DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

VISAKHAPATNAM, A.P., INDIA

PROJECT TITLE

THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT

SUBJECT

HISTORY

NAME OF THE FACULTY

Prof. MADASU.VISWACHANDRA NATH

NAME OF THE CANDIDATE

KOTHA. NITIN BHARGAV

ROLL NO &SEMESTER

19LLB096 & SEMESTER - I

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:-

It gives me the greatest of pleasure to thank Mr. Madasu. Viswachandra nath, for his invaluable
help and guidance without which it would not have been possible to make the project.

His insight into the topic and continuous motivation has been a source of great inspiration for
me.

I would like to thank my parents and my friends who supported me throughout the making of my
project and helped me as and when they could.

K. Nitin Bhargav.

Sem. - I

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ABSTRACT

Bhakti movement refers to the ideas that emerged during the medieval period on
love & devotion to the concepts of religions which built around one or more gods .  It originated
in southern India (now Tamil Nadu and Kerala) in the eighth century and later spread to the
north. It swept eastern and northern India from the fifteenth century, reaching a peak between the
fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

“Ramananda” was 1st ‘Bhakti’ saint, founder of Bhakti Movement in North

India. He preached in Hindi, the language of the masses. He was a disciple of ‘Ramanuja’. He
was a conformist saint.

The researcher would like to discuss the following things in my project ‘The Bhakti
Movement’

 What were the main principles involved in Bhakti Movement

 How did Bhakti Movement start
 The main features of the Bhakti Movement
 What are the 9 types of Bhakti
 How did the Bhakti Movement spread
 The impact of Bhakti Movement on the Medieval Indian Society

Postmodern scholars are skeptical of this conservative view and whether the devotional
movement has ever been any kind of reform or rebellion. They suggest that the Bhakti movement
is a renaissance, reconstruction, and re-contextualization of Vedic customs in Ancient period.

Scriptures of the Bhakti movement includes,  THE PADMA PURANA, BHAGAVATA

PURANA and THE BHAGAVAD GITA.

Sources: History of India- part- II by H.V. Sreenivasa Murthy and V.S. Elizabeth.

Medieval India, V.D. Mahajan

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Pg. No.

1. SYNOPSIS…………………………………………………………………. 5

2. INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………… 6

3. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT………………… 6

4. THE ROLE OF SAINTS IN DEVELOPING THE

BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN INDIA …….………………………………. 8
5. MAIN FEATURES OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT ……………………… 10
6. CAUSES OF THE RISE OF THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT
 VAISHNAVAS INFLUENCE…………………………………… 12
 HINDUS EVIL PRACTICES….………………………………... 13
 FEAR OF SPREAD OF ISLAM…………………………………. 13
 SUFI SECTS INFLUENCE………..……………………………. 14
 THE EMERGENCE OF REFORMERS………..……………… 15
1. RAMANANDA ………………………………………….. 15
2. KABIR DAS ……………………………………………... 17
3. GURUNANAK ………………………………………….. 18
4. RAVI DASS ……………………………………………… 20
5. MEERA BAI …………………………………………….. 20
6. TUKARAM ……………………………………………… 20
7. TULASI DAS ……………………………………………. 21
8. SRI RAMANUJA ACHARYA …………………………. 21
7. NINE TYPES OF BHAKTI ……………………………………………… 22
8. EXPANSION OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT ……………………………… 25
9. IMPACTS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT ………………………………… 26
 RELIGIOUS IMPACTS ……………………………………… 26
 SOCIAL IMPACTS …………………………………………... 26
10. CHANGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT &
AFTER THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT …….……………………. 27

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11. CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………… 29
12. BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………… 30
SYNOPSIS

OBJECTIVES/ AIMS OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this study is to discuss about the Bhakti Movement.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study helps us to understand the history behind the Bhakti Movement.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is restricted to -
1. Origin and development of The Bhakti Movement
2. Different eminent personalities who followed The Bhakti Movement.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The sources are taken from the books, journals, articles, and web sources.
Books:
History of India- part- II by H.V. Sreenivasa Murthy and V.S. Elizabeth.
Medieval India, V.D. Mahajan
WEB SOURCES:
https://knowindia.gov.in/
https://www.indiatoday.in/
http://www.cssforum.com.pk/
https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/
http://www.historydiscussion.net/
https://divyapracharam.wordpress.com/
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study is based on doctrinal type of research. The Citation style is Bluebook 20th edition.
RESEARCH QUESTION

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To find the impacts about The Bhakti Movement.

INTRODUCTION

Bhakti Movement was a uprising movement started by Hindu saints to bring

religious reforms by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. This movement
resulted in various rites by practicing devotional rituals among the Hindus, the Muslims and the
Sikhs in India. Their method of expression was to sing devotional compositions in the temples,
Gurudwaras and Masjids. The Bhakti Movement was brought by socio-religious reformers. This
movement was responsible for many rituals connected with the worship of God by Hindus,
Muslims and Sikhs in India.
Though Bhakti as a concept is very ancient in Indian religion 1 some trends and
changes can be noticed in it from the 13th to 17th centuries, which transformed its original
character and shaped the nature of the crystallized society. Attempts were made to give fresh
lease of life to the decadent religion by reviving the past and attempting to interpret it in the light
of the new socio-economic - forces, giving rise to new ideas, more in keeping with the times. "

ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

Indian culture and civilization has wielded an immense assimilative power and
the Greeks, Sakas, Hunas were easily absorbed within the fold of her population. This however
did not happened with the Turk- Afghan invaders who maintained their distinct authority.
Therefore the advent of Islam has a propound effect on its political, religious and socio- cultural
life. The history of medieval India is one of the confront to co- operation followed by synthesis
and interaction. This interaction and synthesis is very interesting. Face to face with egalitarian
social ideal of Islam. Where all were equal in eyes of God, the social rigidity of Hindus was not
relaxed and caste distinctions continued to exist. On the other hand the lofty ideals of toleration
of various religious sects and creeds of Hinduism were not accepted by Islam. This coupled with
various Socio- economic changes prepared the ground for The Bhakti Movement.

