Sufism found adherents among both Muslims and Hindus. 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 is known as the cult of Satyapir. Several divisions had occurred. 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. 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. 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. Salient features of Bhakti Movement The Bhakti movement was based on the principles of monotheism and it generally criticized idol worship. He used to enchant songs and poems for Lord Krishna, resulting in an uprising in Vaishnavism. (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. The most important social impact of the Bhakti movement was that the followers of the Bhakti movement rejected the caste distinction. [108], The Guru Granth Sahib, the scripture of the Sikhs, contains the hymns of the Sikh gurus, thirteen Hindu bhagats, and two Muslim bhagats. [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. The leaders extended their support to help the ordinary people attain salvation between the 14th and 15th centuries. The word Bhakti is a very familiar word in the Hindu religious system. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: Unity of God or one God though known by different names. Put differently, Bhakti movement was a reply to Islams monotheism and egalitarianism by way of a new interpretation of Hinduism. Uploader Agreement. [85] Saguna bhakta's poetry were Prema-shrayi, or with roots in love. Answer: The term Bhakti which means devotion, originated as a news of worshipping God. 3. 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. 6. Following are the major changes that took place during and after the Bhakti movement: 1. It is to be noted that Southern Vaishnavite saints are called Alwars and the Saivite saints are called Nayanars. 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. Therefore, all the leaders and sub-groups played a significant role in improving the societal structure. Eventually, many religious groups came in their support and moved from one place to another, enchanting poems and songs to devote to God. The method of worship and belief in God took a new turn during the movement. TheBhakti saints, including Ramanuja, Chaitanya, Jaidev, Kabir, Ramanand, believed in the unity of God. After the group ritual at the temple, the priest would distribute bits of the deitys leftover food (called prasad, the word for grace). [58], Klaus Witz, in contrast, traces the history and nature of the Bhakti movement to the Upanishadic and the Vedanta foundations of Hinduism. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The Bhakti movement was propelled by an idea to introduce universal brotherhood and unity in God. The Hindus realised that it was difficult to drive away the Muslim rulers and Muslims from India. All the prominent leaders played a significant role in the time of medieval India. The Sikh scripture includes many verses on devotional worship. Image Guidelines 4. 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. The evil practice of Sati received some set back. 2. The different sections of Indian society also followed their paths between the 12th and 18th centuries. 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 . Among activities of Bhakti yoga, hearing and chanting the glories of the deities are most important. Pure devotion to a deity was most important aspect. Sufism is an old religious sect of Islam. 2. He used to enchant songs and poems for Lord Krishna, resulting in an uprising in Vaishnavism. The fire of desire has invaded my body There was a lot of caste and class distinction. [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. Rejection of idol worship by many saints 7. The major similarities and common ideas can be summarized in the following manner: 1. [8][9][10] Bhakti movement preached using the local languages so that the message reached the masses. HistoryDiscussion.net All rights reserved. Main Features of the Bhakti Movement: Unity of God or one God though known by different names. Sufism derives is inspiration from Islam. It was believed that all creations of God were equal and hence, all men should be treated equally. "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 The formers adherents, known as Vaishnavas, were further classified into Krishna both avatars of Vishnu as their personal God. 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. within the body the puja-leaves. [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". 4. Kabir Everyone knows about Sant Kabir Das and the heartwarming Dohas he has given to the world. The spiritual yearning made Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Surdas, Tulsi Das, Chaitanya and others, the great exponents of Bhakti movement. Jaidev-Jaidev was a Sanskrit poet of the 12th century, famous for Gita Govindas poem. Self-Surrender. Now there will be no further going and coming, Equality of men or universal brotherhood was another cardinal philosophy of the Bhakti cult. Bhakti, in contrast, is spiritual, a love and devotion to religious concepts or principles, that engages both emotion and intellection. 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 perhaps far-fetched to say that Akbars broad outlook was on account of the impact of the Bhakti movement. [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". Privacy Policy 9. As a matter of fact Bhakti movement was the direct outcome of the emergence of Islam in India. 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. Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters. The Bhakti movement aimed at the purification of Hindu religion and liberation of the people from the monopoly and injustices of the priestly classes. Five writers of repute Achyuta, Balaram, Jagannath, Yasobanta and Ananta heralded the age of Panchasakha literature, known for its socio-religious exposition of Bhakti. these teachings will be illuminating. The movement which emphasized primarily these ideas was the Bhakti movementdevotion to God. [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. Surdas used Brij dialect. These were. One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta. 3. Seen as a reform movement, bhakti presented a parallel to the orientalist agenda of intervention in the service of the empire. They not only patronized these new religions but also extended whole-hearted support to the spread of these religions. The Bhakti religion rejected rituals and sacrifices as means of worship, instead emphasising purity of heart and mind, humanism, and devotion as the simplest path to Gods realisation. Their doors were open to all classes. 