BHAKTI MOVEMENT

By
SIDDHANT AGNIHOTRI
B.Sc (Silver Medalist)
M.Sc (Applied Physics)
Facebook: sid_Econnect
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DOHA
 BHAKTI MOVEMENT(8th-16th century)
• An important landmark in the cultural history of medieval India was
the silent revolution in society brought about by a galaxy of socio-
religious reformers, a revolution known as the Bhakti Movement.

• This movement was responsible for many rites and rituals

associated with the worship of God by Hindus, Muslims and
Sikhs of Indian subcontinent. For example, Kirtan at a Hindu
Temple, Qawaali at a Dargah (by Muslims), and singing of
Gurbani at a Gurdwara are all derived from the Bhakti
movement of medieval India (800-1700).

• The leader of this Hindu revivalist movement was Shankaracharya,

a great thinker and a distinguished philosopher. And this movement
was propounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Namadeva, Tukaram,
Jayadeva. The movement's major achievement was its abolition of
idol worship
 ORIGIN

• The movement which emphasized primarily these ideas was the

Bhakti movement—devotion to God. Bhakti to God was accepted
as salvation.

• It originated in South India(Saiva Nayanars and Vaishnava

Alvars) and largely spread throughout India(from Karnataka and
Maharashtra) to Bengal and Northern India.

• The Alvars, which literally means "those immersed in God",

were Vaishnava poet-saints who sang praises of Vishnu as
they travelled from one place to another.

• Like the Alvars, the Saiva Nayanar poets were influential. The
Tirumurai, a compilation of hymns on Shiva by sixty-three
Nayanar poet-saints, developed into an influential scripture in
Shaivism.
 NIRGUNA AND SAGUNA

• The Bhakti movement of Hinduism saw two ways of imaging the

nature of the divine (Brahman) – Nirguna and Saguna.

• Nirguna Brahman was the concept of the Ultimate Reality as

formless, without attributes or quality. Saguna Brahman, in contrast,
was envisioned and developed as with form, attributes and quality.

• 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.

• Nirguna bhakta's poetry were Jnana-shrayi, or had roots in

knowledge. Saguna bhakta's poetry were Prema-shrayi, or with
roots in love.
 FEATURES

1. Unity of God or one God .

2. Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation.

3. Repetition of the True Name.

4. Self-Surrender

5. Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith.

6. Rejection of idol worship by many saints

7. Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters.

8. No distinction of different castes, higher or low

 EXPANSION

• The Sufi saints of the Muslims also emphasized devotion to

Allah (God). The spiritual yearning made Kabir, Guru Nanak,
Mirabai, Surdas, Tulsi Das, Chaitanya and others, the great
exponents of Bhakti movement.

• A more effective method for spreading of the Bhakti ideology was

the use of local languages.

• Under the impact of the Muslim rule, the Hindus had suffered a lot
materially, morally and spiritually. The Muslim rulers in general
wanted to enforce the Islamic laws on the Hindus.

• During the course of time, several evil practices had crept into the
Hindu society. There was a lot of caste and class distinction.
Several divisions had occurred.
 EXPANSION

• Fortunately with the foreign invaders, some Sufi Muslim saints had also
come to India and settled here. They were very liberal minded. They
emphasized the virtues of love and devotion, brotherhood and equality etc.
This helped to bring the two communities nearer. It also helped to
harmonise the conflicting interests.

• The Hindus realised that it was difficult to drive away the Muslim rulers and
Muslims from 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. So under the impact of the new movement both
sides started making efforts for coming closer to each other.

• The Bhakti saints were social reformers also. They condemned

several social evils.The Sufi Saints like Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti,
Bakhyiya Kaki, Nizamudin Aulia and Nasiruddin Chirag-i-Delhi etc.
attempted to restrain the fanaticism of the Muslims and tried to bring
them nearer to the Hindus.
 IMPACT

• The most important social impact of the Bhakti movement was that
the followers of the Bhakti movement rejected the caste distinction.
They began to mix together on the basis of equality. They took their
meals together from the common kitchen.

• The movement aroused awakening among the Hindus and Muslims

regarding the futility of ritualism and superstitions. The feeling of
appreciation of the difference between the thought and practices of
the two religions emerged. The movement encouraged religious
toleration.

• The movement attempted to infuse a spirit of piety in the daily life of

the people. It emphasized earning of wealth through hard work and
honest means. It encouraged the value of social service to the poor
and the needy. It developed a humanitarian attitude.
 SAINTS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT
• The worship of Rama was popularised by saints like Ramananda
(1400-1470). He considered Rama as the supreme God. Women
and outcastes were. The most famous of the Rama bhaktas was
Tulsidas (l 532-1623) who wrote the Ramacharitmanas.

• Kabir (1440-1518) believed that the way to God was through

personally experienced bhakti or devotion. He believed that the
Creator is One.

• Guru Nanak (1469-1539). He was born at Talwandi (Nakana

Sahib). From an early age, he showed leanings towards a spiritual
life. He was helpful to the poor and needy. His disciples called
themselves Sikhs.

• Guru Nanak’s personality combined in itself simplicity and

peacefulness. Guru Nanak’s objective was to remove the existing
corruption and degrading practices in society.
 SAINTS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

• The love for Krishna was also expressed through the songs of
Mirabai (1503-73). Widowed at an early age, she believed in a
spiritual marriage with her Lord. Her poems have a quality of their
own and are popular even today.

• The Vaishnavite movement spread in the east through the efforts of

Chaitanya (1484-1533). Chaitanya considered Krishna not as a
mere incarnation of Vishnu but as the highest form of God.
 SUFISM

• The Sufi movement was a socio-religious movement of

fourteenth to sixteenth century. They had gone through
various religious text of India and had come in contact with
great sages and seers of India. They could see the Indian
religion from very near and realized its inner values.
Accordingly they developed Islamic Philosophy which at last
gave birth to the Sufi Movement.

• This movement influenced both the Muslims and Hindus and thus,
provided a common platform for the two.Though the Sufis were
devout Muslims, yet they differed from the orthodox Muslims. While
the former believed in inner purity, the latter believed in external
conduct.
 SUFISM

• The union of the human soul with God through love and
devotion was the essence of the teachings of the Sufi Saints.
They were called Sufis as they wore garments of Wool (suf) as
their budge of poverty.

• The Sufis did not attach importance to namaz, hajj and celibacy.
That is why they were misunderstood by orthodox muslims. They
regarded Singing and dancing as methods of inducing a state of
ecstasy which brought one nearer to realisation of God.
 SUFISM

• Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti (1143-1234):was a great Sufi Saint of

India. The Chisti order was established in India by him. He was
born in 1143 A.D. in Seistan in Persia.

• Farid-ud-din Ganj-i-Shakar (1176-1268): Farid-ud-din Ganj-i-

Shakar was another great Sufi Saint of India. He was popularly
known as Baba Farid. He was a great disciple of Shaikh Muinuddin
Chisti. He was deeply respected in Delhi. He was surrounded by a
large number of people whenever he visited Delhi.

• Nizam-ud-din Auliya (1235-1325): Nizam-ud-din Auliya was the

most famous of the Chisti Saints. He was the disciple of Baba
Farid. He came to Delhi in 1258 and settled in the Village Chiaspur
near Delhi. In his life time seven Sultans ruled over Delhi, but he did
not go to any of them.
DOHA