1
Geeta says in Chapter xviii (66), “Give up all religious paths and take refuge in me alone. I shall deliver thee from
all sins. Sorrow not"

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 The Bhakti movement, which began in the ninth century with the
Shankaracharyas throughout India and in South India in the sixteenth century, was a great
spiritual force to be considered, especially after the great wave of Kabir, Nanak and Sri
Chaitanya. MG Ranade, in his book, The Rise of Maratha Power, summarizes the profound
impact of this spiritual awakening.
Fifteenth century witnessed a great religious revival in different parts of the
country. The rise of popular spirituality is a reaction to Brahmanism, which has just become an
intellectual theory. “It ignored the rights of the heart. The basic principles he taught were non-
personal and ula attended. People who understand that there is always a moral and emotional
worship that can find both the satisfaction of the heart and the moral orientation mean nothing. It
is in these circumstances that the devotional movement, the devotion to the love of God, " 2 rose
in various parts of the country extolling the merits of Bhakti and giving discourses to people,
irrespective of caste, creed, color or sex, on ethics, moral and religious living.

All the great thinkers, all religious reformers, sincere devotees among the Hindus
since ancient times, have declared a single Most High God who is behind the myriad divinities of
popular worship, and declares equality for all worshipers and places a simple heartfelt faith over
elaborate religious ceremonies. All of them tried to simplify religion and bring it to the gates of
the general public. Though the vast majority of the Hindu thinkers regarded the Vedas as the
fountain of deep spiritual thought, they never desired to canalise all thought into a single pattern
and to force everybody to conform to it. They recognized the value of a distinct personality of
each individual and despite differences of caste and family in the social sphere have conceded to
all complete spiritual freedom to seek fulfillment of one’s personality according to one’s
personality and light. They regarded the individual as the epitome of the Universe and hence they
sought truth and reality within and not without themselves. The result was that philosophy,
religion, rituals and forms of devotion had a free growth and the rulers of the day abstained from
interfering in the religious and spiritual life of the people and confined their attention merely to
maintaining social decorum and orderliness.3

2
Yusuf Hassan, Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture, p.3.
3
A.B. Pande, op. cit., pp. 169-70.

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 What really happened after the Turkish domination in India was the cleavage that
came to be created between the rulers and the ruled, the Muslims and the Hindus. The Hindu
orthodoxy could do no more than to fall on the defence imposing greater restriction on the social
Observances. This attitude of the Hindus coupled with the attitude of some narrow-minded
Muslim bigots who regarded the Hindus as base and contemptible accentuated the differences
between the two communities. The reform movements among the Hindus, which were waiting in
the wings as it were, stepped in to reconcile Islam and Hinduism. They also provided a common
meeting-ground to the liberal minded people of both religions so that they overcome their
differences of rituals, external marks of faith.4

The wave of Bhakti movement started from south India, by Alvaras-the devotees
of Vishnu and Nayanars- the devotees of Shiva. They travelled to various places singing hymns
in Tamil in praise of their gods. Later, many temples were built that became the sacred places for
pilgrimage. Compositions of sacred poets have become part of temple rituals in these
sanctuaries.
Some historians also believe that Alwar and Nayanar initiated a protest movement against the
caste system and the domain of the Brahmins, or at least tried to reform the system.  And this
movement was propounded by Chaitanya, Namadev, Tukaram, Jayadev. The Abolition of idol
worship is the Movement’s major achievement.

THE ROLE OF SAINTS IN DEVELOPING THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN INDIA

It is mentioned that Alvars initiated devotional rituals that is Bhakti Dharma. The
Alvars belong to the virtuous community i.e. Suguna Sect. They form a spiritual connection
between the devotee and the devotee through their devotional songs. There are not only
reformers of piety, but also of high caliber poets. Alwar's nine items of devotion are included in
the Bhakti literature. "Nalai- Divyapradhana" - a literary compilation of Alvaras influenced by
Bhagavat. Many scholars think that it is correct to say that this is the main text of the movement
instead of the Bhagavat Purana. This is the first verse of this movement.5
4
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, Vol.10, p.570.
5
Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti - Dhara Aru Santa Katha, Mani Manik Prakash, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2012, p.9

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 “Uttpana Dravude Sahang Briddhing Kornatuke Gota
Kocchit Kocchit Moharastre Gujure Jimotang Gota”6

