Bhakti Movement Research Articles

Studying Lyrics as the True State of Subconscious Devotement to the God with a Special Reference to Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali, Song 1, 2 and 3

Rabindranath Tagore produced his literary manifestation through art, and vice versa. His artistic creation and literature are known in every corner of the literary world for their sublimity, mirth, vigour, rejuvenation, mourning, despair, death, connection with mankind, God, and nature, as an ensemble ecstasy of experiencing shades of life. Those ecstatic qualities of ultimate demonstration published Gitanjali in life in the year 1910 with 156 songs in togetherness, which brought Tagore the honour in 1913 of becoming the first Nobel laureate as an Asian in literature. Tagore has shown the world his musical devotion towards nature, love, humanity, and God. In every aspect of life, it has become relevant to its core and hidden subconsciousness. The true inspiration of Bhakti Andolon (Bhakti Movement), which made its resonance in the 16th century, especially in Bengal, was inculcated in the verses of Gitanjali, which murmur the sole devotee of Tagore at the feet of Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the one who preserves the creation. The hearty samarpan (surrender) of a poetic persona like Rabindranath Tagore thoroughly influences readers, scholars, and researchers for the study of literary and psychological assessment simultaneously over the years. His choice of rendition through the words and gradual escalation towards the almighty signify the subconscious state of his core devotion as worship. It clearly seems Tagore’s conscious and deliberate movement from his own body to the cosmic devotion of Lord Krishna. This article aims to assess a brief study of the subconscious state of Tagore’s spiritual mind through his lyrics in Gitanjali, specifically in songs 1, 2, and 3. The descriptive research method is taken as the methodological approach for the study. For the expected substantiation of the stated facts, this article has taken a few references from anonymous sources as a secondary study of research.

Bhakti Blossoms: Tamil Poetry’s Journey into Spiritual Depths, Unraveling Devotion and Cultural Significance

Purpose: Tamil Bhakti Poetry is a captivating exploration of devotion and spirituality found within the depths of Tamil literature. Emerging from the Bhakti movement these poetic compositions beautifully delve into themes of profound love and unwavering dedication to deities providing a unique glimpse into the spiritual landscape of historic Tamil Nadu. Methodology: The exploratory research method is used where the relevant information are collected through keyword-based search using search engines like Google, Google Scholar, and AI-driven GPTs and analysed, compared, and evaluated using suitable analysing frameworks. Analysis & Findings: The evolution of Bhakti in Tamil literature mirrors the historical changes of that era nurturing a vibrant tradition of poetic expression. This paper delves into the themes of love and devotion woven within Bhakti poetry analysing the distinctive contributions made by revered poets like the Alvars and Nayanars. Originality/Values: The paper examines how Tamil Bhakti Poetry extends beyond its influence to shape religious practices, and rituals and imbue ancient Tamil society with its spiritual ethos.

Impact of Sufi Movement on Socio-religious Life During the Medieval Period: Rise and Spread of Sufism Movement in India

Sufism develops the esoteric and exoteric dimensions of spiritual practice to establish deep devotion, love as passion; Instead of Namaz, Hajj and celibacy, poetry, song and dance, worship and turning away from God are the norm. Like the Bhakti movement, the Sufi movement also came into its effective form in the medieval period, although its background can be seen only in the seventh-eighth century. Similarly, like the Bhakti movement, the Sufi movement was not an attempt to establish any new religion but was a peaceful campaign of Islam.

Social utility of Bhakti movement

Bhakti movement is known as a major event in India. Bhakti movement is special among various reformist movements. It seems that no other movement has influenced the society as much as this movement. Shankaracharya's name is also included among the best thinkers of this movement. Along with this, the names of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Namdev, Tukaram, Jaydev are also prominent among the saints who gave it momentum. Ramanand centered this movement on the Brahma form of Ram. His time is considered to be the first half of the fifteenth century. His main teaching was that salvation can be attained by meditating and chanting the name of Lord Ram. The main part of his sadhana is love for Ram. Similarly, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu awakened the spirit of Krishna devotion in the sixteenth century.

