What were the earliest Bhakti moments in India and led by who?
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The earliest Bhakti movements in India emerged around the 7th century CE and were led by several influential saints who emphasized personal devotion to a deity over ritualistic practices. The movement began with the Alvars and Nayanars in Tamil Nadu. The Alvars, such as Nammazhvar and Periyalvar, devoted their lives to the worship of Lord Vishnu, expressing their love through devotional hymns. Similarly, the Nayanars, including Thirugnana Sambandar and Appar, dedicated their hymns to Lord Shiva, highlighting personal devotion and direct experience of the divine. This early Bhakti tradition focused on intense, personal devotion and accessibility to the divine through love and surrender rather than through complex rituals. The movement emphasized devotion over caste distinctions, making spirituality more inclusive. This set the stage for later Bhakti saints across India, such as Kabir, Mirabai, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who continued to spread the Bhakti message and challenge established religious practices. The early Bhakti movements were pivotal in shaping devotional practices and fostering a more personal, inclusive approach to spirituality in India.
The earliest Bhakti movements in India emerged around the 7th century CE and were led by several influential saints who emphasized personal devotion to a deity over ritualistic practices. The movement began with the Alvars and Nayanars in Tamil Nadu. The Alvars, such as Nammazhvar and Periyalvar, devoted their lives to the worship of Lord Vishnu, expressing their love through devotional hymns. Similarly, the Nayanars, including Thirugnana Sambandar and Appar, dedicated their hymns to Lord Shiva, highlighting personal devotion and direct experience of the divine. This early Bhakti tradition focused on intense, personal devotion and accessibility to the divine through love and surrender rather than through complex rituals. The movement emphasized devotion over caste distinctions, making spirituality more inclusive. This set the stage for later Bhakti saints across India, such as Kabir, Mirabai, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who continued to spread the Bhakti message and challenge established religious practices. The early Bhakti movements were pivotal in shaping devotional practices and fostering a more personal, inclusive approach to spirituality in India.
– The earliest Bhakti movement started or led by the Alvars and Nayanars around 6th century.
– In these Bhakti movement, Alvars are the devotees of Vishnu Bhagwan, whereas Nayanars are the devotees of Shiva Bhagwan. Alvars and Nayanars roamed from one place to another place by singing hymns which include praises of there particular gods i.e.Vishnu and Shiva. There hymns became a ritual in temples. They both also identified large sacred temples in which shrines and adobes of their deities were placed and workshipped.
– Alvars and Nayanars also started a protest movement against the system of caste hierarchy, dominance of Brahmans over the lower caste peoples and the invasion of larger part of Muslims. They wanted to reform the system for betterment. This reform movement were supported by the fact that the disciples or bhakts was diverse from multiple backgrounds which include Brahmans, artisans, cultivators, normal people as well as the low caste peoples which is termed as untouchables at that time.
– The Nalayira Divya Prabandhan which contains 4000 sacred compositions which is complied by Nathamuni.
– Tevaram- it is a collection of first seven volumes of Tirumurai which contains the work of 4 Tamil poets.
– Prominent leaders of Bhakti movement –
1- Shankaracharya
2- Ramanuja
3- Madhavacharya
4- Nimbarka
5- Vallabhacharya
6- Vidyapati
7- Namadeva
8- Sant Eknath
9- Tukaram
10- Ramdas
– The earliest Bhakti movement started or led by the Alvars and Nayanars around 6th century.
– In these Bhakti movement, Alvars are the devotees of Vishnu Bhagwan, whereas Nayanars are the devotees of Shiva Bhagwan. Alvars and Nayanars roamed from one place to another place by singing hymns which include praises of there particular gods i.e.Vishnu and Shiva. There hymns became a ritual in temples. They both also identified large sacred temples in which shrines and adobes of their deities were placed and workshipped.