The Bhakti movement, which emerged as the land of Dravidians, later expanded
to Karnataka, and Maharashtra and Gujarat merged.
Similar to Hindi literature, Tamil literature is divided into the two eras. From the
5th century B.C it was called the Sangh era until the second century AD. "Thalakayapiyam" is
the only book recovered from the era before the Sangh. The post-Sangal period or the Jaina 132
or Buddhist age is known as the middle of the third century AD and before the fifth century AD.
From the sixth century to the ninth century AD, the devotional era of the poet Vaishnava Bhakta
Alwar and the poet Saiva Nayanmar. In Tamil, the word alwar is used to represent the twelve
Vaishnava devotees. The twelve Vaishnavas were Poighoi Alwar, Bhut Alwar, Pa Alwar,
Thirumalisoi Alwar, Namwalwar, Madhu Kavitlwar, Kulshekhar Alwar, Periyalwar, Andal,
Tondoradipodi Alwar, Thirappan Alwar and Tirusang Alwar. Nathmuni was one of the leading
teachers of philosophical analysis of the path of devotion promoted by these Vaishnavas.
Nathmuni compiled and edited the Alvars songs "Nalairadhya Pradhanam". He was born in 824
A.D. Jamunacharya was his son and was a Ramanujacharya’s teacher.The emergence of Sri
Sankaracharya is an innovative event in Indian cultural history. Shankaracharya is the famous
commentator "Brahmasutra". His period is referred to as 788-822 AD 7. The rise of Acharya
Sankaracharya had given ost to spiritual life in our India. So, as a result, this anti-Vedic ideology
and ideology are limited. Despite this, Advaitavaad concept left no impression on the people of
that time. After Alwar, Jamunacharya and Nathmuni took charge of restoring and building a
revamped road map of Vaishnav ideology.

MAIN FEATURES OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

6
Sankaradeva, Bhakti Pradip, Sharma, N. C. (ed.), Jyoti Prakashan, Panbazar, Guwahati, 2003, p.93
7
Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti- Dhara Aru Santa Katha, Mani Manik Prakash, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2012, p. 27

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The main features of the Bhakti Movement are
1. God is eternal.
2. For worshipping the God, one should serve humanity.
3. All Men are equal before God.
4. Worshipping God with the great devotion is far better than the performing the religious
ceremonies.
5. Distinctions in Caste and Credulous practices are to be given.

Although the preachers of the movement hail from all over India, they speak various languages
and deliver their own speeches, there is considerable closeness in their ideas and their
philosophies.

The major similarities and ideas are mentioned in this following manner:

1. The Bhakti Movement is focused on worship of one God i.e. Monotheism. For those, Rama
and Raheem, Ewar and Allah are nothing more than the different names of the Lord. In other
words, they explained the God’s unity.

2. The another most important thing in the Bhakti movement is the attention on devotion or
devotion towards God as the one and only way to gain salvation. With reverence for Almighty,
one can perceive it. So, devotion is greater than wisdom or knowledge and ritual or action. There
is no need for other formalities such as ceremonies or rituals to worship the Lord.

3. The Bhakti Movement refers to the need of a teacher or teacher to guide the devotee towards
this ultimate goal. A true teacher is the main resource for reaching God. He can only show the
light path to reach the right destination. A teacher can lead a devotee from the physical world to
the spiritual world.

4. Men's equality or universal brotherhood is another basic philosophy of devotional worship. In

fact, the Bhakti movement has raised its tone on racism, hierarchy among castes and similar

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social differences. It is believed that all God’s creations are equal; therefore all human beings are
equal.

5. Devotional saints strongly condemn the worship of Hindu images. They condemn false
practices, ritualism, dogmas and blind beliefs. For them, these sacrifices and rituals did not make
sense. They believe in God who is formless and formless, which is the Supreme Being.
Regardless of his caste, color or religion, anyone can approach it and realize it through the usual
selfless devotion method.

6. This Movement emphasizes devotional love of God, and self-purification is essential for them.
This is achieved through a great level of morality in one's own action and his thoughts. His
religion and motto are positive principles of honesty, morality, non violence, and humanitarian
values.
7. The attitude of self-distribution is another important principle of movement. Neither
formalities nor external rituals have been used to comprehend God. Fasting, pilgrimage, reading
Namaz or worshiping deities are utterly useless unless they are done with the purity of thought or
the concept of surrender to God. Complete surrender leads only to salvation.

With all these characteristics, the Bhakti movement has given a new chapter in
society of India. This movement was founded by Shankaracharya, a Kerala Brahmin in the ninth
century AD. It has been known to different parts of the country in the fifteenth century AD.
Socially and culturally, it is a popular movement and has left a lasting impact on the people.
The three important defenders of the movement are Saint Kabir, Guru Nanak and Sri Chaitanya.

CAUSES OF THE RISE OF THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT

1. Vaishnavas Influence.

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 2. Hindus Evil practices.
3. Fear of spread of Islam.
4. Sufi sects influence.
5. The emergence of reformers.

1. VAISHNAVAS INFLUENCE
The Vaishnava bhakti movement is purely a social issue because it concerns the
elite of society. From the seventh to the twelfth century, Vaishnavism was firmly established in
some pockets of India. But it did not reach the image of the whole of India. As early as the 15th-
16th century, the Vaishnava movement gained a new facelift in the propaganda of the Vaishnava
saints. As a result, all of the people in the impartial society of the class concept have been
affected by this movement and the universal message of love, devotion and equality. This
movement is a tool to deal with the evils and practices of religion and human psychology that are
prevalent in society. The reasons why this particular movement has taken such a big turn and
have impacted the entire Indian society are illustrated below. In all the works that followed,
Bhakti became a religion often identified with Krishna Bhakti or Vaishnavism in general.
Albrecht Webcrm made an in-depth study of Krishna cult and established a link between Krishna
Bhakti and Bhakti religions.8Referring to it as a meditative piety, and adorned with grace and
love of God. he spoke of Christian influence on Bhakti. Monier Williams also identified Bhakti
religion with Vaishnavism. According to him the multi dimensional Hindu religious tradition can
be divided under two broad divisions ~ Brahmanism. which was of the higher, cultured and
thoughtful classes and Hinduism. of the lower. uncultured and unthinking masses. He
categorized the Upanishads under the former and the cults of the personal deities under the later. 9
He defined this as monotheism, whereas the former i.e., upanishadic. Vedantic content was
monism.

