Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Bhakti Movement
The Bhakti Movement
1. Origin
7. Women Devotee’s
8. Saints
9. Conclusion
ORIGIN
ALVAR SAINTS
NAYANARS SAINTS
The Nayanars were a group of 63 saints (also
saint poets) in the 6th to 8th century who
were devoted to the Hindu
god Shiva in Tamil Nadu. They, along with
the Alwars, their contemporaries who were
devoted to Vishnu, influenced the Bhakti
movement in Tamil. The names of the
Nayanars were first compiled by Sundarar.
The list was expanded
by NambiyandarNambi during his
compilation of material by the poets for
the Tirumurai collection, and would include
Sundarar himself and Sundarar's
parents.Nayanars were devoted to Shiva.
Women Devotees
AkkaMahadevi
Mirabai
Mira bai lived during the ending of 15th and
beginning of 16th century. She belonged to
the Rajput aristocracy of Rajasthan.
She was a daughter of Ratan Singh and his
wife . VirKunwari of Medtiya of Rathor clan.
Mira’s paternal grandfather Jodhaji was the
founder of Jodhpur. Her paternal
grandfather . Dudaji had conquered Medata
city and 360 villages around it. He gave
Mira’s father Ratan Singh 12 villages of
which the central village was Kudki.
Mira was born in this fort. Miras paternal
family were Vaishnavas and henc Mira
inherited Vaisnava Bhakti as a part of her
family legacy.
Traditions has it that as a young girl Mira
pestered her mother to tell her who was
bridegroom when see saw a marriage
procession.
To avoid her persistent questioning Mira’s
mother pointed at a statue of Krishna and
told her that this was her bridegroom. Mira
hence considered herself wedded to Krishna.
When she grew up she was married into a
royal family of Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar.
The identity of Maharaj Kumbh and others
with Bhoraj the son of the famous Rana
Sanga. Most probably the marriage was a
part of the political alliance between Rators
of Jodhpur ith the Ranas of Mewar.
Here elsewhere in Rajasthan, the structure of
the Bhaiyad was closely linked to the system
of political power and sovereignty. The kul
included all those related to a common
ancestor by ties of male blood.
Mira even refused to consummate her
marriage regarding her self already wedded
to Krishna. This was an open defiance and
her in-laws could not tolerate this . There
were various attempts at her life and finally
she left the palace compound, there too she
did not find solace because of the
disapproval of Bhakt.
Saints
Kabir
Gurunanak
Chaitanya
Chaitanya was another well-known saint and
reformer of Bengal who popularized the
Krishna cult. He renounced the world,
became an ascetic and wandered all over the
country preaching his ideas.
He proclaimed the universal brotherhood of
man and condemned all distinction based on
religion and caste.
He emphasized love and peace and showed
great sympathy to the sufferings of other
people, especially that of the poor and the
weak. He believed that through love and
devotion, song and dance, a devotee can feel
the presence of God.
He accepted disciples from all classes and
castes and his teachings are widely followed
in Bengal even today.
Gnanadeva
Gnanadeva was the founder of the Bhakti
Movement in Maharashtra in the thirteenth
century. It was called Maharashtra dharma.
He wrote a commentary of Bhagavat Gita
called Gnaneswari. Namadeva preached the
gospel of love. He opposed idol worship and
priestly domination.
He also opposed the caste system. In the
sixteenth century, Ekanatha opposed caste
distinctions and sympathetic towards the
lower castes. He composed many lyrics and
his bhajans and kirtans were famous.
Another Bhakti saintsof Maharashtra was
Tukaram, a contemporary of Sivaji.
He was responsible for creating a
background for Maratha nationalism .He
opposed all social distinctions.
Tulsi Das
Tukaram
Bahina Bal
Sri Chaitanya
Vaishnavism began to get popular due to the
effort of Sri Chantanya earlier known as
Visvanbar Misra, he was born in Nudia
district of Bengal in A.D 1484.
Chaitanya adopted an ascetic life in AD 150
and begun to practice the passionate bhakti
of the BhagavataPurana by IsvaraPuri an
ascetic Madhava sect.
He was given the name Gauranya on the
occasion of his sacred thread ceremony and
later came to be known as Sri Krishna
Chaitanya at the time of his sanyas.
He came under the influence of the
Nimbarkars and Vishnuswamis and sang
delightly the songs of Jayadeva, Chandidas
and Vidyatti. Chaitanya gave Radha , the
imaginary consort of Kirsna a prominent
place in his worship and made the Radha-
Krishna myth the basis of his teaching and
worship.
Sankardeva
ConclusioN