GLOSSARY
1.Sant Kabir
Sant Kabir is considered to be one of the greatest poets as well as mystics ever born in India. He believed that all human beings are equal and being one with God is the ultimate aim of every individual. His love and devotion towards the Supreme One clearly reflects in his poetry. The Holy Guru Granth Sahib contains over 500 verses by the great saint, Kabir. The verses or dohas of Guru Kabir are still read by people with awe and admiration.
2.Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak (April 1469 – 22 September 1539) was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.
3.Sant Tukaram
Sant Tukaram (1608–1650) was a prominent Varkari Sant and spiritual poet during a Bhakti movement in India. Sant Tukaram was a devotee of God Vitthala or Vithoba, a form of Krishna.Sant Tukaram is considered to be the climactic point of the Bhagabata Hindu tradition, which is thought to have begun in Maharashtra with Namdev.
4.Vidyapati
Vidyapati Thakur, also known by the sobriquet Maithil Kavi Kokil (the poet cuckoo of Maithili) was a Maithili poet and a Sanskrit writer The name Vidyapati is derived from two Sanskrit words, Vidya (knowledge) and Pati (master), connoting thereby, a man of knowledge.Vidyapati's poetry was widely influential in centuries to come, in the Hindi as well as Bengali and other Eastern literary traditions.
5. Chandidas
Chandidas (born 1408 CE) refers to (possibly more than one) medieval poet of Bengal. Over 1250 poems related to the love of Radha and Krishna in Bengali with the bhanita of Chandidas are found with three different sobriquets along with his name, Baḍu, Dvija and Dina as well as without any sobriquet also. It is assumed that the poems which are current in the name of Chandidas are actually the works of at least four different Chandidas. It is also assumed that the earliest of them was Ananta Baḍu Chandidas, born in the 14th century in Birbhum district of the present-day West Bengal state and wrote the lyrical Srikrishna Kirtan (Songs in praise of Krishna).
6. Chaitanya
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) was a Vaishnava saint and social reformer in eastern India (specifically present-day Bangladesh and states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Assam, and Orissa of India) in the 16th century and believed by followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism to be the full incarnation of Lord Krishna. Sri Krishna Chaitanya was a notable proponent for the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning loving devotion to Krishna/God) based on the philosophy of the Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita. Specifically he worshipped the forms of Radha and Krishna and popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishnamaha mantra and has composed Siksastakam in Sanskrit. His line of followers, known as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as an Avatar of Krishna in the mood of Radharani who was prophesised to appear in the later verses of the Bhagavata Purana.
7. Govinda Das
Govinda Das (1537–1612) is one of the greatest poets in the bhakti genre of poetry in which divine love is symbolized by human love.
8. Gorakhnath
Gorakhnath was an 11th to 12th century HinduNathyogi, connected to Shaivism as one of the two most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the other being Caurangi. There are varying records of the spiritual descent of Gorakshanath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding him in the succession. Though one account lists five gurus preceding Adinath and another lists six teachers between Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath, current tradition has Adinath identified with Lord Shiva as the direct teacher of Matsyendranath, who was himself the direct teacher of Gorakshanath. The Nath tradition underwent its greatest expansion during the time of Gorakshanath. He produced a number of writings and even today is considered the greatest of the Naths.
9. Meerabai
Meerabai(c.1498-c.1547AD) was an aristocratic Hindumystical singer and sahajiya (apasampradaya) devotee of Lord Krishna from Rajasthan and one of the most significant figures of the Sant tradition of the Vaishnavabhakti movement. Some 12-1300 prayerful songs or bhajans attributed to her are popular throughout India and have been published in several translations worldwide. In the bhakti tradition, they are in passionate praise of lord Krishna.
10. Akka Mahadevi
Akka Mahadevi was a prominent figure of the VeerashaivaBhakti movement of the 12th century Karnataka. Her Vachanas in Kannada, a form of didactic poetry, are considered her greatest contribution to Kannada Bhakti literature. In all she wrote about 430 Vachanas.
OBJECTIVES
The students will learn:
- The Bhakti movement and the Sanyasi cult.
- The Sahajiya cult.
- The role of women saints in the society.
SUMMARY
The Bhakti movement started during the Sultanate period and there were several Bhakti leaders like Sant Kabir, Guru Nanak, Surdas and many others who were active in both north and south India. They played a very important role in bringing harmony in the society. In the Mughal period the Sanyasi cult developed which became more prominent in several parts of this country. The Sanyasi movement actually originated from the Indian Ashram system.The Sanyasis used the language of the masses instead of Sanskrit which gave freedom and relief to the common man from the complexities of the Brahminical culture.