2. HINDUS EVIL PRACTICES

The birth of the Bhakti movement is among the social ills of Hindu society. Under
Muslim rule in India, Hindu society has many social ailments, such as irrelevant customs and
religious practices, blind beliefs and social ideology. Society has also suffered severe economic
8
Albrecht Weber as quoted In Auguste Barth,The Religions of India, Kegal Paul, London. 1906, pp 220-221.
9
Monier Williams, Brahmanism and Hinduism, John Murray, London, 1891 p96.

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inequality due to polytheism, segregation, casteism and untouchability. Brahmins who lived a
decadent and corrupt moral life were monopolized by religion. Ordinary men are generally
disgusted with these social ills and need a liberal form of religion that they can identify with
simple religious practices. Therefore, public discontent over current religious and social ills is an
important catalyst behind the long spread of the Bhakti movement in India.

3. FEAR OF SPREAD OF ISLAM

With the rise of the Mughal Empire in the 12 th century, Islam has extended to
different places in India, and some Muslim rulers have enforced the laws so harshly that their
Hindus have to change into Islam. Fearing harsh and severe punishment at the hands of the
Mughals and humiliation at the hands of the so-called upper Hindu class in society, very few
caste Hindus embraced Islam.
In view of this, Hindu preachers, as well as social reformers, tried to introduce Hinduism to a
new light. In view of this great aspiration, the religious reformers have chosen the Vaishnava
devotional act as the most favorable way to inspire Hindu society in general. Lastly, this
movement was born um and was called the Indian Bhakti Movement. Vaishnavaism is popular
because it is explicitly mentioned in the Bhagavat Purana that there is no need for a higher caste
child to begin the path of devotion. All it requires is unconditional devotion and faith in Vishnu.

4. SUFI SECTS INFLUENCE

The influence of Sufism cannot be ignored since the emergence of the Bhakti
movement in India. Sufism is the oldest religious sect of Islam. This was the beginning of the
reform movement in Persia within Islam. He came to India in the early thirteenth century and

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Sufism became popular with the rise of the Muslim power. The word sufi comes from the word
safa, which means pure, which refers to the purity of thought and action. In the words of Sheikh-
al-Islam Zakaria Ansari, "Sufism teaches one how to purify oneself, improve morale and build
an inner and outer life to achieve lasting happiness." Therefore, according to the Sufists, self-
affirmation is the best way to achieve inner happiness. The terms sufi, wali, darvesh and fakir are
used for Muslim saints who seek to attain the development of their natural faculties through
ascetic exercises, meditation, renunciation and self-denial. In the twelfth century AD, Sufism
became a universal aspect of Islamic social life because its influence extended to almost the
entire Muslim community. Sufism refers to the inner or nihilistic side of Islam or the spiritual
dimension of the Muslim religion. However, Sufi saints who have overcome all religious and
religious differences have generally worked to promote the interest of humanity. The Sufis are a
class of philosophers famous for their religious Catholicism. The Sufis regarded God as the
highest beauty and believed that one should worship Him, take pleasure in His thought and
concentrate His attention on Him alone. They believed that the Lord was 'Mashuk' and that the
Sufis were 'Ashiks'. Sufism crystallized into many ‘silsilas’ or orders. The 4 most popular of
these are Chistiis, Suhrawardis, Qadiria and Naxbandis.

Sufism has its roots in rural and urban areas and has a profound social, political and cultural
impact on people. He rebelled against all forms of religious symbolism, orthodoxy, falsehood
and hypocrisy and worked to create a new world order that was the sole and ultimate goal of
spiritual happiness. At a time when the struggle for political power was rampant, Sufi saints
reminded men of their moral obligations. In a world torn with struggles and conflicts, they tried
to bring peace and harmony. The most important contribution of Sufism was that it helped to
reduce Hindu and Muslim prejudice by forming a sense of solidarity and brotherhood between
the two religious groups.

5. THE EMERGENCE OF REFORMERS

This period saw the emergence of many reformers who sought to eject Hinduism
of their evils and blind practices. The main proponents of this movement are Sankara, Ramanuja,
Nanak, Sri Chaitanya, Meerabai, Ramananda, Nimbarka, Madhava, Eknath, Surdas, Tulsidas,

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Tukaram, Vallabhacharya and Chandidas. They were the protectors of the Bhakti Movement,
which made devotion their main theme and called upon people to worship in a simple way of
devotion and love.

In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the followers of the Bhakti movement
included saints such as Bhagat Namdev and Saint Kabir Das, who insisted on the hymn of praise
of God through their own compositions. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed the
rise of many religious reformers. The worship of Lord Rama and the worship of Lord Krishna
are divided into different categories and religions.

The most significant contribution of the Bhakti Movement during this period,
from the historical point of view, came from Kabir and Nanak. “These saints expressed the
sentiments of the urban class in towns and of the artisans in the villages who were in contact with
the towns. They drew their ideas from the existing and Islamic traditions which mark them out as
distinct from other leaders”.10

 RAMANANDA

“Ramananda” is the leader of the Bhakti movement which is centered on God.

