bhakti movement in india, Summaries of History

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Bhakti movement 1) Adi Shankracharya (788-820; KL)---Nirguna school; does not belong to either Shaivism or Vaishnavism  Bhakti discourse began in Sanskrit  Expounded the doctrine of Maya from Kaladi, Kerala  He is credited with the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta-non-dualism o based on the concept that the higher or true Self is identical to Brahman, the Absolute Reality. o In Advaita Vedanta, Jnana yoga is the path of knowledge to Moksha, or liberation from the cycle of life, death and rebirth. o This doctrine also believes that Moksha can be achieved in this life (Jivanmukthi) in contrast to other Indian philosophies that emphasize videhamukti, or Moksha after death o influenced by various traditions and texts of Hindu philosophies such as Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, other sub-schools of Vedanta, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, the Puranas, the Agamas  Opposed Buddhism  2 major thrusts: o Monastic org o Preservation of Sanskrit scriptures  Sankara’s time marked the ascendancy of the Buddhists and the Kaabalikas. (Refer Sankara’s Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram). Even Nammazhwar refers to the avatara of Buddha as a mask put on by Vishnu in order to sow the seeds of doubt, dissension and herecy amongst non-believers as a chastisement for their folly and subsequent redemption. o The Kāpālika tradition was a Tantric, non-Puranic form of Shaivism which originated in Medieval India between the 7th and 8th century CE. The word is derived from the Sanskrit term kapāla, meaning "skull", and kāpālika means the "skull-men".  Organizer of dashanami monastic order 2) Sri Ramanuja (1017-1138; TN)  Challenged the monist ideology of Adi Sankara  Effort to build a broader social base  Philosophy is called Vishistadvaita (qualified monism) o grew out of worship of Lord Vishnu o It is a non-dualistic school of Vedanta philosophy. It is non-dualism of the qualified whole, in which Brahman alone exists, but is characterized by multiplicity. o Unlike some Hindu philosophies, Visishtadvaita doesn’t see the world as simply illusion, which would make it separate from Brahman. The material world is a part of Brahman’s nature. o Moksha, or spiritual liberation, is seen as the joy of contemplating Brahman (rather than release from the life-death-rebirth cycle), and that joy is the result of devotion, praise, worship and contemplating the divine perfection.  In the Ramanuja philosophy, moksha does not mean absolute identification with the Brahman. There is no merger. The essential quality of the individual soul is seshatva, servitude to the Lord. Ramanuja and Shankacharya  Both the Acharyas laid down that there truly existed only one universal being called Brahman or Paramatman, the Highest Self. It is pure, being chaitanya gnana. o But according to Sankara, this Brahman is destitute of qualities. God alone exists and all else is manifestation. o According to the Ramanuja’s philosophy, the One Brahman is not destitute of attributes. It is endowed with all auspicious qualities - intelligence, ‘Gnana’ being its chief attribute. The Lord is all pervading, all powerful, all knowing and all merciful. It comprises within itself, distinct elements of plurality. Matter and Soul, Achith and chith, constitute the body of the Lord. The Lord pervades all the things which exist as Antaryami.  While both the Acharyas agree on the non-duality of the concept of Brahmam, Ramanuja’s doctrine can be designated as qualified non-duality, non-duality with a difference. The world with its variety of material forms of existence and individual souls is a real part of Brahman’s nature.  Ramanuja never conceded the Doctrine of Maya. Brahman is ‘Sath’ and the rest is ‘Asath.’ The Vedic and the Upanishadic texts contain both Beda and Abeda vaakyas. Sankara emphasised the latter. The Maya doctrine never appealed to any intellectual aspirant. 3) Madhavcharya (1238-1317 CE; KN)  also known as Vasudeva, Purnaprajna and Anandatirtha  a Hindu philosopher and the chief proponent of the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta.  Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta: There is a fundamental difference between Atman (individual soul, self) and the Brahman (ultimate reality, God Vishnu), these are two different unchanging realities, with individual soul dependent on Brahman, never identical  stress on a devotional approach to Lord Narayana  demonstrated that the Vedas can be interpreted from the mythological, psychological and spiritual viewpoints. He thus became the forerunner of Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Sri Aurobindo too.  He called his philosophy Tattvavāda meaning "arguments from a realist viewpoint".  Literary work: His greatest work is Anuvyakhyana, a philosophical supplement to his bhasya on the Brahma Sutras.  He was a critic of Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta and Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta teachings.  Liberation, asserted Madhva, is achievable only through the grace of God.  