Contribution of Indian Music Towards the Social and Cultural Development After the Independence of India

Music is as old as our civilization. The presence of music / dance in Indus Valley Civilization is evident from some musical instruments, such as the arched or bow-shaped harp and few varieties of drums on terracotta figures and pictographs on the seals. Further, the dancing girl figurine is a testimony to this. However, what kind of music or dance was prevalent that time, we are totally ignorant about it. • Music in Vedic Era • Origin of Sargam • Music in Maurya Era – Buddhist and Jain Sources • Later Development of Indian Music • Brihaddeshi • Influence of Islam • Impact of Bhakti Movement • Mughal Era • 19th century • 20th century • Modern trends in Indian classical music

UNVEILING INDIANNESS: EXPLORING HINDUISM THROUGH THE EYES OF POETS IN INDIAN LITERATURE

In shaping the Indian identity and Indian literature Hinduism has played a central role it has been a treasure trove of diverse cultural expressions. The perceptions and interpretations of Hinduism of Indian poets offer unique understanding into the complexities and fine points of Indianness. The present study aims to explore how poets in Indian literature have presented Hinduism, suppling a deep insight of the religion's influence on the Indian psyche. The present study delves into the exploration of "Indianness" in Indian literature by the lens of Hinduism's profusive influence. Indian literature topography reflects a unique amalgamation of languages, religions, traditions, and perspectives, contributing to the heterogenous cultural identity of the nation. The present study investigates the significant influence of Hinduism on poetry during focusing Bhakti Movement. It delves into the works of Bhakti saints i.e. Kabir, Mirabai, Surdas, and Tulsidas, whose verses revolutionized the depicted Hinduism by spotlighting a personal and emotional connection with the divine. The expressions of love, devotion, and spirituality by Bhakti poets resonate with the core values of Hinduism, jubilation the timeless essence of "Indianness" and the cultural values of India. Moreover, the present study analyses modern Indian poetry with its continued inspiration of Hindu themes. Modern Poets such as Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, and Kamala Das comprised Hindu philosophical concepts, deities, and rituals to explore the complexities of human emotions and spiritual truths. Their verses represented the enduring role of Hinduism in shaping the spiritual essence that weaves together modern India, which highlights the universal enchantment of Hindu spirituality and its contribution to the Indian literature. Eventually, the present study reveals Hinduism's influence on Indian literature which transcends time and space, reflection of interconnectedness of culture, spirituality, and the soul of the nation. The picture of "Indianness" in Indian literature applauds the rich cultural heritage, inclusivity, and pluralism of nation, and offering profound understanding into the enduring spiritual values that maintain to inspire generations of readers.

The Origin of Neo-Vaishnavism and the Role of ‘Satra” in the Development of Arts and Literature of Assam

The Bhakti movement popularly known in Assam is called Neo-Vaiṣṇavite movement, commenced by Śaṅkaradeva the great Vaiṣṇava saint and social reformer of Assam. The ideas, cultural contribution and philosophy of Srimanta Sankardeva became an integral part of the Assamese people. Sankaradeva was a multifaceted genius who gave a direction to the chaotic Assamese society by initiating a fresh approach to the existing Vaishnava religion that gave rise to a set of new values and aided in social synthesis. Vaishnavism has been constantly playing a significant role in the process of assimilating diverse elements- indigenous and non-indigenous into the Assamese culture. The Satra institution was the product of Neo-Vaishnavite movement which has played a vital role in Assamese society to spread communal harmony and brotherhood. Thus, Sri Sankardeva brought about a revolutionary change in Assamese society. Neo-Vaishnavism of Srimanta Sankaradeva became a powerful mechanism, and a cementing force in the process of acculturation of the different social groups. This paper is an attempt to study about the Neo-Vaishnavite movement as a great socio-cultural revolution in Assam and its impacts on the social life of the people of Assam.