– Alvars and Nayanars also started a protest movement against the system of caste hierarchy, dominance of Brahmans over the lower caste peoples and the invasion of larger part of Muslims. They wanted to reform the system for betterment. This reform movement were supported by the fact that the disciples or bhakts was diverse from multiple backgrounds which include Brahmans, artisans, cultivators, normal people as well as the low caste peoples which is termed as untouchables at that time.
– The Nalayira Divya Prabandhan which contains 4000 sacred compositions which is complied by Nathamuni.
– Tevaram- it is a collection of first seven volumes of Tirumurai which contains the work of 4 Tamil poets.
– Prominent leaders of Bhakti movement –
1- Shankaracharya
2- Ramanuja
3- Madhavacharya
4- Nimbarka
5- Vallabhacharya
6- Vidyapati
7- Namadeva
8- Sant Eknath
9- Tukaram
10- Ramdas
The Sanskrit term ‘Bhakti” comes from the root word “bhaj” which meaning partaking in devotion and love for God. The Bhakti movement led to the development of regional religious developments.
The earliest Bhakti movements flourished in India during 7th – 12th century CE had two groups, Alvars and Nayanars.
The Alvars
They were the followers of Vishnu. The Alvar saints propagated Vishnu bhakti and sang hymns in praise of the Lord. The Alvars were also conversant with the ‘agamas’ which provide with the concrete worship of the icons. This development is best reflected through various stages in Alvar poetry dominated by emotional Krishna Bhakti. The hymns of the 12 Alvars were collected in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamuni during the 10th century.
The Nayanars
The term Nayanar means ‘leader’. There are a total of 63 saints who follows the path of Shiva but a special status is attached to a group of three saints referred as Mavur or ‘The Revered Ones’ —Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar. The Nayanars were drawn from various social strata that is from Brahmins and lower classes. They directly challenge the caste but those who collected hymns and composed hagiographies belong to Brahmins and Upper strata of Society.
The Sanskrit term ‘Bhakti” comes from the root word “bhaj” which meaning partaking in devotion and love for God. The Bhakti movement led to the development of regional religious developments.
The earliest Bhakti movements flourished in India during 7th – 12th century CE had two groups, Alvars and Nayanars.
The Alvars
They were the followers of Vishnu. The Alvar saints propagated Vishnu bhakti and sang hymns in praise of the Lord. The Alvars were also conversant with the ‘agamas’ which provide with the concrete worship of the icons. This development is best reflected through various stages in Alvar poetry dominated by emotional Krishna Bhakti. The hymns of the 12 Alvars were collected in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamuni during the 10th century.
The Nayanars
The term Nayanar means ‘leader’. There are a total of 63 saints who follows the path of Shiva but a special status is attached to a group of three saints referred as Mavur or ‘The Revered Ones’ —Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar. The Nayanars were drawn from various social strata that is from Brahmins and lower classes. They directly challenge the caste but those who collected hymns and composed hagiographies belong to Brahmins and Upper strata of Society.
The Sanskrit term ‘Bhakti” comes from the root word “bhaj” which meaning partaking in devotion and love for God. The Bhakti movement led to the development of regional religious developments.
The earliest Bhakti movements flourished in India during 7th – 12th century CE had two groups, Alvars and Nayanars.
The Alvars
They were the followers of Vishnu. The Alvar saints propagated Vishnu bhakti and sang hymns in praise of the Lord. The Alvars were also conversant with the ‘agamas’ which provide with the concrete worship of the icons. This development is best reflected through various stages in Alvar poetry dominated by emotional Krishna Bhakti. The hymns of the 12 Alvars were collected in the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Nathamuni during the 10th century.
The Nayanars
The term Nayanar means ‘leader’. There are a total of 63 saints who follows the path of Shiva but a special status is attached to a group of three saints referred as Mavur or ‘The Revered Ones’ —Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar. The Nayanars were drawn from various social strata that is from Brahmins and lower classes. They directly challenge the caste but those who collected hymns and composed hagiographies belong to Brahmins and Upper strata of Society.