Krishna-bhakti (devotion to Lord Krishna)  penned more than 750 poems, called padd in Gujarat. They mainly deal with devotion to Lord Krishna, gyan (wisdom) vairagya (detachment from worldly affairs). Others like Shalmshano Vivah, Kunvarbainu Mameru, Hundi and Harmala are believed to be autobiographical accounts of different occasions in his life.  Vaishanavajn to tene kahiye, Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan is Mehta’s creation.  Mehta is regarded as adikavi (the first poet) and bhakta kavi (devout poet) in Gujarati literature. 3) Shankardev (1499-1569; Assam)  first to preach Vaishnavism in Brahmaputra valley  He was the founder of Eka Saranadharma and Veerapurushamarga  He is widely credited with building on past cultural relics and devising new forms of music (Borgeet), theatrical performance (Ankia Naat, Bhaona), and dance (Sattriya), literary language (Brajavali).  15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of importance.  left extensive literary trans-created scriptures (Bhagavat of Sankardev), poetry and theological works written in Sanskrit, Assamese and Brajavali.  The Bhagavatic religious movement he started, Ekasarana Dharma and also called the Neo-Vaishnavite movement, influenced two medieval kingdoms – Koch and the Ahom kingdom.  His influence spread even to some kingdoms as the Matak Kingdom founded by Bharat Singha, and consolidated by Sarbananda Singha in the latter 18th century endorsed his teachings.  The assembly of devotees he initiated evolved over time into monastic centers called Sattras, which continue to be important socio-religious institutions in Assam and to a lesser extent in North Bengal even today. 4) Surdas (1478-1580CE)  Surdas was the devotee of Lord Krishna and Radha.  He believed that salvation can be achieved only through the devotion of Krishna who is Saguna God.  Three of his works are very popular. They are Sur Sarawali, Sahitya Ratna and Sur Sagar.  The Sur sagar, which is said to contain 1,25,000 verses, is not only saturated with love and devotion, but is also notable for depiction Krishna as a child.  Surdas has displayed a masterly knowledge of child psychology and also expressed his sincere devotion to the Almighty. 5) Tulsidas (1532-1623)  believed to have been born in Rajapur by the Yamuna in today’s Banda district.  He composed the Ramcharitmanas on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi — he is said to have begun writing on Ram Navami day in 1574, and completed the poem over the next few years.  Tulsidas lived in the time of Emperor Akbar, and some believe that he was in touch with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, the son of Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan.  The Ramcharitmanas o The poem was written in the 16th century in the Awadhi dialect that is mainly spoken in the areas that are today’s Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya districts. o The sacred chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is a part of it. o It is divided into seven chapters (Kand) that tell the story of Lord Ram from birth to his becoming King of Ayodhya.  Why is Ramcharitmanas so famous? o The Ramcharitmanas is based on the Ramayana, sage Valmiki’s great epic. o It is the holiest book of the Indo-Gangetic region, and among the world’s most read holy books — by one estimate, Geeta Press (Gorakhpur) has sold almost 7 crore copies. o Across the Hindi heartland, a reference to “Ramayan” often actually means Ramcharitmanas. o Tulsidas made the story of Lord Ram popular among the masses because he wrote in the regional dialect that most people understood.  founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Varanasi, believed to stand at the place where he had the sight of the deity  Tulsidas started the Ramlila plays, a folk-theatre adaption of the Ramayana  Other works of Tulsidas include: Dohavali, Sahitya ratna or Ratna Ramayan, Gitavali, Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali and Vinaya Patrika 6) Mirabai (1498-1546)  born in Rajasthan  She became the wife of Rana Bhojraj, one of the royal families in Rajasthan  She was the first to introduce Giridhara Gopala cult of Brindavan and also the first to introduce Bhajan in Bhakthi movement  Her bhajans were composed in the language of Vraj Bhasha Nirguna bhakti 1) Dnyaneshwar (1275-1296, MH ): Vice-President of India inaugurated the world’s largest dome at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT)’s World Peace University (MIT-WPU) campus at Loni Kalbhor on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The structure, ‘World Peace Monument’ dome built in MITWPU campus, is named after the 13th century poet-saint and philosopher Dnyaneshwar — a pivotal figure of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra.  Founder of Bhakti movement in MH  Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition, whose Dnyaneshwari (a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita) and Amrutanubhav are considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.  Dnyaneshwar takes up the examination of “Being” or “Brahman” where he considers “Being” to be the substratum of thought enabling thought and cognition.  