Little is known about him, but it is believed that he lived in the first half of the seventeenth
century. Ramananda taught that Lord Rama is the highest Lord and that salvation can be attained
only through love and dedication and by repeating his holy name. Ramananda (1400-70 A.D.)
was the architect of this new epoch of mysticism in medieval India. Being dissatisfied with the
orthodox practices followed by the Vaisnavas of the Visisthadvaita School, Ramananda laid the
foundations of a new school of Vaisnavism based on the gospel of single- minded, uninterrupted
and unalloyed devotion to God. “The most striking point about Ramananda’s teaching”, says
Grierson, “and that which has so captured the mind of India as to be enshrined in a proverbial
saying, is that so long as man or woman has a genuine living faith in the Supreme, his or  her
caste and position in life are matters of no importance”. He was himself a brahmana, but had no
objection to dine with members of the low castes if they were Vaisnavas.

That is why he says:

10
Sabd 30 and 28, quoted from Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture, p. 20.

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 Jati panti puchchai nahi koi

Hari ko bhajai to Han ka hoi

“Let no one ask a man’s caste or with whom he eats,

If a man shows love to Hari, he becomes Hari’s Own.”11

He took pupils even from the so-called degraded castes. According to tradition,
among his first disciples were Kabir (weaver), Sena (barber), and Ravidas (cobbler),

Ramananda made the spirit of sympathy for the low castes a fundamental tenet of
his doctrine. What is more, he borrowed ideas from the various religious schools that existed
before him, by vitalised them with the love and devotion of his heart, and founded a path of
spiritual realisation. Like the Alvars of South India, Ramananda propagated his creed in the
language of the people so that they can readily follow them. Ramananda considered God as a
Loving father. His motto was ‘Ram-Naam’12

 KABIR DAS

Kabir (1440-70 A.D.), a bold and uncompromising reformer, was concerned with
much more than mere religious reform. Kabir das was the first and main saint of the Nirguna sect
of Bhakti Dharma. His language was known as Purvi Bhasha. The words of different languages
and dialects, such as Arabic, Persian, avadhi, braja, bhojpuri, khariboli, punjabi, rajastani, etc.,

11
Sabd 30 and 28, quoted from Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture, p. 570.
12
Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti- Dhara Aru Santa Katha, Mani Manik Prakash, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2012, p.105.

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are found in the language used by Kabirdas.13 He stood for changing the society. He took upon
himself as the mission of his life to find out a means of reconciling the different castes and the
religious communities. He tried to bring about perfect harmony between the two communities by
stressing the essential unity of Hinduism and Islam. Kabir refused to accept the fact that both the
communities possessed different gods. He preached that the ultimate reality was one and
indivisible but that ignorant people quarreled about names and outer trappings. Therefore, he
appeals:

“Brother, where did the two masters of the universe come from? Say, Who invented the
names of Allah, Rama, Kesava, Hari and Hazrat? All gold ornaments are made of special
material. It is to show the world that two different signs are made. One is called Namaz and the
other is called Puja. Madhava and Muhammad are the same: Brahma and Adam are the same.
What is a Hindu? What is Turk? They both live on the same land. One reads the Veda, the other
the Quran, the Qutbah. One is Maulana, the other is Pandit. Clay vessels have different names,
although they are made of the same earth. Kabir says; Both have been deceived and have not
found God. "

Continuing he says:

“Rama, Khuda, Sakti, Siva are one. Then to whom do the prayers go? The Vedas, The Puranas
and the Koran are only different manners of descriptions. Neither Hindu, nor Turk, neither the
Jain nor the Yogi is cognizant of the secret”. Kabir used to say: ‘Kabir is the child of Allah and
Rama.’

Kabir denounced as valueless, arbitrary and unjust the time- honored superstitions of caste, creed
and social status. He claimed that even the Sudra was superior to the most learned, if he were
pious and had the love of God.

So he asks:

“If you reflect on origin of the caste, they come into being from one and the same
order. How that one is is born a Sudra, and remains a Sudra till his death? One makes a
Brahmana's thread one self and then puts it on. The world is thus in confusion. If thou art a
13
Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti - Dhara Aru Santa Katha, Mani Manik Prakash, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2012, p.67

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Brahmana, born of a Brahmani why art thou not born in a different fashion? If thou art a Turk,
born of a Turkish woman, why wasn’t thou circumcised in the mother‘s womb? If you milk a
black cow and a white cow and then mix their milk, will you be able distinguish the milk of one
from the other?14

In a similar vain Kabir questioned the efficacy of pilgrimages, rituals, sacrifices,

and theologians’ dogma of superstitions. He declares:

“By going to pilgrimage you cannot save your soul, even if u give millions of diamonds as
alms… Kasi and the barren land of Maghar are not the abode of Rama: He resides in my heart. If
Kabir dedicates his life to Kasi what would be left for Rama?15

The artisan community were very much influenced by his preaching and they
readily joined Kabir Panth and in course of time, the Kabir Panthis came to be regarded as a
Hindu sect, although the name of Kabir itself remains a common Muslim name today.’

 GURU NANAK

Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru and founder of the Sikhism, too was a Nirguna
Bhakti Saint and social reformer. Nanak was born in Punjab in the year 1469 .16 He was opposed
to all distinctions of caste as well as religious rivalries and the rituals. He preached unity of God
and formalism and ritualism of both the Islam and the Hinduism. Guru Nanak's saying was for
all men. He proclaimed equality in all respects. He holds a unique place among the medieval
saints in India. He reinforced the efforts of Kabir. He kept himself alone from all the associations
with the prevailing sectarian religions. Indeed Nanak’s was the first, and the last, successful
attempt to bring together the Hindus and Muslims in a common fold of spiritual and social
brotherhood.