Social and Gender Equality in Medieval Bhakti Movement with Special Reference to Saivism

Social and gender equality had been a social evil through the 19th and 20th century which was major reason behind sprouting of various socio-reform movements across the country under various leaders. However, this social and gender equality was closed during the tough medieval times with the rise of Bhakti movement. Bhakti movement which began in South India had contribution from all sections of Indian society. Even women who had forever been portrayed as housewives, came out freely to express their aspirations through spirituality. Bhakti movement can not just be narrowed down to devotional movement, but was rather a revivalist and revolutionary movement. Religion and devotion is a very sensitive matter as since times immemorial, India has been a country with rich culture and religion has been interwoven in the very culture of Indian society. This topic reflects on social and gender equality through examples of various saints each from different sections of society with special reference to Saivism.

Acquainted with Grief


 
 
 The authors of the numerous medieval and early modern Sanskrit-medium commentaries on the various recensions and sub-recensions of the Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa frequently found themselves in a somewhat awkward hermeneutical position. The epic itself, like many Indic texts, is highly revered both as a religious text, one of the earliest and most influential Vaiṣṇava texts, and as a literary work that is not only a great poem but indeed the very first poem and the fons et origo of all subsequent poetry. Moreover, like Vyāsa, the author of the Rāmāyaṇa’s sister epic, the Mahābhārata, Vālmīki was regarded not merely as an inspired poet and sage, but as a ṛṣi, that is to say an inerrant seer whose speech, in his case inspired directly by the creator divinity Brahmā and the god’s gift of a divine vision, must therefore be accepted as absolutely true and authoritative. The problem facing the work’s commentators is that Vālmīki’s text portrays its hero, Rāma, as not only a god in the form of a man, but as one who, ignorant of his own divinity, suffers all of the mental, emotional, and physical pain to which ordinary mortals are prey. In this Rāma differs sharply from the subsequent Vaiṣṇava avatāra and central figure of the Mahābhārata, Kṛṣṇa, who, fully aware of his godhood, rarely suffers in any way mentally or physically. But the Rāmāyaṇa’s commentators are living and writing in a world in which the development of the medieval bhakti movements has led poets and theologians to conceive of and write about Rāma as an omnipotent and omniscient figure very much like Kṛṣṇa.
 The present essay discusses the lexical, grammatical, and hermaneutical strategies the commentors adopted to negotiate the tension between Vālmīki’s apparent depiction of the suffering of his hero and a proposed deeper meaning in which the avatāra conforms more fully to what became the medieval and modern theology of god on earth.
 
 

The Influence and Interaction between Bhakti Movement and Sufism

The Influence and Interaction between Bhakti Movement and Sufism

Jayadeva’s Gita-Govinda Against a Backdrop of Shri Radha-Shri Krishna Cults of Vrindavan

This article seeks to establish the importance of Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda in the growth of mystical ideas surrounding the worship of Shri Radha and Shri Krishna in the medieval Braj region, with Vrindavan as the bull’s eye. It also highlights the importance that the Bhakti Movement gave to the emotion Preeti, love for the divine.

Literary and religious history from the middle: Merchants and bhakti in early modern North India

This article examines the hagiographical writings of two religious communities, that is, the Dadu Panth and the Niranjani Sampraday, in what is now known as Rajasthan, during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in order to illuminate how their monastic and lay members, particularly merchants and ‘scribal’ communities, imagined their religious, social and political worlds. The role of merchant and scribal groups in the origin and development of such so-called ‘nirguṇ sant’ bhakti movements has been largely overlooked, the assumption being that these movements drew their following primarily from members of subaltern communities. Yet a close reading of these hagiographical sources reveals that merchants and scribes played a central role in shaping the theological and literary character of these movements, and in turn these movements reorganised the social and financial relationships within these mercantile communities. By focusing on such ‘middle’ groups—that is, groups that mediated intellectual, literary and economic exchanges between different spaces and institutions such as the monastery, the court and the bazaar—historians, as well as scholars of literature and religion, can gain insight into how merchant and scribal groups helped to re-form notions of the individual, community and polity in early modern North India.

Defamiliarization of the Myth of Meerabai in Kiran Nagarkar’s Cuckold

Kiran Nagarkar’s Sahitya Academy Award Winning novel Cuckold is a twisted tale of love and war set in the early 16th century during the era of Bhakti movement. It is based on the life of mystic saint Meerabai and her husband Bhoj Raj. Meerabai is considered to be the first woman saint of Bhakti movement in the Indian History and still remembered throughout the world for her utmost devotion towards Lord Krishna. There are several novels and movies based on her life and in most of them she has been celebrated and pedestalized as a saint. Nagarkar’s Cuckold is an exception. A novel dealing with the life of saint Meerabai and her husband with such title makes it out of the ordinary. This paper aims to scrutinize the character of Meerabai in this novel.

