Devotional path to the

Divine

By,
Abhishek Shah
 Philosophy and Bhakti

• Bhakti ( devotion or portion)in practice signifies an

active involvement by the devotee in divine worship.
• The term is often translated as "devotion", though
increasingly "participation" is being used as a more
accurate rendering, since it conveys a fully engaged
relationship with God.
• One who practices bhakti is called a bhakta,while
bhakti as a spiritual path is referred to as bhakti
marga, or the bhakti way.
• Bhakti is an important component of many branches
of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and
schools.
 Philosophy and… (Contd.)
• Bhakti emphasises devotion and practice above ritual.
• Bhakti is typically represented in terms of human
relationships, most often as beloved-lover, friend-friend,
parent-child, and master-servant.
• It may refer to devotion to a spiritual teacher (Guru) as guru-
bhakti, to a personal form of God, or to divinity without form
(nirgunaa).
• Different traditions of bhakti in Hinduism are sometimes
distinguished, including: Shaivas, who worship Shiva and the
gods and goddesses associated with him; Vaishnavas, who
worship forms of Vishnu, his avatars, and others associated
with; Shaktas, who worship a variety of goddesses.
• Belonging to a particular tradition is not exclusive—devotion
to one deity does not preclude worship of another.
 Philosophy and….(Contd.)
• The Bhagavad Gita is the first text to explicitly use the
word "bhakti" to designate a religious path, which the
Bhagavata Purana develops more elaborately.
• The so-called Bhakti Movement saw a rapid growth of
bhakti beginning in Southern India with the Vaisnava
Alvars (6th-9th century CE) and Saiva Nayanars (5th-
10th century CE), who spread bhakti poetry and
devotion throughout India by the 12th-18th century
CE.
• Bhakti influence in India spread to other religions,
colouring many aspects of Hindu culture to this day,
from religious to secular, and becoming an integral
part of Indian society.
Basavannas Virashaivism
 Basavanna
• Basava (also known as Guru Basavanna or
Basaveshwara , (1134–1196)was a philosopher and
a social reformer.
• He is also called Vishwa Guru and Bhakti-Bhandari.
His teachings and preachings which are universal,
go beyond all boundaries of belief systems.
• He was a great humanitarian and preached a new
way of life wherein the divine experience being the
centre of life regardless of gender, belief, tradition,
religion, caste, social status or whatever.
• The key aspect of his preaching is monotheistic
concept of God A true visionary with ideas ahead of
his time; he envisioned a society that flourished
enriching one and all.
 Basavanna (Contd.)
• He was a great mystic, of his time and originated a
literary revolution through his literary creation called
Vachana Sahitya.
• He was a mystic by temperament, an idealist by
choice, a statesman by profession,(He was the Prime
Minister of the Southern Kalachuri Empire in South
India) a man of letters by taste, a humanist by
sympathy, and a social reformer by conviction.
• Many great yogis and mystics of his time joined his
movement enriching it with the essence of divine
experience in the form of Vachanas (Lit. sayings -
sacred hymns in Kannada)
 Basavanna (Contd.)
• Basava fought against the inhuman practice
of caste system, which discriminated people
based on their birth, and certain rituals in
Hinduism.
• He spread social awareness through his
poetry, popularly known as VACHANAAS.
• These are rational and progressive social
thoughts coupled with established
perception of God in Hindu society.
 Basavanna (Contd.)
• "Brahminical thought" interpret the VACHANNAS as essence
of Vedic knowledge while attempting to explain the social
revolution, Basava was able to bring in.
• But this theory however fails to explain why other well
known religious cult leaders like Shankaracharya,
Ramanujacharya and Madhwacharya, who were very well
acquainted with Vedic knowledge, did not address the issues,
which Basava did in later part of the history in 12th century.
• Basava, like Gautama Buddha, did not preach people the
intricate aspects of spirituality; but, he taught people how to
live happily in a rational social order later came to be known
as veerashaiva Dharma, "Sampradaya") or Lingavanta
Dharma; which is also known as Lingayata.
• Other synonyms for Lingayata are: Basava Dharma, Sharana
Dharma, Vachana Dharma.
Saints of Maharashtra
 Saints of Maharashtra
• Maharashtra has produced or been closely associated
with many saints throughout its history.
• These have risen from all across the several castes.
• Some of the very revered examples of Bhakti saints are
Dnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Namdev ,sant Gora Kumbhar,
Samarth Ramdas, Chokhamela, Savta Mali.
• There have also been several other Harijan saints such as
Sant Banka Mahar, Sant Bhagu, Sant Damaji panth, Sant
Kanhopatra, Sant Karmamelam, Sant Nirmala, Sant Sadna,
Sant Sakhubai, Sant Satyakam Jabali, Sant Soyarabai,Sant
Eknath.
 Saints of ….. (Cond.)
• It has also been the birthplace and home of world-
reputed saints like Sai Baba of Shirdi, Gajanan
Maharaj, Swami Shukadas Maharaj and Swami
Samarth Maharaj.
• Maharashtra is also equally famous for ardent
devotees (or Bhaktas).
• For example Namdev Mahar and his wife Bhagubai
from Kharagpur, both devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba).
• The Sai Baba template in Shirdi is the second
richest one in the country, a close second after the
Lord Tirupati temples at Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh
 Sant Tukaram