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. Its fundamental ideas of love and devotion to a personal God were wholly Hindu; the ideas of theoneness of the Godhead upon which its doctrine was founded were also primarily Hindu. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Main features of the Bhaktti Movement were; Believe in the unity of God Preaching of love and mutual respect Surrender to the will of God Negation of blind faith Negation of unethical ritual and customs Condemn caste system Negation of idol's worshiping and so on. image source: images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigcartel/product_images/122440308/max_h-1000%2Bmax_w-1000/bm_Tcover.jpg. Within the body is the god, the temple, 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. Right from the time of the compilation of the Vedas, the word Bhakti has come into vogue. The feeling of appreciation of the difference between the thought and practices of the two religions emerged. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. [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. Updates? [7] Most scholars state that Bhakti movement provided women and members of the Shudra and untouchable communities an inclusive path to spiritual salvation. It describes the love of Lord Radha and Krishna. Ranade, in his book, The Rise of Maratha Power, sums up the deep impact of this spiritual awakening. Jaidev was a Sanskrit poet of the 12th century, famous for Gita Govindas poem. [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. image source: bhaktiwomen.org/sites/default/files/field/image/asta-gopis_0.jpg. According to them there was no distinction and consideration of high and low on the basis of birth. It describes the love of Lord Radha and Krishna. [86] Saguna Brahman, in contrast, was envisioned and developed as with form, attributes and quality. The poet was a disciple of Guru Ramananda Ji, who guided Kabir on the path of devotion. In Gods sight, everyone is comparable. Bhakti or devotion for the Almighty was the central theme of this movement. Question 3: What were the main features of Bhakti? [19] Karen Pechelis states that the word Bhakti should not be understood as uncritical emotion, but as committed engagement. [102] Bhakti temples and matha (Hindu monasteries) of India adopted social functions such as relief to victims after a natural disaster, helping the poor and marginal farmers, providing community labor, feeding houses for the poor, free hostels for poor children and promoting folk culture. 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. Subsequently by the beginning of the 13th century AD they began to rule over the destiny of the Indians. [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. They were the propounders of Bhakti movement who made Bhakti their principal theme and gave a call to the people to worship in the simplest possible way of devotion and love. 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. It was a complete surrender of oneself to God. A brief summary of the main features of the movement are given below. [47] They established temple sites such as Srirangam, and spread ideas about Vaishnavism. Another remarkable impact was bringing about a unity among the Hindu and Muslim communities. The principles and features of the Bhakti movement are interconnected. A devotee of Mother Goddess or Devi can chant various Mantras or chant attached to Devi. 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. Rejection of idol worship by many saints. The saints of Bhakti movement gave three means or margas for attaining salvation, which they referred as moksha. The Bhakti saints believed in equality of man and man. [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. It promoted the need of providing social services to the underprivileged and needy. Several Hindus became followers of the Sufi saints but without relinquishing their own religion. Ramanuja Ramanuja proclaims the love for God to attain salvation. [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]. Repetition . Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. The character of the age revealed itself for the growth of Bhakti movement. I swear by Rama. Ramanuja proclaims the love for God to attain salvation. Shankaracharya was a great scholar who contributed his life to this movement. Guru Nanak Guru Nanak was also the follower and promoter of universal brotherhood. [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. The Muslims first arrived in India in the 8th century AD. [48][49], Like the Alvars, the Saiva Nayanar poets were influential. just like his Deva, so for his Guru (teacher), Download our apps to start learning, Call us and we will answer all your questions about learning on Unacademy. 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. 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. They believe that God lives in ones heart and not in any specific temple or mosque. It reformed the religion to a great extent. But as Dr Sukumar Sen has pointed out "Assamese Brajabuli seems to have developed through direct connection with Mithila" (. The concept was only to propel the Indian society to devote their life for the sake of love, devotion, and equity. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith. Rejection of idol worship by many saints Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters. As a matter of fact Bhakti movement had raised its voice against racial discrimination, caste hierarchy and such social differentiations. A confident mindset for deciding about religious matters. And the answer is the Bhakti movement. After searching so many lands, 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.