Devotional Paths To The Divine

Different groups of people worshipped their gods and goddesses before the rise of big nations. People were brought together by the expansion of towns, trade, and empires, and new ideas began to emerge. It was commonly recognised that every living creature goes through innumerable cycles of birth and rebirth, accomplishing good and terrible actions. Also gaining traction is the notion that not all humans are born equal. 

Many scholarly writings emphasised the notion that social privileges are gained by being born into a "noble" family or belonging to a "high" caste. Uneasy with these concepts, many people turned to Buddha's or the Jainas' teachings, which emphasised the power of personal endeavour to overcome societal inequalities and stop the cycle of rebirth. 

Some were also drawn to the notion of a Supreme God, who, if addressed with devotion or bhakti, might free humanity from their enslavement, as taught in the Bhagavad Gita. In the early years of the common era, it became more popular. Shiva, Vishnu, and Durga are three supreme deities that are worshipped with complex ceremonies. 

In addition, the gods and goddesses worshipped in different parts of the world became associated with Shiva, Vishnu, or Durga. Local legends and mythology were woven into the puranic narrative. The Puranas advocated worship methods, which were adopted by local cults. The Puranas also stipulated that worshippers can obtain God's favour regardless of their caste position. The concept of bhakti became quite popular, and Buddhists and Jainas alike accepted it.

A New Kind of Bhakti - Pooja in South India –  Alvars and Nayanars

• Between the seventh and ninth centuries, new religious organisations headed by Nayanars (saints devoted to Shiva) and Alvars (saints devoted to Vishnu) emerged, led by people from various castes, including those who were considered 'untouchables,' such as the Pulaiyar and Panars.

• They despised Buddhists and Jains, preaching that loving Shiva and Vishnu was the only way to salvation. 

• They were inspired by the Sangam literature's ideas of love and heroism, which they combined with bhakti principles.

• Nayanars and Alvars travelled from place to place, writing original poetry and music in honour of their deities.

• The Chola and Pandya rulers constructed magnificent temples around the shrines visited by these saint-poets throughout the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

• Their poetry was collected, and their hagiographies (religious biographies) were written, and they are still used as historical sources by current historians.

Philosophy and Bhakti

Shankara

• Shankara was an influential Indian philosopher who was born in Kerala in the eighth century.

• He was a supporter of Advaita, or the theory of the human soul's oneness with the Supreme Soul, which has no form and is the Ultimate Reality.

• He encouraged people to give up worldly possessions because they are illusions (Maya) and to follow the road of wisdom since it is the genuine route to salvation.

Ramanuja 

• He was born in the eleventh century in Tamil Nadu, and his thought was heavily inspired by the Alvars.

• He believed that the way to salvation was via great devotion to Lord Vishnu because the Lord's favour allows followers to achieve eternal joy (freedom and happiness).

• He also proposed the Vishishadvaita (qualified oneness) doctrine, which states that even when a soul joins with the Supreme Soul, it remains separate and under the Supreme Soul's grace. In northern India, this idea spawned a new type of bhakti.

Basavanna’s Virashaivism

• The Virashaiva movement, which began in Karnataka in the mid-twelfth century, brought together Tamil bhakti and temple devotion.

• Basavanna and other Virashaivas like Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi were the ones who started it. They campaigned for the equality of all people and against Brahmanical caste systems and women's mistreatment.

• They were also opposed to religious rites and idol worship.

The Saints of Maharashtra

• Many saint-poets from Maharashtra, including Janeshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram, as well as women like Sakkubai and the Chokhamela family, inspired people to follow the bhakti of the Vitthala temple in Pandharpur and the god who lives in people's hearts, between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries.

• They were against all types of ceremonies, needless displays of piety, and caste prejudice.

• They rejected the idea of renunciation and instead preferred to stay with their family and serve their fellow humans. This was a new type of bhakti in which joy was found in sharing the pain of others.

Islam and Sufism

• Sufis were Muslim mystics who eschewed religious pretence in favour of love, devotion, and compassion for one's fellow man.

• Islam is a purely monotheistic religion that promotes communal worship of God, opposes idol worship, and believes in surrender to one God.

• Sufis rejected the Shariat, a sacred rule created by Muslim academics, because they desired oneness with God, just as a lover desires unification with his beloved.

• Sufis wrote poetic and musical works, as well as complex prose that featured tales and anecdotes.

