History of Bhakti Movement In India
Introduction ; Religious movement :-
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement in which the main spiritual practice is loving devotion among the Shaivite and Vaishnava saints. The Bhakti Movement was essentially founded in South Indian and later spread to the North during the late medieval period. The notion of ‘Bhakti’ (Loosely translated as devotional love to God is of antiquity. A nascent consciousness of what ‘Bhakti’ constitutes is already to be found in the earliest Vedas, especially in relation to deities such as Varuna. A clearer expression of Bhakti began to be formed during the so-called Epic period and the Purannic periods of Hindu history. Texts such the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana clearly explore Bhakti Yoga and the Path of Devotion as means to salvation.
A historical – spiritual phenomenon:-
The Bhakti movement itself is a historical – spiritual phenomenon that crystallized in south India during Late Antiquity. It was spearheaded by devotional mystics (later revered as Hindu saints who extolled devotion and love to God as the chief means of spiritual perfection. The Bhakti movement in South India was spearheaded by the sixty-three Nayanars (Shaivite devotees and the twelve Alvars ( Vaisnnavaite devotees).
Shaivite Bhakti movement
Among the earliest Shaivite mystic was Karaikkal Amaiyar, who probably lived around the late 5th century AD or perhaps the early 6th century. She was said to be a contemporary of Vaisnnavaite saints Bhuttalwar and Peialwar. Kannapa Nayanar was also an early Shaiva Bhakti saint. But most famous among the Shaiva Bhakti saints were the “Nalvar” ( The Four Eminent Ones”, names Sundarar, Appar, Sambandar and Manikkvasagar. Their devotional hymns are ecstatic, lyrical and moving.
Vaisnnavaite Bhakti movement
The Vaisnnavaite Bhakti movement contemporaneous with the Shaiva Bhakti movement. The hymns of the twelve alvars are held together as the “Nalayira Divya Prabandham’ and recited (as are the Shaiva texts ) in temple rituals. Whilst all the saints are held in great reverence, Andal in particu hold a special place among the Vaishnava saints. Not only is she the only Female Vaishnava saint but also her
hymns are among the best expression of bridal mysticism in the Hindu religion.
The twelve Alvars and the sixty-three Nayanars nurtured the incipient Bhakti movement in South Indian under the Pallavas and Pandyas in the fifth to seventh centuries AD. They constitute South India’s 75 Apostles of Bhakti and ere great influential in determining the expression of faith in South India. The path of devotion as expounded by these mystic would later be incorporated into Ramanuja and Madhav philosophical systems.
Haridasa movement
During the 12th and 13the centuries A.D., the Virashaiva movement and during the rule of the Vijayanagar Empire in South India, the Haridasa movement spread from present-day Karnataka. The Virashiva movement spread the philosophy of Basavanna, a Hindu reformer. The seeds of Carnatic music were sown and the philosophy of Madhavacharya was propagated by the Kannada Haridasas. The Haridasas. The Haridasa movement presented like, the Virashaiva movement another strong current of Bhakti, pervading the lives of millions. The Haridasa presented two groups. Vyasakuta and Dasakuta. The former were Darshnas, while the Daskuta merely conveyed the message of Madhvacharya through the Kannada language to the people. The philosophy of Madhvacharya was preserved and perpetuated by his eminent disciples like Vyasatirtha or Vyasaraja, Naraharithirtha, Vadirajatirtha, Shrepadarya, Jayathirtha and others. In the fifteenth century, the Haridasa movement took shape under Shripadaraya of Mulbagal; but his disciple Vyasatirtha provided it a strong organizational base. 4He was intimately associated with the Vijayanagar Empire where he became a great moral and spiritual force. His eminent disciple were Purandaradasa and Kanakasdasa. Yakshagana, as a theater form emerged as an offshoot of this movement in Karnataka.
proliferation of regional poetic literature
The late Bhakti movement led to the proliferation of regional poetic literature in the various vernacular languages of India. The Bhakti movement in what is now Karnataka resulted in a burst of poetic Kannada literature in praise of Lord Vishnu. Some of its leader include PurandaraDasa and KanakaDasa, whose contribution were essential to Carnatic music. The later Carnatic Trinity is also no doubt a product of this Bhakti Movement.
Growth of Bhakti movement in North:-
The Bhakti movement began to spread to the North during the late medieval ages when North India was under Muslim Domination. There was no grouping of the mystics into Shaiva and Vaishna devotees as it was in South. The movement was spontaneous and the various mystics had their own version of devotional expression. Unlike in the South where devotion was centered on both Shiva and Vishnu, the Northern devotional movement was more or less centered on Rama and Krishna, both of whom ere incarnations of Vishnu. Though this did not mean that the cult of Shiva of the Devi went into declines. In fact for all of this history the Bhakti movement co-existed peacefully with the other movements in Hinduism. It was initially considered unorthodox as it rebelled against caste distinction and made disregarded Bramanic ritual which according to Bhakti Saints not necessary for salvation. In the course of time however owing to its immense popularity among the masses and it became ‘orthodox’ and continues to be one of the most imporntat modes of religious expression in modern Indian.