Like Kabir, Nanak preached that there was no Hindu and no Musulman. When the
Gazi questioned him, he replied: “Make kindness, thy mosque, sincerity, thy prayer carpet, what
is just and lawful, thy Quran, modesty, thy circumcision, civility, thy fasting, so shalt thou be a 
Musulman.” Nanak laid emphasis on the purity of character and conduct. He prescribed a high
14
Yusuf Hassan. op.cit., pp. 23-24.
15
Yusuf Hassan. op.cit., p.24.
16
Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti - Dhara Aru Santa Katha, Mani Manik Prakash, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2012,, p.56

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ethical code rather than any dogma as the only means to attain salvation. He disapproved image
worship and the differentiation between man and man based on caste or creed. Through simple
hymns, he preached his catholic views. By questioning the authority of the Vedas and Quran, he
taught his followers to chant the name of the infinite God who surpasses all conceptions. The
Hindu sastras formed the basis of his doctrines and he refers to the current social evils in a far
milder language. His temper was characterized by humility and not by vanity. This explains why
his views could find equal acceptance at the hands of the higher castes as well.17

Though differing in some respects from the views of Ramananda and Kabir,
Chaitanya, a contemporary of Guru Nanak, must be regarded as one of the greatest saints of
medieval India. He introduced esoteric emotionalism in the Vaisnava faith and popularised it
through Kirtanas. He seems to have followed a middle path in his attitude towards caste. His
transparent sincerity and charming personality affected the Hindus and Muslims alike and one of
his principal disciples was Haridasa a convert from Islam. But he is said to have approved the
latter’s Conduct in not entering the temple of Jagannatha or taking his meals with the Hindu
devotees. He started Langer or the common kitchen where people belonging to kitchen or the
religions could have their meals together. Nanak’s teachings were in form of the verses. They
were collected in a book called the ‘Adi Granth’. Later Adi Grantham was written in a script
called Gurmukhi. The holy books of Sikhs are popularly called as ‘Grantha Sahib’. This contain
verses from Kabir, Namdeva and other Bhakti and the Sufi saints.

 RAVI DAS

Ravi Das (1450-1520), an almost contemporary of Nanak, was born into a family
of leather workers in Varanasi. Like Nanak, Ravi Das also spoke of the necessity of a non-caste
society, although, unlike Nanak, the untouchable caste enjoyed his slings and arrows. In his
famous poems, Ravi Das speaks of "Begumpura" - "a place free of pain, free of taxes or worries,
free of manipulation, worries, terror or violence". In this poem and more, Ravi Das gives voice
to the suffering of the lower castes in the treatment given to them by the Brahmin community.

 MEERA BAI

17
A B. Pande, op. cit, p. 218.

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 While Kabir, Ravi Das and Nanak talk about the amorphous god (Nirgun Bhakti),
Meera Bai (1498-1546) of Rajasthan composed and sang devotional poems praising Krishna.
Meera Bai was born in the year 1504 in Chaukhari village in Merta district of Rajasthan. Meera
Bai is an excellent example of Sri Krishna's Madhuja Bhakti devotion. Meera's intense devotion
to Krishna in defiance of patriarchal norms was an act of rebellion. His determination to join the
lord who was dear to him was a source of fierce conflict in his family, but Mira remained firm.
 TUKARAM

Tukaram (1608-50) was a rebel in more ways than one. He became a shudra
merchant by castes. Later, defying the orders of the Brahmins, Tukaram chose to write about
religious matters, and even the language of the people in Marathi.

Choosing to write a sudra is not acceptable to Brahmins. Writing about Sanskrit matters in
Sanskrit rather than Marathi is another matter. Legend has it that the orthodox law forced him to
throw his manuscripts into the river, saying that Tukaram fasted until death, and that after the
13th day, his sunken notebooks appeared unharmed from the river.
The story is probably apocryphal, but it also illustrates how society is prepared to silence a rebel.
He composed large poems called Abhangas or devotional songs praising Panduranga or Krishna.
He trusted in a merciful, compassionate and protective God.

 TULASI DAS

Tulsidas, the exponent of devotional cultivation. Tulsidas was born in 1497 in the
town of Rajapur in Bida district of Uttar Pradesh. Tulsidas emphasized his devotion to his
teachings. The main light of the worship of Rama is the holy poet Tulsidas. He was a great
scholar and a thorough study of Indian philosophy and literature. His great poem
'Ramacharitamanasa', known as Tulsi-Krita Ramayana, is very popular among Hindu devotees.
He has placed before him the image of Lord Rama as the incarnation of the virtuous, almighty,
world lord and Supreme Reality (Parabrahma).

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  SRI RAMANUJA ACHARYA

Sri Ramanuja Acharya is an Indian philosopher and one of the most important
saints of Sri Vaishnavism. Ramanuja brought to the north of India what Ramanuja had done in
the south of India. He raised his voice against the growing symbolism of Orthodox worship and
founded a new school of Vaishnavism based on the gospel of love and devotion. His greatest
contribution was to abolish caste differences among his followers. He thought of God as an
ocean of love and beauty. His teachings are based on the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
Whatever he taught, he did it in the language of the common man. He soon became many of his
followers. Ramananda was his disciple; He took his message to the northern parts of India.

THE NINE TYPES OF BHAKTI

The nine forms of Bhakti are

1. Shravanam – Hearing names and glories of the lord.

2. Keerthanam – Chanting glories.

3. Smaranam – Remembering Lord.

4. Paada Sevanam – Serving Lord’s feet.

5. Archanam – Worshipping Lord.

6. Vandanam – Offering Obeisance unto Lord.

7. Daasyam – Serving Lord as his servant.

8. Sskhyam – Developing friendship with Lord.

9. Aatma Nivedanam – Total surrender of oneself to Lord.

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 A devotee can practice any of these nine forms of Bhakti, whichever suits his
nature best.

