 4. Bhakti Movement in India: NCERT Medieval History Notes For UPSC. - Testbook [48][49], Like the Alvars, the Saiva Nayanar poets were influential. The exponents of the Bhakti revolution took major reforms to urge people to walk on the path of love, devotion and sacrifices. One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta. [90] Some scholars disagree that the Bhakti movement was premised on such social inequalities. Shankaracharya was the first person and scholar who introduced the Bhakti Movement in India. Sikhism. Some people would call it a reform of Hinduism that up until that point focused on the somewhat arcane rituals of the Vedas. The medieval period witnessed many revivalist movements in Hinduism under different sages and saints. The concept of Bhakti was not a new one in the Indian tradition. [58], Klaus Witz, in contrast, traces the history and nature of the Bhakti movement to the Upanishadic and the Vedanta foundations of Hinduism. The main features of the Bhakti movement include-. Thus in a general sense Bhakti means devotion to God. Bhakti movement deals with the Indian response to face a new challenge that appeared in the form of Islamic religion. Their doors were open to all classes. Guru Nanak Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. They ate their meals in the shared kitchen as a group. Various poems were compiled as Alvar Arulicheyalgal or Divya Prabhandham, developed into an influential scripture for the Vaishnavas. 3. They were very liberal minded. 3. Pure devotion to a deity was most important aspect. 2. They not only patronized these new religions but also extended whole-hearted support to the spread of these religions. Further, the movement was carried forward by twelve Alwar saints and sixty three Nayanar saints of the South. Jaidev was a Sanskrit poet of the 12th century, famous for Gita Govindas poem. The movement tried to reduce the growing bitterness between the two and bridge the gap. [113], While Sikhism was influenced by Bhakti movement,[114][115][116] and incorporated hymns from the Bhakti poet-saints, it was not simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. 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. Rejection of idol worship by many saints. 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. The saints of Bhakti movement gave three means or margas for attaining salvation, which they referred as moksha. Scholars writing on bhakti in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were agreed that bhakti in India was preeminently a monotheistic reform movement. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement Unity of God or one God though known by different names. They believed in a formless and shapeless God which was the Supreme power. Equality of men or universal brotherhood was another cardinal philosophy of the Bhakti cult. Content Filtration 6. Terms of Service 7. The saints of Bhakti movement and the Sufi saints spread message of friendship, amity, tolerance, peace and equality among all. Jaidev-Jaidev was a Sanskrit poet of the 12th century, famous for Gita Govindas poem. 7. 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). MAIN FEATURES OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT. He used to believe in the idea of One God and honesty. Bhakti Movement: Meaning, Features and Impact, Notes on the Bhakti Movement | Medieval India, Effects of Bhakti Movement on India | Medieval Period, Forts in India: 5 Magnificent Ancient Forts in India, Mosques in India: 15 Ancient Mosques in India. I found the nine treasures within my body, 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. Fortunately with the foreign invaders, some Sufi Muslim saints had also come to India and settled here. Initially, the movement originated around Shaivites and Vaishnavites. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. The society also suffered from polytheism, segregation, severe economic disparity due to casteism, untouchability etc. [19] Karen Pechelis states that the word Bhakti should not be understood as uncritical emotion, but as committed engagement. Download our apps to start learning, Call us and we will answer all your questions about learning on Unacademy. Disclaimer 8. Bhakti movement advocated the need of a preceptor or guru who would guide the devotee to this ultimate goal. Rejection of idol worship by many saints. Bhakti to God was accepted as salvation. 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. [89] These were two alternate ways of imagining God during the bhakti movement. In the ancient period Hinduism had to face challenges from new religions like Buddhism and Jainism. Their efforts helped in the promotion of Bhakti poems, songs and mantras. The Bhakti movement promoted the growth of vernacular language and literature in different parts of the country. [7] Contemporary scholars question whether the Bhakti movement ever was a reform or rebellion of any kind. It started under the initiative of King Husain Shah of Jaunpur which later paved the way for the spirit of liberalism adopted by Akbar. Two groups of people deemed poets and saints had a significant role in propagating the Bhakti movement. I swear by Rama. sent through you? began a new chapter in the Indian society. They wanted some solace to heal their despairing hearts. 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. The Hindu saints of India were influenced by the liberal approach of Sufism. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the sole thanks to salvation. A confident mindset for deciding about religious matters. Image Guidelines 4. 