In the period between the 14-17th centuries a great Bhakti movement swept through Northern India initialed by a loosely associated group of Teachers of saints. Chaitanya, Vallabh, Meera Bai, Kabir, TulsiDas, Tukaram and other mystics spearheaded the Bhakti movement in the North. Their teaching were that people could caste aside the heavily burners’ of ritual and caste and the subtle complexities of period was also characterized by a spate of devotional literature in vernacular prose and poetry in the ethnic language of the vaiorus Indian states and provinces.
The growth of Shaiva Sidhanta School
As a fore mentioned whilst many of the Bhakti mystic focused their attention on Krishna or Rama, it did not necessarily means that the cult of Shiva was marginalized. The growth of the Vira-Shiva and the older Shaiva Sidhanta School in this period, which incorporated Bhakti into their teaching are testimony to the growth of the Shavia faith in this period. In the thirteenth century Basava founded the Vira-Shaiv scholar or Viashaivism. He rejected the caste system, denied the supremacy of the Brahmin, condemned ritual sacrifice and insisted on Bhakti and the worship of the one God, Shiva. His followers ere called Vira-Shaivas, meaning ‘stalwart Shiva-worshipper. The Saiva-Sidhdhanta school is a form of Shaivasim. Found in the south and is of hoary antiquity. In incorporates the teaching of the erstwhile shiava nayanars and espoused the belief that Shiva is Brahman and his infinite love is revealed in the divine actins of the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe and in the libration of the soul.
Rama Bhakti (S.N.)
Ramananda
The leader of the Bhakti movement focusing on the Lord as Rama was Ramananda. Very little is known about him, but he is believed to have lived in the first half of the 15th century. He taught that Lord Rama is the supreme Lord, and that salvation could be attained only through love for and devotion to him, and through the repetition of his sacred name.
Ramananda's ashram in Varanasi became a powerful center of religious influence, from which his ideas spread far and wide among all classes of Indians. One of
the reasons for his great popularity was that he renounced Sanskrit and used the language of the people for the composition of his hymns. This paved the way for the modern tendency in northern India to write literary texts in local languages.
Devotees of Krishna
Devotees of Krishna worship him in different mellows, known as rasas. Two major systems of Krishna worship developed, each with its own philosophical system. These two systems are aishwaryamaya Bhakti and madhuryamaya Bhakti. Aishwaryamaya Bhakti is revealed in the abode of queens and kingdom of Krishna in Dwaraka. Madhuryamaya Bhakti is revealed in the abode of braja. Thus Krishna is worshiped according to the development of devotees' taste in worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Krishna) as father, friend, master or beloved.
Shri Madhvacharya (1238–1317) born at Pajaka near Udupi advocated Dwait philosophy. He defeated many scholars in religious debates identified God with Vishnu. His view of reality is purely dualistic, in that he understood a fundamental differentiation between the ultimate Godhead and the individual soul, and the system is therefore called Dvaita (dualistic) Vedanta. Madhva is considered one of the most influential theologians in Hindu history. His influence was profound, and he is one of the fathers of the Vaishnava Bhakti movement. Great leaders of the Vaishnava Bhakti movement in Karnataka like Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa,
Raghavendra Swami and many others were influenced by Dvaita traditions.
Vallabhacharya (1479–1531) called his school of thought Shuddhadvaita, or pure monism. According to him, it is by God's grace that one can obtain release from bondage and attain Krishna's heaven. This heaven is far above the "heavens" of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, for Krishna is the eternal Brahman.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) defined his system of philosophy as Achintya Bheda Abheda (inconceivable and simultaneous oneness and difference). It synthesizes elements of monism and dualism into a single system. Chaitanya's philosophy is taught by the contemporary International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or Hare Krishna movement.
Srimanta Sankardeva's (1449–1568) propagated his school of thought, called Ekasarana Dharma, in the greater Assam region. An example of dasya Bhakti, there is no place for Radha in this tradition. The most important symbol of this tradition is the namghar or prayer hall, which dot Assam's landscape. This form of worship is very strong in Assam today, and much of the traditions are maintained by the monasteries (Sattras).
Vaishnava Bhakti
Prominent historical personalities include:Influences
Beyond the confines of such formal schools and movements, however, the development of Bhakti as a major form of Hindu practice has left an indelible stamp on the faith. Philosophical speculation was of concern to the elite, and even the great Advaitist scholar Adi Shankaracharya, when questioned as to the way to God, said that chanting the name of the lord was essential. The philosophical schools changed the way people thought, but Bhakti was immediately accessible to all, calling to the instinctive emotion of love and redirecting it to the highest pursuit of God and self-realization. In general a liberal movement, its denouncement of caste offered recourse for Hindus from the orthodox Brahaminical systems. Of course Bhakti's message of tolerance and love was not often heeded by those ensconced in the societal construct of caste. Altogether, Bhakti resulted in a mass of devotional literature, music and art that has enriched the world and given India renewed spiritual impetus, one eschewing unnecessary ritual and artificial social boundaries.
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