1. Shravanam is the first and most important of the nine forms of devotion. This means that the
Lord listens to the divine glory of His form, attributes, reading or divine deeds. His miracles and
spoken words like the Bhagavad Gita. When we hear of fame, we unknowingly develop love and
devotion to Him.

2. Keertanam refers to the "singing" of the glory of God and the praise of all knowledge. In this
combination, psalm is known as the only way to attain salvation. Singing the name of the
Goddess can soothe the mind of the devotee.

3. Smaranam is a constant "memory" of the Godhead, a delight to contemplate his beauty,

majesty and compassion. In the Narasimha Purana there is a statement on the supreme form of
mediation:

“Bhagavath charana dwandwa dhyaanam nirdhwandwamiritam paapinopi prasangena

vihitam suhitam param”.18

4. Paadasevam means the worship of God by concentrating or honoring His feet or Paduka
(sacred sandals). It is the natural feeling of surrendering to the Supreme which leads to the
worship of the lotus feet..

5. Archanam means ritual worship, chanting of mantras, bhajans singing, arati, food, flowers
and garments are also offered to the Supreme. He expresses himself in giving love and, as the
love of the Lord grows in the heart of the devotee, he naturally wants to give the best. By doing
this, the devotee gets inner satisfaction and inspiration.

6. Vandanam is the "devotion" or "prayer" to the Lord. In this form of devotion, a devotee
begins to see his favorite form of lord everywhere and in all beings and things. It may also be the
most universal form of devotion through universal prayers that form a serious personal process
and tradition.

18
Experts of Bhaktirasaamrita sindu by Shri Rupa Goswami, sloka 180.

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 chatur-vidhā bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitino ’rjuna
ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha19

teṣhāṁ jñānī nitya-yukta eka-bhaktir viśhiṣhyate

priyo hi jñānino ’tyartham ahaṁ sa cha mama priyaḥ20

7.16. “ O best amongst the Bharatas, four kinds of pious people engage in my devotion—the
distressed, the seekers after knowledge, the seekers of worldly possessions, and those who are
situated in knowledge.”

7.17. “Amongst these, I consider them to be the highest, who worship me with knowledge, and
are steadfastly and exclusively devoted to me. I am very dear to them and they are dear to me.”

7. Daasyam means that the devotee sees himself not only as a "servant" of the Lord, but also as a
servant of the Lord's devotees. One must fully understand that God is a person in order to reach
servitude. He is not our creation. For example, Lord Hanuman asked Rama: “My dear Lord, if
you like you can give me salvation from this material existence, or the privilege of merging into
Your existence, but I do not wish any of those things. I do not wish any of those things which
diminishes my relationship with You as servant to master, even after liberation.”

8. Sakhyam is a sacrament that the devotee considers himself a friend or sakha of the Supreme.
Like the body we see and feel around us, temporal and transient, so is this physical world.

Krishna was so familiar to Arjuna that

sakheti matvā prasabhaṁ yad uktaṁ

he kṛiṣhṇa he yādava he sakheti
ajānatā mahimānaṁ tavedaṁ
mayā pramādāt praṇayena vāpi
yach chāvahāsārtham asat-kṛito ’si
vihāra-śhayyāsana-bhojaneṣhu

19
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/7/verse/16
20
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/7/verse/17

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 eko ’tha vāpy achyuta tat-samakṣhaṁ
21
tat kṣhāmaye tvām aham aprameyam

Considering you are my friend, I address you as "O Krishna", "O Yadav", "O dear
fellow". He was unaware of your majesty, negligent and unnecessary. And, for fun, when I am
alone or in front of others, playing, resting, sitting, eating, I have been treated with disrespect for
everything I have asked for forgiveness.

9. Aatmaabhimaanam, which means "surrendering completely" to the will of the Supreme or

the Supreme, without leaving the traces of the ego in the heart of the devotee. The devotee gains
soul knowledge in this form of devotion, which is a form of devotion and unity with the devotee.

Lord Krishna says :

ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate

teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham22

“There are always people who think about me and dedicate themselves to me. Their minds will
always merge into me, I will provide what they don’t have and protect what they already have.”

EXPANSION OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

In Kannada, the movement started by “Basavanna (1105-1168) in the twelfth

century threatened the caste dominance and expanded the local community. Although orthodox
virtue could be resisted, the Bhakti movement in the place produced a rich literary streak, known
as the Vedic Sahitya comprising Basava himself and his followers (Akkamahadevi, Allama

21
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/11/verse/41-42
22
https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/9/verse/22

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Prabhu, Devara Dasimayya and others). These verses, together with brief principles, undoubtedly
cast some subtle observations on social along with spiritual matters”

Basavanna, the king of Bijjala; was the source of Karnataka Bhakti movement. He
used his powers to initiate the reform programs in this social society and his verses extended his
preaching to the public. He was eventually defeated by the orthodox virtue, but he started a new
idea in this Indian society which still exists today, and he also remained as an ideal figure in
Karnataka.

In Karnataka this Bhakti movement was known as “The Social Movement, and
indeed across India, has challenged the caste hierarchy, emphasizing the salvation for all through
good works and simple living. . As a literary movement, he exhibited his poetry by songs from
the praising of kings and introduced devotional themes. From his standpoint, he introduced
simple and accessible styles to literature in various forms of texts (in Kannada) and other
languages, and ended the dominance of Sanskrit metric forms”

In late 13th century the Bhakti Movement began in Maharastra. His defenders are
called Varkaris. His most famous figures are Gnanadev (1275-1296), Namdev (1270-50) and
Tukaram (1608-50), who have omitted many verses that contain the essence of devotion.

