Devotional Paths To Devine

The Idea of a Supreme God

• Before large kingdoms, people worshipped local gods and goddesses.
• Belief in privileges by birth was debated in learned texts.
• Many followed Buddha and Jain teachings; others turned to bhakti.
• Local deities were associated with Shiva, Vishnu, or Durga.
• Bhakti was adopted even by Buddhists and Jainas.

Bhakti Movements in South India

Nayanars and Alvars

• 7th–9th centuries: Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) and Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) emerged.
• They composed poems in praise of deities and travelled widely.
• 10th–12th centuries: Chola and Pandya kings supported temple building and bhakti worship.

Philosophy and Bhakti

• Shankara (Kerala) promoted Advaita – soul and Supreme God are one.
• Ramanuja (Tamil Nadu) believed in devotion to Vishnu for salvation.

Religious Movements and Social Equality

Basavanna’s Virashaivism

• 12th century: Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi led the Virashaiva movement in Karnataka.
• They promoted equality and opposed caste and mistreatment of women.

The Saints of Maharashtra

• 13th–17th centuries: Saint-poets like Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Eknath, Tukaram, Sakhubai, Chokhamela.
• They rejected rituals and emphasized devotion.

Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis

• Criticised rituals and social order.
• Salvation through meditation and oneness with Ultimate Reality.

Islamic Influence and Sufism

Islam and Sufism

• Sufis were Muslim mystics who valued love, devotion and compassion.
• Shariat and Islamic theology developed in 8th–9th centuries.
• Sufis rejected rituals and lived in khanqahs (hospices).

Bhakti and Religious Developments in North India

• 13th century onward: new bhakti wave emerged.
• Craftspersons, peasants, traders followed saints like Kabir, Guru Nanak, Tulsidas, Surdas, Dadu Dayal, Ravidas, Mirabai.
• They wrote in regional languages and composed devotional songs.

A Closer Look: Kabir

• Lived in 15th–16th centuries, composed sakhis and pads.
• Criticised external worship and rituals.

A Closer Look: Baba Guru Nanak

• 1469–1539: Born in Talwandi, established centre at Kartarpur.
• Guru Angad succeeded him and introduced Gurmukhi script.
• Ramdaspur (Amritsar) developed with Harmandar Sahib at centre.
• Emphasized one God and equality beyond caste, creed, or gender.

MCQs

1. Who was born in Tamil Nadu in the eleventh century, was deeply influenced by the Alvars

(a) Tukaram

(b) Ramanuja

(c) Shankara

(d) Basavanna

► (b) Ramanuja

2. Which deities were came to be worshipped through elaborate rituals

(a) Shiva, Vishnu and Durga

(b) Ganesha, Vishnu and Durga

(c) Rama, Krishna and Ram

(d) Shiva, Rama and Durga

► (a) Shiva, Vishnu and Durga

3. Mirabai was a

(a) Marathi princess

(b) Mughals princess

(c) Tamil princess

(d) Rajput princess

► (d) Rajput princess

4. The language of Kabir poetry was a form of spoken ___ widely understood by ordinary people

(a) English

(b) Marathi

(c) Hindi

(d) Awadhi

► (c) Hindi

5. Which amongst the following are the saints of Maharashtra

(a) Namdev, Ramanuja, Eknath and Shankara

(b) Namdev, Basavanna, Eknath and Tukaram

(c) Shankara Namdev, Eknath and Basavanna

(d) Janeshwar, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram

► (d) Janeshwar, Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram

6. Sufis were

(a) Sikh mystics

(b) Hindu mystics

(c) Parsi mystics

(d) Muslim mystics

► (d) Muslim mystics

7. Which amongst the following was not the Sikh Guru

(a) Guru Tegh Bahadur

(b) Guru Gobind Singh

(c) Banda Singh Bahadur

(d) Guru Angad

► (c) Banda Singh Bahadur

8. Nayanars

(a) Saints devoted to Rama

(b) Saints devoted to Shiva

(c) Saints devoted to Ganesha

(d) Saints devoted to Vishnu

► (b) Saints devoted to Shiva

9. Sangam literature is the

(a) Tamil literature

(b) Hindi literature

(c) Gujarati literature

(d) Malayalam Literature

► (a) Tamil literature

10. The Ramcharitmanas, composed by Tulsidas is written in ____

(a) Tamil

(b) Bhojpuri

(c) Awadhi

(d) Hindi

► (c) Awadhi

11. The great Sufis of Central Asia were following except

(a) Sadi

(b) Ghazzali

(c) Rahim

(d) Rumi

► (c) Rahim

12. Sankaradeva composed poems and plays in which language

(a) Awadhi

(b) Gujarati

(c) Tamil

(d) Assamese

► (d) Assamese

13. House of rest for travellers, especially one kept by a religious order.

(a) Hogeograph

(b) Silsila

(c) Tariq

(d) Hospice

► (d) Hospice

14. The sacred space created by Guru Nanak was known as dharmsal. It is now known as

(a) Gurdwara

(b) Guru Granth Sahib

(c) Dharamshala

(d) Langar

► (a) Gurdwara

15. Who wrote Ramcharitmanas

(a) Chaitanyadeva

(b) Tulsidas

(c) Tukaram

(d) Surdas

► (b) Tulsidas

16. Virashaiva movement began in

(a) Andhra Pradesh

(b) Kerala

(c) Tamil Nadu

(d) Karnataka

► (d) Karnataka

17. Hagiography

(a) Writing of local people' lives

(b) Writing of saints' lives

(c) Writing of untouchables' lives

(d) Writing of kings' lives

► (b) Writing of saints' lives

18. Which temple is located in Pandharpur?

(a) Lotus

(b) Konark

(c) Birla

(d) Vitthala

► (d) Vitthala