The various off-shoots of the Bhakti cult such as the Tantric or Shakti cult, the Eknath cult and the Sahajiya cult were very prominent. The deity Durga who is regarded as the symbol of power, was worshipped in Bengal under the Shakti cult. During the Sultanate period, Lord Chaitanya spread the cult of Krishna.
In Bengal, Vidyapati, Chandidas , Chaitanya, Govida Das were the very important and leading exponents of the Bhakti and Sanyasi cult.
The Krishna cult based Sanyasi movement in Maharashtra was known as the Varkari tradition whichwas devoted to a deity named Vitthal which was a form of Lord Krishna. Gyandev, Eknath,Namdev and Sant Tukaram were prominent sanyasi leaders of the Varkari cult in Maharashtra.
Apart from the sanyasis there were several sanyasinis or the female saints too. Discrimination and suppression of women, either as a wife, a second wife or as a young widow, was the basic or fundamental reason for the emergence of the women sanyasinis. The women saints or sanyasinis, actually protested against the existing orthodox norms and behaviour in the Brahminical or high class society in India. These sanyasinis left their houses and began to reside in the premises of the temples. They were devoted to Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna. Meerabai, Akka Mahadevi, Bhinnabai, Rupa Bhawani and Lal Deb were prominent sanyasinis in India.
Thus we find that the Bhakti movement was a devotional journey under which the sanyasis tried to realize the feeling of the absolute reality, the love and the deep sense of realization of the main deity, Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva and later on Lord Rama also came under their purview. The distinction between the upper class and lower class also faded due to the development and spread of the Sanyasi cult in India to an extent.
FAQs
1. What was the main purpose of the Bhakti or the Sanyasi movement?
Bhakti or the Sanyasi movement was not a mass movement. It was not even a movement for reforms in the entire society. Nor was it a movement in which the common man or the masses participated. Actually this movement was an individual movement which aimed at reforming the individuals. It anticipated the individual's participation. The main purpose of this socio-cultural movement was to reconstruct the spiritual character and the spiritual ethos of the individual. In this way this movement tried to reform and brings a kind of spirituality that was based on sympathy, liberalism and compassion. The Sanyasi movement tried to bring the people closer and to develop a kind of egalitarian society.
2. Which language did the sanyasis used to address the common man?
In the Bhakti movement the Sanyasis generally did not use the Sanskrit language when they composed their songs, poetry or tales to address the common man. They used the language of the masses and not Sanskrit because Sanskrit was the language of the elites. So the Sanyasis used the language of the masses, the dialects and the folk languages. They used the local languages like Audhi, Bhojpuri, Bengali, Marathi, Telegu, etc. They never used Sanskrit language. In this way by addressing the local people through their songs and poetry they tried to bind the common man together in the society.
3. What was the main reason for this Sanyasi movement to gain mass popularity?
The Indian society was dominated by the caste system. The complexities of the rituals, the austerities of the Brahminical culture were so strong that the general people did not have the opportunity for free expression of their feelings and emotions. In such condition the Sanyasi movement which adopted the common language as a vehicle of expression of their feelings and emotions, gave a freedom to the common people as well as the Sanyasis so that they could be free from the complexities or orthodoxy of the Brahminical culture. As a result this movement became popular in different parts of India.
4. What are the various off-shoots of the Bhakti cult?
The Tantric or Shakti cult, the Eknath cult as well as the Sahajiya cult were the most prominent off-shoots of the Bhakti cult.
The Shakti or Tantric cult spread into Bengal. The Shakti cult in Bengal is very old. The deity Durga who is regarded as the symbol of power, was worshipped in Bengal from time immemorial and during the Mughal period it became more popular. During the Sultanate period we find that Lord Chaitanya spread the cult of Krishna.
In north India, the Eknath cult became very important. The areas which were under the influence of the Eknath cult were the eastern Uttar Pradesh, Benaras, Jaunpur or the western Bihar as well as the borders of Nepal.
The Sahajya cult was in fact a part of the Krishna cult which stressed or continued during the time of Lord Chaitanya. Later on this Sahajya cult with some changes was in existence and practice in Bengal.
5. What did the sanyasis of the Eknath cult and Sahajiya cult stressed on?
Under the Eknath cult the Sanyasis stressed on the importance of monotheism and under this monotheism, they spread the philosophy that God was one; everything living and inanimate, has been created by Him.
The sanyasis stressed on the ease and comforts of lifeunder the Sahajiya cult. The term sahajiya means easy. This cult aimed at the comforts or ease of life as well as some sensual and philosophical practices.
