The 'Bhakti' movement : Indian religious history

[Guest guest]

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

The bhakti movement began in South India around the 5th century CE, and in the next thousand years spread northward throughout the subcontinent, taking on individual and distinctive forms as it moved from one area to another. Despite these regional differences, there are thematic similarities that remain true throughout.

These are:

1. Equality -- Personal worth being measured not by birth, but the depth of one's devotion. This also demanded that each believer make a personal commitment to God. Unlike earlier movements, the bhakti poets come from all strata of society--from the highest to the lowest--and include women as well as men. This stress on equality, and the implicit subversion of the caste system, makes bhakti one of the most radical, subversive movements in Indian religious history. It is a mistake, however, to think of the bhakti poets as social activists struggling to free the oppressed masses. Bhakti was a religious movement stressing passionate love of the beloved God, and the equality it stressed was religious equality before God, rather than a leveling of social distinctions. It does not aim to reform society as they knew it, but to transcend it altogether.

2. Accessibility -- The bhakti poetry was generally written not in Sanskrit (the priestly, elitist language) but in the vernacular language of the region, which everyone could understand. The bhakti poets also tended to deemphasize ritual, and instead focused on singing or repeating the Name of God. Their major vehicle was not the written text (property of the literate, socially elevated brahmins) but songs and poetry which ordinary people could hear, remember, and transmit to one another.

3. Community -- Bhakti poets tend to come in "families," groups of people freely associating with each other. These "families" contain people from all sorts of social backgrounds, and usually include at least one woman. Here we see the formation of a parallel (and better) society to normal human society.

Bhakti movement in Medieval India is responsible for the many rites and rituals associated with the worship of God by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of Indian subcontinent. For example, Kirtan at a Hindu Temple, Qawalli at a Dargah (by Muslims), and singing of Gurbani at a Gurdwara are all derived from the Bhakti movement of medieval India (800-1700). The bhakti movement was long opposed by the brahminis because it disregarded Vedic rituals, ignored caste differences (many of the bhakti saints and leaders were of the lower castes), and stressed devotion over knowledge. Calm speculation about the all-pervading Brahman was eschewed in favor of the mystical exuberance.

But, when the bhakti movement gained popularity, it quickly attracted large numbers of Brahmins. The Bhagavad Gita is the first expression of bhakti, with its concentration on the adoration of Vishnu, who appears in the work in the person of Krishna. Over the centuries this movement became powerful in South India among the Alvars, and thus throughout the entire country, developing not only Vaishnavite but also Saivite and Shakti forms. Partially the movement grew when being carried by wandering holy men through the means of song and music and the recitation of the great texts. Bhakti essentially became the religion of the masses of India, for it enables the individual to approach the Divine directly and to become a part of his all-encompassing love.

Besides challenging brahminical institutions, bhakti also sharply differs with some Hindu basic beliefs, especially that of 'Karma'. This bhakti belief of Karma differs with the ordinary karmic conception of working off, or eliminating, good or evil Karma that the individual has developed, or earned, in previous lives. In the bhakti concept, Karma is set aside; the devotee expects the Lord will return Love for love and to ignore the predestined course of Karma. The question as to whether the Lord will abide by the ironclad law of Karma, or bestow his grace by removing it from the bhakti has fallen into the hand of the priestly castes, without resolution. Bhakti, like so many other aspects of the Hindu religion and life, has been categorized ad infinitum, and such categories seem to multiply within them as they are examined. But, the masses seem to ignore such scholasticism.

This is a very tiny expression of that Mega movevent in our religious history which connected the people (devotees) at the level of genuine faith & innocent love, and make all of us proud. Born in the great land of gods (Vedas), we all have the moral responsibility to investigate & demonstrate the true vision of the greatest efforts of our saints to the coming generations by retelling the 'Bhakti movement'.

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Vinodji,

Very informative and nice article. Thank you.

Om Namo Narayanaya:

Sunil.

guruvayur , " PS, Vinod K (GE Infra, Energy) "

<vinod.ps wrote:

>

> !! Sri Rama Jayam !!