• Ghazali, Rumi, and Sa'adi were great Sufi saints who thought that the heart could be taught to see the world differently.

• Under the direction of a teacher known as a pir, they used zikr (chanting of a name or phrase), introspection, Sama (singing), Raqs (dancing), discussion of parables, breath control, and other methods.

• Sufi Silsilas were Sufi genealogies that followed a distinct way of ritual practice and instruction.

• Major Sufi centres emerged in India after the foundation of the Delhi Sultanate, with the Chishti Silsila being one of the most influential.

• Many philosophers have been associated with this order, including Ajmer's Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Delhi's Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Punjab's Baba Farid, Delhi's Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, and Gulbarga's Bandanawaz Gisudaraz.

New Religious Movements in the North

• In North India, many different kinds of movements impacted each other, and people of many religions and castes flocked to holy locations to listen to new religions' lecturers.

• People like Kabir and Guru Nanak were adamantly opposed to all conventional faiths, while Tulsidas and Surdas embraced existing beliefs and made them available to all.

• Tulsidas acknowledged God in the guise of Rama and wrote the Awadhi Ramcharitramanas. This work is significant as a religious text as well as a literary one.

• Surdas was a Krishna devotee, and his devotion is expressed in works like the Surasaravali, Sursagar, and Sahitya Lahari.

• Sankaradeva of Assam was a Vishnu devotee who wrote Assamese poetry and dramas and established Namghars (houses of recitation and devotion).

• Before becoming a follower of Ravidas, a saint from the 'untouchable' caste, Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the royal family of Mewar.

A Closer Look: Kabir

• In the city of Benaras, Kabir came from a family of Muslim Julahas (weavers).

• He composed several poems known as Sakhis and pads, which were performed by roaming bhajan singers.

• Many of his writings were later collected in the Guru Granth Sahib, Panch Vani, and Bijak, among other places.

• His teachings scorned major religious traditions, including Brahmanism and Islam's outward worship, the priestly class's unique position, and the caste system.

• He usually wrote in Hindi, but he would occasionally employ obscure language.

• He proclaimed that bhakti was the only way to salvation and that he believed in a formless Supreme God (devotion).

A Closer Look: Baba Guru Nanak

• Guru Nanak was born in Talwandi, but he travelled for years before reaching the Kartarpur Dera Baba Nanak.

• His adherents ate together in a communal kitchen called Langar, irrespective of their caste or creed. And he named the sacred place/temple he built for prayer and meditation in Dharmasal (now known as a Gurudwara).

• He named a disciple named Lena (later known as Guru Angad) as his successor before dying in 1539.

• Guru Angad collated Guru Nanak's writings and added his script, Gurmukhi, to it.

• The next three Gurus also wrote under Nanak's name, and Guru Arjan collected their work in 1604.

Devotional Paths to the Divine Extra Questions

The following are the devotional Paths to the divine extra questions and also some important devotional paths to the divine notes for preparing an exam.

 Match the Following:

Ans: 

 Fill in the Blanks:

1. Shankara was an advocate of ------.

2. Ramanuja was influenced by the ------.

3. --------, -------- and -------- were advocates of Virashaivism.

4. --------- was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.

Answer: 

1. Advaita

2. Alvars

3. Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi

4. Pandharpur

One Word Questions:

The following are short answer questions of devotional paths to the divine notes:

1. Who translated the bible into the german language?

Ans: Martin Luther

2. What is the new name of Dharamsala?

Ans: Gurudwara

3. How many Alvars and Nayanars were there?

Ans: There were a total of 12 Alvars and 63 Nayanars.

4.  What is Abhang?

Ans: Abhang is a religious song in Marathi.

5. What is Langar?

Ans: Langar is a Hindi word that means "common kitchen."

Devotional Paths to the Divine Summary

The growth of towns, trade, and empires brought people together, and new ideas began to emerge. Local cults followed the worship techniques taught by the Puranas. According to the Puranas, worshipers can get God's blessing regardless of their caste status. 

The Nayanars and Alvars were new religious groups led by saints who worshipped Shiva and Vishnu. Shankara was a well-known Indian philosopher who was born in the eighth century in Kerala. The above article gives a brief knowledge of the class 7th History our Pasts chapter (devotional paths to drive). The article includes the devotional paths to the divine summary and also devotional paths to the divine extra questions.