-Kritika Bhatt
Alvars Nayanars
12 Alvars 63 Nayanrs
Tirumurai-12 volume collection; Naalayira Divya Prabandham compiled by
11 of which were compiled by Nathamuni;
Nambiyandar Nambi translates to 'Four Thousand Divine Hymns'
is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses
composed by the 12 Alvars
The best known among them were The best known among them were Appar,
Periyalvar, his daughter Andal, Sambandar, Sundarar.
Tondaradippodi Alvar.
Nathamuni
chronicles trace his birth as 823 CE.
also known as Sri Ranganathamuni
propagated Srivaishnavism and is
also credited to be its founder
considered to be the first Sri-Vaishnavism
acharya
why the movement
sons spre
Rea ad
1 Challenged the rigid caste system which hierarchically arranged people on the basis of birth.
Many also grew averse to the unnecessary ritualistic practices promoted by upper castes.
The Movement emphasised a personal and spiritual connection with God, focusing on love
2 and devotion rather than ritualistic worship and hence appealed to many.
3 The movement aimed to democratise spirituality and make it accessible to all, regardless of
caste or gender.
It can also be viewed as a response to some of the perceived limitations of Jainism and
4 Buddhism as well as a reformation within Hinduism in response to the growth of Jainism
and Buddhism in India.
The Virashaiva Tradition
12 century movement in Karnataka led by Basavanna.
His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or
Lingayats (wearers of the linga).
They do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in
the Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially bury their dead.
Lingayats challenged many of the social practices that were prevalent
in society.
Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradition is derived from
vachanas (literally, sayings) composed in Kannada by people
who joined the movement.
Women in the Bhakti Movement
Women within the Bhakti movement challenged gender norms and social hierarchies through active
participation and leadership. Hence, they redefined their roles within the religious and social sphere
by engaging in public worship, composing devotional poetry, actively participating and influencing
other women to take part in the movement. These women had a major role in reshaping religious
practices and raising concerns for greater equality in society.
The experiences of men and women even within the Bhakti movement were starkly different.
Many broke the social barriers of society to be true to their devotion. They often did this by:
rejecting traditional marriage, becoming courtesans, evading the expectations of youth, leaving
their marriages, adopting masculine or unconventional appearances, defying widowhood norms,
rejecting motherhood, walking unclothed, or transcending caste boundaries.
Akka Mahadevi
“People,
male and female,
blush when a cloth covering their
Akka Mahadevi was one of the early female shame,
poets of Kannada literature and a prominent comes loose
person in the Lingayat Shaiva sect in the 12th When the lord of lives
century. She left her marriage and wandered lives drowned without a face
openly, with her body covered only by her hair. in the world, how can you be
She expressed her defiance and devotion in her modest?
When all the world is the eye of the
vachanas.
lord,
onlooking everywhere, what can
you
cover and conceal?”
Commenting on her own nakedness, Akka
Mahadevi writes:
Medieval Poet Saints
Adi Shankaracharya
( 8 century CE) was born into a pious Brahman family in a quiet village called
Kalady on the Periyar (Purna) River, Kerala.
He consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta.
Established 4 monastic centres or the char dhams:
- Badrinath in Uttarakhand
- Dwarka in Gujarat
-Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu
- Puri in Odisha.
Shankaracharya emphasized on realisation and consciousness as a means of
devotion and salvation.
Kabir Das
Kabir’s poems have survived in several languages and dialects; and some are composed in the
special language of nirguna poets, the sant bhasha. Others, known as ulatbansi (upside-
down sayings), are written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted.
Das Kabir ki ulti baani
Barse kambal, bheeje paani!
Kabir uses a range of traditions Kabir to describe the Ultimate Reality.
Allah, Khuda, Hazrat and Pir from Islamic traditions.
Alakh (the unseen), nirakar (formless), Brahman, Atman, etc. from Vedantic traditions.
Other terms with mystical connotations such as shabda (sound) or shunya (emptiness) were drawn from yogic
traditions.
ts of the Bhakti Movem
Effec ent
The Bhakti movement at its base democratised spirituality and made religious practices accessible
1 to all irrespective of their caste or social order. The core of devotional worship became love for
God, and the mode of its expression was through prayers, hymns, and songs practiced by the
practitioners.
A lot of emphasis was placed on the use of vernacular or local languages. Many saints composed their
2 works in local languages rather than in Sanskrit which was reserved for the ruling elites and upper classes.
The Bhakti movement integrated local idioms, folklore, poetry, etc. into mainstream tradition.
3
example: a local deity of Puri, Jagannatha was interwoven with tales of Vishnu. The Jagannatha idol with
big open eyes and no hands, is distinct from how Vishnu has been described. Later, the local deity was
equated and was believed to be a form of Vishnu.
Traditions and religious practices have always been evolving in
4 society, and it’s imperative they do.
Thank You!