• Tukaram (1608 – c. 1650) was a prominent Marathi Sant

and religious poet in the Hindu tradition in India.
• Tukaram was born and lived most of his life in Dehu, a
town close to Pune city in Maharashtra, India.
• He was born to a couple with the family name "More“ the
descendent of the Mourya Clan and first names Bolhobā
and Kanakai.
• Through a tradition in India in bygone days, Tukaram's
family name is rarely used in identifying him.
 Sant Tukaram (Contd.)

• His real name is Tukaram Vhilhoba Aambe. Rather, in

accord with another tradition in India of assigning the
epithet "sant" to persons regarded as thoroughly
saintly, Sant Tukaram is commonly known in
Maharashtra as Sant Tukaram .
• Scholars assign various birth years to Tukaram: 1577,
1598, 1608and 1609 CE. The year of Tukaram's death
—1650 CE— is much more certain.
• Sant Tukaram's first wife, Rakhumabai, died in her
early youth. Sant Tukaram and his second wife, Jijabai
(also known as Avali), had three sons: Santu or
Mahadev, Vithoba, and Narayan.
 Sant Dnyaneshwar

• Dnyaneshwar or Jñāneshwar (1275–1296) also

known as Jñanadeva,He was born in to a Deshastha
Brahmin Kulkarni family.
• He was a 13th century Maharashtrian saint (Sant - a
title by which he is often referred), poet,
philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose
works Bhavartha deepika teeka (a commentary on
Bhagavad Gita, popularly known as
"Dnyaneshwari"), and Amrutanubhav are
considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.
 Sant Namdev

• Namdev Ji (29 October 1270 - 1350) was born on October

29, 1270 in the state of Maharashtra village of Naras-
Vamani, in Satara district (presently called Narsi Namdev).
• His father, a calico printer/tailor, was named as Damshet
and his mother's name was Gonabai.
• Most of the spiritual message of Bhagat Namdev, just like
our gurus, emphasized the importance of living the life of
a householder and that through marriage and having a
family one could attain enlightenment.
• He emphasized that the truest form of bandage or
devotional meditation, is to enter matrimony and jointly
seek the holy experience Waheguru.
 Sant Eknath
• Eknāth (1533–1599) was a prominent Marāthi religious
poet in the Hindu tradition in India.
• Eknath was born in to a Deshastha Brahmin family and
lived most of his life in Paithan in Mahārāshtra, India
• He was a Kulkarni of that village. Eknath's family name is
not known. In accord with a tradition in India of assigning
the epithet "sant" to persons regarded as thoroughly
saintly, Eknath is commonly known in Maharashtra as
Sant Eknath .
• At age 25, he married Girijābāi, and the couple had three
children.
• Eknath was well-versed in Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Urdu,
and Hindi languages besides Marathi.
 Sant Eknath

• Eknath was a major saint of the Varakari

Sampradaya founded by Dnanadeva.
• Born in 1533 at Paithan, Eknath lost his
parents at an early age and was brought up
by his grandfather.
• Eknath's great-grandfather was Shri
Bhanudas (1448-1513), a major figure in the
Vitthala sect at Pandharpur.
 Sant Ramdas

• Ramdas (1606–1682) was a prominent

Marathi saint and religious poet in the Hindu
tradition in Maharashtra, India.
• Samarth Ramdas was a devotee of Lord
Hanuman and Lord Rama.
• His birth name was Narayan Suryajipant
Kulkarni Thosar.
• He wrote a book ‘Manache Shlok.’