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. Surdas used Brij dialect. Omissions? The evil practice of Sati received some set back. [11] It evoked shared religiosity, direct emotional and intellection of the divine, and the pursuit of spiritual ideas without the overhead of institutional superstructures. [86] Saguna Brahman, in contrast, was envisioned and developed as with form, attributes and quality. Sufism, however, gained prominence in the 10th and 11th centuries during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. The poets way of immortalizing love was praised by many, giving a new direction to the Bhakti. They claimed that God is omnipresent and lives within mans heart. And the word Bhakti can be translated as devotion or devotional love. It is perhaps far-fetched to say that Akbars broad outlook was on account of the impact of the Bhakti movement. [110][111][112] Most of the 5,894 hymns in the Sikh scripture came from the Sikh gurus, and rest from the Bhagats. However, the case of Islam was totally different. 2. Surdas spoke in the Brij dialect. Self-Surrender. It gave a new dimension to the ancient beliefs and values, which heralded a major change in the existing social conditions. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. 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. 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. 1. BHAKTI MOVENT - Aptinfo.in The teachings acted as a healing balm to the suppressed classes. Several splits had happened. Therefore, to provide a deep study of the revolution, the write-up will discuss the role, salient. Following are the major changes that took place during and after the Bhakti movement: 1. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. As Bhakti movement stressed upon Bhakti or a passionate feeling of love for God, purification of the self was very essential for them. Self-surrender. [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 Guidelines 4. image source: file2.answcdn.com/answ-cld/image/upload/w_760,c_fill,g_faces:center,q_60/v1400865382/aq7aucv9yoo1k2slaob0.jpg. Bhakti Movement: Meaning, Features and Impact - History Discussion 3. Solution Verified by Toppr Following are the main features of Bhakti: This was the result of people's struggle to free the religion from control of the priests and varna boundaries. An objection to blind faith, ceremonies, norms and rituals. The movement attempted to infuse a spirit of piety in the daily life of the people. Helmut Anheier and Stefan Toepler (2009). The Tirumurai, a compilation of hymns on Shiva by sixty-three Nayanar poet-saints, developed into an influential scripture in Shaivism. Plagiarism Prevention 5. The concept of Bhakti is an age-old one. Henceforth, importance was given to devotion and love for God who is the God of all-God of both Hindus as well as Muslims. The other prominent feature of Bhakti movement was its emphasis on Bhakti or devotion to God as the only means to achieve salvation. The spirit of synthesis manifested itself in the teachings of the preachers. The Muslim rule had put dread in the hearts of the Hindu masses. Right from the time of the compilation of the Vedas, the word Bhakti has come into vogue. Download our apps to start learning, Call us and we will answer all your questions about learning on Unacademy. A brief summary of the main features of the movement are given below. Seen as a reform movement, bhakti presented a parallel to the orientalist agenda of intervention in the service of the empire. Sufism derives is inspiration from Islam. Positive principles of truthfulness, non-violence, harmony, morality and humanistic values were their creed and motto. The attitude of self-surrender constituted another important tenet of the movement. 5. It is known as the cult of Satyapir. Their efforts helped in the promotion o Answer: Only one God exists. [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]. [55], According to Wendy Doniger, the nature of Bhakti movement may have been affected by the "surrender to God" daily practices of Islam when it arrived in India. 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 . A term in Shaiva Hindu religiosity, referring to an individual who is always on the go, seeking, learning; See: Winnand Callewaert (2000). In Gods sight, everyone is comparable. Bhakti Movement: Definition, Features, Spread & Impact on Indian 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. the devotee and the devotee is eager to meet his beloved (God). Causes for the Origin of Bhakti Movement. image source: theharekrishnamovement.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/lord-brahma-steeling-the-cowherd-boys-and-calves.jpg. 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. In Rig Veda Samhita, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Chhandyoga Upanishad, Katha and Kausitaki Upanishad, the word Bhakti has been referred to several times. Salient features of Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement was based on the principles of monotheism and it generally criticized idol worship. [21][136], John Stratton Hawley describes recent scholarship which questions the old theory of Bhakti movement origin and "story of south-moves-north", then states that the movement had multiple origins, mentioning Brindavan in north India as another center. 4. Salient Features of Bhakti Movement 1. For instance the language of Kabir was a mixture of several languages of every day use. Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation. TheBhakti saints, including Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Jaidev, Kabir, Ramanand, believed in the unity of God. According to the Bhakti saints, individuals can realise God via devotion and personal effort. The poem mentions their long association, bonding, anger, and disappointment. 