6. Discuss the Bhakti movement in Bengal.
In Bengal, Vidyapati, Chandidas , Chaitanya, Govida Das were leading exponents of the Bhakti and Sanyasi cult. They stressed on the love and harmony of the people and also stressed on the love cult of Krishna and Radha. So far as the Eknath cult was concerned, Gorakhnath was the leading exponent of this cult. He attacked the orthodox Brahminism in eastern India and he stressed that the people or the common masses were the creation of God and there should not be any difference between person to person on the basis of their caste or origin. Since the Eknath cult stressed on the popular monotheism, this cult became very popular in eastern India as well as north India also.
So far as the Sahajiya cult was concerned, it stressed on the materialistic enjoyment of life. Though it originated from the Krishna cult of Chaitanya but still this cult, to some extent, adopted or absorbed such elements that this cult did not become very popular among the masses because the sanyasis used to smoke, drink liquor and some even took meat also. Thus this cult had certain ills in their practices and due to these ill-practices this cult did not become very popular among the masses but still this was also a cult which actually gave a kind of freedom based on individual expression and thought.
7. Discuss the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra.
The Krishna cult based Sanyasi movement spread in Maharashtra also. In Maharashtra this cult was known as the Varkari tradition. The Varkari sanyasis were devoted to a deity whose name was Vitthal. Vitthal was actually a deity who was said to be a form of Lord Krishna. In this way the Krishna cult in a different local form and distinct from the Bengal's Chaitanya cult was in practice in Maharashtra. This Varkari cult was very important because this cult also became popular among the common people. The Marathi people particularly used to visit the Vitthal temple. The word Vitthal was very popular among the Marathi people who used to name their children 'Vitthal'. This Vitthal cult became very popular in Maharashtra. Gyandev and Eknath were two very prominent sanyasi leaders of the Varkari cult in Maharashtra.
8. Give brief notes on Eknath, Namdev and Tukaram.
Eknath was born in Maharashtra in the year 1548 in Pathan. He was a scholar who composed the Bhagwat Gita Purana that became very popular in Marathi. Eknath was a prominent Marathi religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India. For his spiritual development in his youth, he became a disciple of Janardan Swami. At the suggestion of his Guru, Eknath wrote as his first composition, a Marathi commentary in verse form named 'Chatushloki Bhagwat'.
Namdev was also a sanyasi of the Varkari cult. He joined a group or gang of dacoits in his early life but later on he became the devotee of Vitthal, the form of Lord Krishna.
Sant Tukaram was another Varkari saint or sanyasi who was very popular in Maharashtra. He died very young in the year 1649. During this period Tukaram became very popular because he composed poems which were devoted to the local deity, Vitthal. Tukaram actually was a shudra and being a shudra he became very popular among the lower caste. In his songs and poems he gave stress on the equality of being, under which the down-trodden, the shudra class or the detached class of the society were also given stress and significance in the society. Later on his songs and poems were appreciated by the people of the higher classes too.
9. Discuss the basic reason for the emergence of women saints in India.
Apart from the sanyasis there were several sanyasinis or the female saints who also played an important role in the society particularly during the Sultanate period and the Mughal period. Discrimination and suppression of women, either as a wife, a second wife or as a young widow, was the basic or fundamental reason for the emergence of the women sanyasinis. The women saints or sanyasinis, actually protested against the existing orthodox norms and behaviour in the Brahminical society in India. Such type of womenwho were married off in the young age and did not get love and respect from their husbands who were comparatively older in age,the youngwidow, who did not have any say in the society and were neglected, were the ones who protested against the typically orthodox system in India. They left their houses and they became sanyasinis. These sanyasinis became devotees to Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva and revolted against the established norms of the orthodox Hindu-dominated Brahminical society in India.
10. Discuss the role of the sanyasinis and their mode of protest against the society.
The sanyasinis left their houses and began to reside in the premises of the temples. They were devoted to Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna. The behaviour of these women showed the overtones of protest against the established Brahminical cult in the society. These sanyasinis or the women saints not only devoted themselves to Lord Krishna but also accepted Lord Krishna as their divine husband. They also composed poetry and sang devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva which became an important element of the Indian literature.
Meerabai composed poems in Hindi. Akka Mahadevi, a wandering woman saint in Karnataka in the 12th century, composed vachans (didactic poetry) in Kannada language. Rupa Bhawani composed poetry in Kashmiri language. The songs and poetry composed by these sanyasinis or women saints became popular among the masses.They began to sing these songs in public, in temples which made them popular among the masses.
Among these sanyasinis, Bhinnabai, who was born in Kolhapur in Maharashtra, was also very important. Bhinnabai was not only a sanyasini but was also a very learned lady. She not only composed poems but she was the only sanyasini in India who wrote her own autobiography. It was written in Marathi and it became very popular among the masses. Apart from this Bhinnabai was very well received in the society.