Sulh-i kull to Vedānta: The Dādū Panth and the Mughal-Rajput imperial paradigm

AbstractCentred on the ‘devotion to the ineffable divine’ (nirguṇ bhakti), the sectarian community known as the Dādū Panth (lit. ‘Dādū's path) had a class of sant-intellectuals who conceived their tradition on high literary and philosophical grounds. Succeeding on the local level, but aspiring to imperial ties, the intellectuals of the Dādū Panth not only built their community identity in relation to the Mughal-Rajput imperial milieu but also to the overlapping ideals of emerging sulh-i kull (universal peace) and Vedānta paradigms. Such expertise on the part of the Dādū Panthīs made their ties with the Marwar royal polity strong and long-lasting, as demonstrated in their hagiographical accounts which are corroborated by land grants by the kingdom. Later in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the imperial order was waning, the Dādū Panthīs expanded their networks in the Rajput courts of not only Rajasthan, but also Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The sants of the bhakti movement(s) are normally thought to have had a lower-caste base—and thus a subaltern voice—but the example of the Dādū Panth presented in this article demonstrates that sants’ social base was broad and that the interrelation of sant-bhakti with the courtly order was strong; sant-bhakti therefore needs to be rethought in the study of bhakti traditions.

A Depiction of Indian Muslim Women’s Plight in Culture and Literature Around the Mid-Eighteen Century

This paper locates the Muslim women’s social conditions particularly in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent which largely arose out of two sources; a) evolution of Islam and development of several schools of jurisprudence; b) Muslim’s contact with the Indian culture. Over several centuries, more particularly from the early 13th century onward (by this time, Muslim Turkish rule had been established in India), and the impact of Bhakti movement both on Hindus and Muslims and spread of teachings of Guru Nanak and Bhagat Kabir, Muslims came to adopt many of the Hindu notions and practices. This was in addition to attitudes that came with them by their conversion to Islam. The first part of the paper deals with the effects of Hindu culture regarding status of women on Muslims. The second part of the paper discusses the plight of Muslim women in literature i.e Punjab folk lore of Heer Ranjha. It tries to convey the thoughts on several social customs, particularly emphasizing the various aspects of women’s life. The third part provides the ethnographic evidence which confirms that women, particularly in rural areas, have faced low status and problem connected with rapes, marriages, dowry, and divorces, etc. With solidification of customs, discrimination against a female endures through centuries. As a result, Muslim women were become socially backward, economically susceptible, and politically marginalized segment of society.

A Study on Ideals of Kabir Das and His Contribution in Human Unity

Famous as a pioneer of the liberal social system, Saint Kabir Das was one of the major indices of the medieval Bhakti movement. Although permanent evidence is not available, according to most beliefs, the poet Kabir Das was born in Kashi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) in the mid-15th century. The details of Kabir's life is still unknown till date. As far as recorded, there are stories of Kabir's birth mystery has a similar trail found in Biblical texts. Among his most famous writings are his Doha or couplets and poems that sometimes refer the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib. Kabir was deeply focused on his spiritual knowledge. In Davistan in Mosinfani and Aineakbari in Abu'l-Fazur, he is called "Muwahid" or "Believer of God." He criticized both Hinduism and Islam, the former as per him being misinterpretation of the Vedas. He frequently questioned meaningless rituals such as sacred threads and circumcision. Kabir is a brave pioneer, a great pioneer in the unification of the Hindu and Muslim communities of India, an apostle of human faith, and taught that God has been revealed to all of humanity. Although his life is a mystery and lesser known, his contribution as a social and religious reformer has become a promoter of social progress and laid a solid foundation for modern society. However, the implementation of Kabir's philosophy is still incomplete and uninterpreted. With the inspiration of this gap, the current review of Kabir Das's ideals and contributions to human unity takes into account the legendary saint's theory and view of human unity as an important element of a stable and constructive society.