Values propagated by Him: He considers humility; non–injury in action, thought and words; forbearance in the face of adversity; dispassion towards sensory pleasures; purity of heart and mind; love of solitude and devotion towards one’s Guru and God as virtues; and their corresponding moral opposites as vices. o Hence, one can find Gandhian thoughts in consonance with Dnyaneshwari tradition.  Views on Moral Order: Dnyaneshwar believes that divine order and moral order are one and the same and are inherent in the universe itself. He, therefore, recommends that all social institutions be protected and preserved in their totality.  Views on Caste: For institution of caste, his approach becomes more humanitarian and he advocates spiritual egalitarianism.  Some of his famous works: Dnyaneshwari or Bhavarthdipika, Amrutanubhava, Changdev Pasashti, Haripat and Abhangas  Worshipper of Vithoba (Lord Vishnu); Varkari sect 2) Namdev (1270-1350 CE; MH)  emphasized on cultural unity of the Marathas by introducing a tradition called Mahapurusha Sampradaya  He believed in equality of all men and women  He advocated the practice of devotion to realize god  Some of his devotional songs are found in the Guru Granth Sahib  ONLY NIRGUNA SAINT IN MH  Devotee of Vithoba 3) Kabir (1440-1510)  a disciple of Ramananda  Saint Kabir was contemporary of Guru Nanak and Delhi Sultan Sikandar Lodhi.  He believed in a formless supreme god.  He mounted a spirited attack against the superficial religious practices followed by both Hindus and Muslims  Kabir suggested that Truth is with the person who is on the path of righteousness, considered all creatures on earth as his own self, and who is passively detached from the affairs of the world.  He was the first to reconcile Hinduism and Islam.  Kabir’s legacy survives and continues through the Kabir panth (“Path of Kabir”), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members are known as Kabir panthis.  He wrote- Sabad, Bijak, Doha, Holi, and Rekhtal.  He propagated Ram Bhakti.  Kabir’s compositions can be classified into three literary forms – dohas (short two liners), ramanas (rhymed 4 liners), sung compositions of varying length, known as padas (verses) and sabdas (words).  There are myriad legendary accounts on the other hand, for which there exists less of a factual historical basis.  portrayed as a figure that synthesized Islam and Hinduism.  Among Ravidas’s moral and intellectual achievements were the conception of “Begampura”, (near Lahore) a city that knows no sorrow; and a society where caste and class have ceased to matter.  The Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Ravidas.  The Chief Architect of our Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embodied the Constitutional principles around the values expressed by Guru Ravidasji.  Who are the Ravidassias? o The Ravidassias are a Dalit community of whom the bulk - nearly 12 lakh - live in Punjab's Doaba region comprising Jalandhar, Hoshirpur, Kapurthala, and NawanShahr. o The Dera Sachkhand Ballan, their largest dera with 20 lakh followers worldwide, was founded in the early 20th century by Baba Sant Pipal Das. Once closely connected with Sikhism, the dera severed these decades-old ties in 2010 and announced they would follow the Ravidassia religion. 10) Samarth Ramdas (1608 – 1681 AD), also known as Sant (saint) Ramdas or Ramdas Swami or simply Ramdas was an Indian Marathi Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master.  He was a devotee of the Hindu deities Rama and Hanuman.  Ramdas initiated the Samarth sect to revive spirituality in the society.  Unlike the Warkari saints, Ramdas is not deemed a pacifist and his writings include strong expressions encouraging nationalism means to counter the aggressive invaders.  Dāsbodh, loosely meaning "advice to the disciple" in Marathi, is a 17th-century bhakti (devotion) and jnana (insight) spiritual text. It was orally narrated by the saint Samarth Ramdas to his disciple, Kalyan Swami.  Links with Shivaji and Sambhaji o The first Maratha ruler, Chatrapati Shivaji Bhonsle I was a contemporary of Ramdas. o Historians have proposed that the two met each other around 1672 when Shivaji provided grant for the math (Hindu Monastery) of Ramdas at Chaphal. o After Shivaji's death, Ramdas wrote a letter to his elder son Sambhaji Bhonsle I, advising him on the future course of action after Shivaji's death. 11) Guru Ghasi Das (1756-1836 CE; Chhattisgarh)  Established the Satnami community  Against idol worship 12) Thyagaraja (1767-1847; TN)  a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his contemporaries, Shyama Shastri and Muthuswami Dikshitar, are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Thyagaraja composed thousands of devotional compositions, most in Telugu and in praise of Lord Rama, many of which remain popular today, the most popular being "Nagumomu".[3] Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Kritis (transl. "five gems"), which are often sung in programs in his honour, and Utsava Sampradaya Krithis (transl. Festive ritual compositions), which are often sung to accompany temple rituals.[4]  Tyagaraja lived through the reigns of four kings of the Maratha dynasty – Tulaja II (1763–1787), Amarasimha(1787–1798), Serfoji II (1798–1832) and Sivaji II (1832– 1855),[5] although he served none of them. 