In north India, since thirteenth to the seventeenth century, a great number of poets
emerged, all of whom were of considerable importance to piety. Sometimes speaking of an
amorphous god, these poets have given their outstanding literature in, Bhojpuri, Punjabi,
Maithili, Awadhi and many other languages, sometimes focusing on the god who loves their
devotion. These poets, who are almost always instinctively rebellious, played an important role

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in laying the groundwork for rebuilding society on more equitable lines. Many tensions arose
from his efforts.

“Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a monk among Hindus and a social and economical
reformer in 16th-century in Bengal. He is a great advocate of devotion to God (Bhakti Yogam).
He worshiped God in the form of Lord Krishna”.

IMPACTS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

Religious effects
1. The Saked Hinduism
2. It lowered the prestige of the Brahmins
3. It Checked the propagation of Islam
4. Emergence of Sikhism took place.
5. Setback to Buddhism happened.

Social impacts
1. Improvement in social relation between Hindus and Muslims
2. The better social status of the lower casts
3. Promotion of social service is done.

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4. Development of composite art in the society took place.
5. Enrichment of literature occurred.

In particular, the impact of the Bhakti movement has been felt in all spheres of
Hinduism. It has reformed religion very well. The evils of the caste system, unnecessary
ritualism, and the Brahmin orthodoxy of Hinduism have been countered by the powerful voices
of prominent social and religious reformers during the movement..

Following are the changes that took place during the Bhakti movement and after the
Bhakti Movment:

1. Proponents of Bhakti have raised their powerful voices against various forms of immorality,
such as infanticide and sati, and promoted the banning of wine, tobacco and toddlers. Prostitution
and sodomy were also discouraged. Its aim is to establish a good social order that maintains high
moral values.

2. Achieving unity between Hindu and Muslim communities is another important influence. This
movement sought to reduce the growing bitterness between the two and close the gap. Devotees
of the Bhakti movement and Sufi saints spread messages of friendship, friendship, tolerance,
peace and equality among all.

3. The method of worship and belief in God took a new turn during the movement. Henceforth,
the importance of the love of God, of God and of God, to all Hindus and Muslims is given.
Devotion or devotion to the Almighty is the central theme of this movement.

4. “The tolerance, harmony and mutual respect initiated by the devout saints had another lasting
effect: the emergence of a new cult of “Hindus and Muslims”. This new cult is known as the
“Satyapir cult”. It had been started with the initiative of “Hussain Shah” the ruler of “Jaunpur”
and given the way for the liberal spirit which was adopted by “Akbar.”

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5. The Bhakti movement promoted the growth of the local language and literature in different
parts of India. Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya taught in their respective languages: “Kabir in his
own language Hindi, Nanak in his mother tongue Gurmukhi and Chaitanya in his own Bengali”.
So later all the devotional works were compiled in these languages. And also many Muslim
writers translated ‘Sanskrit verses’ into some ‘regional languages’.

6. Due to this a new trend was started in Orissa i.e. in Oriyan literature and Sri Chaitanya
medieval Vaishnavism. Five renowned authors, Achyuta, Balaram, Jagannath, Yashobanta and
Ananta, have declared the era of Panchasakha literature known for its social-religious devotion.”

With such lasting effects, religious recession was set aside in medieval society.
The teachings served as a healing alm for the oppressed classes. There is a profound shift in
laying the foundations for a liberal and assimilated Indian society.

CONCLUSION

The Bhakti movement has brought together Hindus and Muslims. The concept of
equality taught by the leaders has somewhat reduced the visibility of the caste system. Repressed
people get a sense of self-worth. The reformers preached in the local languages. This has led to

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local literary development. People composed hymns and songs in spoken languages. Therefore,
there is a great growth of literature in all languages. A new Urdu language, a mixture of Persian
and Hindi, has been developed. The Bhakti movement liberated ordinary people from the
tyranny of priests. He checked the excesses of polytheism. He encouraged a spirit of patience.
The gap between Hindus and Muslims has narrowed. They began to be friends together. He
stressed the value of voluntary life and virtue. Finally, it enhanced the moral and spiritual life
forms of medieval society. He gave an example for future generations to live in a spirit of
tolerance.

“The main results of Bhakti movement were the development of vernacular

literature, modification of caste exclusiveness, sanctification of family life, elevation of status of
women, preaching of humaneness and tolerance, partial reconciliation with Islam, subordination
of rites and ceremonies, pilgrimages, fasts etc, learning and contemplation to worship God with
love and faith, the limitation of excess of polytheism and the uplift of the nation to a higher level
of capacity both of thought and action.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. History of India- part- II by H.V. Sreenivasa Murthy and V.S. Elizabeth.
2. V.D. Mahajan, Medieval India.
3. Yusuf Hassan, Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture
4. A.B. Pande, A Cultural History of India.

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5. Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, Vol.10.
6. “Upendra Nath Goswami, Vaishnav Bhakti - Dhara Aru Santa Katha.
7. Sankaradeva, Bhakti Pradip, Sharma, N. C. (ed.), Jyoti Prakashan, Panbazar, Guwahati,
2003”.
8. Albrecht Weber as quoted In Auguste Barth,The Religions of India, Kegal Paul, London.
1906.
9. Monier Williams, Brahmanism and Hinduism, John Murray, London, 1891.
10. Glimpses of Medieval Indian Culture.
11. Yusuf Hassan. op.cit
12. Experts of Bhaktirasaamrita sindu by Shri Rupa Goswami.

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