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. To them, rituals and sacrifices were meaningless. Many of those poems continue to be recited and sung, often at all-night celebrations. 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. In this article, we will learn about the features of the Bhakti Movement in Medieval India. Some healing touch was needed. [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. They advocated that the salvation could be attained only by deep devotion and faith in God. He alone could show the path of light to reach the proper destination. [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. 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. Kabir Nanak and Chaitanya preached in their respective vernacular tongues Kabir in Hindi, Nanak in Gurmukhi and chaitanya in Bengali. 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 poets way of immortalizing love was praised by many, giving a new direction to the Bhakti. the Hindus and Muslims. Let us get some information and understand the trading history of India with Europe during the medieval period. image source: tamilandvedas.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/maharashtriyan_saint_-_1__24877_zoom.jpg. Briefly describe the main features of the bhakti movement - Brainly In India, Sufism adopted many native Indian concepts such as yogic postures, music and dance. Rejection of idol worship by many saints 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. Among activities of Bhakti yoga, hearing and chanting the glories of the deities are most important. 5. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: Unity of God or one God though known by different names. I lie awake here in the thick of night. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. Her research and teaching interests revolve around two Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They began to mix together on the basis of equality. [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. 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. [11][12], The Bhakti movement also witnessed several works getting translated into various Indian languages. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. Bhakti Movement - Origin, Causes and its Effects - BYJU'S [1] It swept over east and north India from the 15th century onwards, reaching its zenith between the 15th and 17th century CE. Unity of God or one God though known by different names. Gyan marga Attaining salvation through learning and understanding. In course of time the saints of Northern India got themselves involved in this Bhakti movement. We have here a state of affairs that has no parallel in the West. Bhakti movement - Wikipedia It is derived from the Sanskrit root word Bhaja whose literal meaning is to utter. 6. Following are theprinciples of the Bhakti movementyou need to know. 6. (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. A spirit of harmony among different sections of society and religion received impetus. 8. It was a religious reform movement during medieval times which emphasized single-minded intense devotion to God. Knowledge (Jana) was recognisedas a constituent of bhakti by the Bhakti saints of both North and South India. 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. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. The movement further divided the Hindu society. With supreme devotion to the Almighty one could realize Him. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Terms of Service 7. So subsequent Bhakti literatures were compiled in these languages and many Musilm writers also translated Sanskrit works into regional languages. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation. 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. The notion of Bhakti originated with Hinduism and is related to complete devotion to God. The most important social impact of the Bhakti movement was that the followers of the Bhakti movement rejected the caste distinction. [91][92], Poet-saints grew in popularity, and literature on devotional songs in regional languages became profuse. Prohibited Content 3. 5. Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. The use of the true name on a regular basis. Thus, the general public was greatly influenced by the reforms of these Bhakti cults. Repeating the actual name. He approached the Indian society to bring unity in God and not differentiate any of them. attempted to restrain the fanaticism of the Muslims and tried to bring them nearer to the Hindus. 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. [92], Sheldon Pollock writes that the Bhakti movement was neither a rebellion against Brahmins and the upper castes nor a rebellion against the Sanskrit language, because many of the prominent thinkers and earliest champions of the Bhakti movement were Brahmins and from upper castes, and because much of the early and later Bhakti poetry and literature was in Sanskrit. Another remarkable impact was bringing about a unity among the Hindu and Muslim communities. They wanted a simple way of worship, simple religious practices and simple social customs. [141] These show Saivite, Vaishnavite and Hindu Brahmin monasteries revered Bhakti themes in China. Question 3: What were the main features of Bhakti? It encouraged the value of social service to the poor and the needy. Seeingand being seen bythe god or goddess (darshan) was an essential part of the ritual. 1. The genesis of the Bhakti movement lies in the social evils prevalent in the-then Hindu society. 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].