Examining the Shifting Paradigms of Bhakti and Sanskrit Literature through Devotional Poetry of Jayadeva and Dadu

The wave of the Bhakti movement significantly affected India for over a period of twelve centuries. Considering that it left inerasable impressions on the history and culture of the land, this research paper argues that what only imbibed the feeling of pure devotion also became a tool in the hands of those who were desirous of radical religious, political and social changes. To prove this, the paper undertakes the translation of Dadu Dayal’s Sanskrit compositions. Additionally, the paper also questions the very model of Bhaktikal (the Age of Devotional Literature), propagated by the scholars of Hindi Literature, which divides it into two distinct theological categories, Sagun and Nirgun. By examining the devotional poetry of Jayadeva Goswami and Dadu Dayal, and their sectarian positions, it demonstrates that the proponents of the two diametrically opposite schools of Bhakti did not always honour such a distinction for bhakti’s spirit is above such schisms.

A Comparative Perspective on Kabir and George Herbert's Poetry

The Bhakti movement in India attempted reforms by fighting caste rigidities and superstitions. Almost around the same time the Cambridge reformers were attempting to reform the Catholic Church and propagating Protestant ideas. This paper attempts a comparative perspective on George Herbert’s poetry in relation to some aspects of Bhakti poetry in India, especially with reference to Kabir. George Herbert who was a Metaphysical poet is classified as a devotional poet for the corpus of religious poetry he wrote. The approach of this Metaphysical poet and poets like Kabir from the Bhakti movement has certain points of comparison. Certain similarities in the discourse of the disciple as slave to his Lord; as the lover in search of a union etc. finds place in this discussion. This paper engages in a close study of the religious poetry of George Herbert and that of Kabir in relation to the trends of the Bhakti movement. The language used by most Bhakti poets is simple and words from the vernacular languages of India find a presence in pure or mixed form. Kabir uses the ‘sadhukkadi’ or ‘khichdi’ language. Though Herbert wrote in the English language the world-view of both the poets is quite similar. Some of the images and the philosophy that manifests itself in the two poets are examined through this comparative study.

English The origin and development of Sufism in Bengal and Assam in India

Sufism refers to the mystical dimension of Islam, which, moving away from its rigid doctrinal form, speaks of self-realization, love, submission, and intense personal devotion as being the path to reach God. This paper attempts to understand Sufism and its essential principles, proceeding to trace its establishment and evolution in the Indian subcontinent, with a special focus on Bengal and Assam. The paper discusses the development of Sufism in the regions of Bengal and Assam by situating it in its precise historical and cultural context, exploring at length its interactions with the Bhakti movement and Buddhist Sahajiya tantrism, its impact on the folk art, culture and literature of the regions, and its role in shaping the socio-political climate of the regions over the ages. Lastly, the paper attempts to comment upon how Sufism, with its inherent variations and contradictions, survives in these regions today, and the significance that it holds for the people in contemporary times. In doing so, the paper attempts to understand whether Sufism and its ideals can become useful in promulgating a culture of peace and tolerance in an increasingly polarized and divided society.

Religious Philosophy of Guru Nanak: Literary Speculation

India has been a land of diverse culture and traditions. When we say culture it includes many things like language, social customs, food habits, religion and so on. Of this religion seems to be the most influential factor in the life of an individual. It is something which lends meaning and purpose to our life. It is that which binds human beings to the Divine. And this bond can be established through the practise of Bhakti. The concept of Bhakti is an old one. It emphasises devotion to the personal God. Bhakti movement is an important development in the cultural history of India which originated in the south. The saints of Bhakti movement preached personal devotion to God as a means of attaining Salvation. They made use of local language to spread the ideology of Bhakti. Guru Nanak is one of the most influential saints of the Bhakti movement. In his teaching he incorporated ideas both from Hinduism as well as Islam. He revealed the truth of monotheism, importance of the recitation of God’s name with utmost devotion, need of a Guru for salvation. He tried to bridge the gap between the two communities of Islam and Hinduism and eradicate social problems by focusing on the truth of monotheism and the concept of equality.