>

> The bhakti movement began in South India around the 5th century CE, and

> in the next thousand years spread northward throughout the subcontinent,

> taking on individual and distinctive forms as it moved from one area to

> another. Despite these regional differences, there are thematic

> similarities that remain true throughout.

>

> These are:

>

> 1. Equality -- Personal worth being measured not by birth, but the depth

> of one's devotion. This also demanded that each believer make a personal

> commitment to God. Unlike earlier movements, the bhakti poets come from

> all strata of society--from the highest to the lowest--and include women

> as well as men. This stress on equality, and the implicit subversion of

> the caste system, makes bhakti one of the most radical, subversive

> movements in Indian religious history. It is a mistake, however, to

> think of the bhakti poets as social activists struggling to free the

> oppressed masses. Bhakti was a religious movement stressing passionate

> love of the beloved God, and the equality it stressed was religious

> equality before God, rather than a leveling of social distinctions. It

> does not aim to reform society as they knew it, but to transcend it

> altogether.

>

> 2. Accessibility -- The bhakti poetry was generally written not in

> Sanskrit (the priestly, elitist language) but in the vernacular language

> of the region, which everyone could understand. The bhakti poets also

> tended to deemphasize ritual, and instead focused on singing or

> repeating the Name of God. Their major vehicle was not the written text

> (property of the literate, socially elevated brahmins) but songs and

> poetry which ordinary people could hear, remember, and transmit to one

> another.

>

> 3. Community -- Bhakti poets tend to come in " families, " groups of

> people freely associating with each other. These " families " contain

> people from all sorts of social backgrounds, and usually include at

> least one woman. Here we see the formation of a parallel (and better)

> society to normal human society.

>

> Bhakti movement in Medieval India is responsible for the many rites and

> rituals associated with the worship of God by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs

> of Indian subcontinent. For example, Kirtan at a Hindu Temple, Qawalli

> at a Dargah (by Muslims), and singing of Gurbani at a Gurdwara are all

> derived from the Bhakti movement of medieval India (800-1700). The

> bhakti movement was long opposed by the brahminis because it disregarded

> Vedic rituals, ignored caste differences (many of the bhakti saints and

> leaders were of the lower castes), and stressed devotion over knowledge.

> Calm speculation about the all-pervading Brahman was eschewed in favor

> of the mystical exuberance.

>

> But, when the bhakti movement gained popularity, it quickly attracted

> large numbers of Brahmins. The Bhagavad Gita is the first expression of

> bhakti, with its concentration on the adoration of Vishnu, who appears

> in the work in the person of Krishna. Over the centuries this movement

> became powerful in South India among the Alvars, and thus throughout the

> entire country, developing not only Vaishnavite but also Saivite and

> Shakti forms. Partially the movement grew when being carried by

> wandering holy men through the means of song and music and the

> recitation of the great texts. Bhakti essentially became the religion of

> the masses of India, for it enables the individual to approach the

> Divine directly and to become a part of his all-encompassing love.

>

> Besides challenging brahminical institutions, bhakti also sharply

> differs with some Hindu basic beliefs, especially that of 'Karma'. This

> bhakti belief of Karma differs with the ordinary karmic conception of

> working off, or eliminating, good or evil Karma that the individual has

> developed, or earned, in previous lives. In the bhakti concept, Karma is

> set aside; the devotee expects the Lord will return Love for love and to

> ignore the predestined course of Karma. The question as to whether the

> Lord will abide by the ironclad law of Karma, or bestow his grace by

> removing it from the bhakti has fallen into the hand of the priestly

> castes, without resolution. Bhakti, like so many other aspects of the

> Hindu religion and life, has been categorized ad infinitum, and such

> categories seem to multiply within them as they are examined. But, the

> masses seem to ignore such scholasticism.

>

> This is a very tiny expression of that Mega movevent in our religious

> history which connected the people (devotees) at the level of genuine

> faith & innocent love, and make all of us proud. Born in the great land

> of gods (Vedas), we all have the moral responsibility to investigate &

> demonstrate the true vision of the greatest efforts of our saints to the

> coming generations by retelling the 'Bhakti movement'.

>

> Hare Krishna

>

> Hare Rama

>