Question

What is Bhakti movement ?

Hint:

When defining the Bhakti movement, highlight its two main aspects: its religious focus on devotion and its social message of equality and rejection of caste.

Answer 1

The Bhakti movement was a socio-religious reform movement that emerged in medieval India. It emphasized devotion, or \textit{bhakti}, as the primary means to achieve salvation, rather than complex rituals or knowledge.
Key Features:

Emphasis on Devotion: It advocated intense personal devotion and a loving relationship with God.

Monotheism: Many Bhakti saints preached the oneness of God.

Social Equality: It was characterized by its egalitarianism, rejecting the caste system and the supremacy of Brahmins. It taught that anyone, regardless of caste or gender, could attain salvation.

Rejection of Ritualism: It opposed elaborate rituals, ceremonies, and idol worship, promoting instead simple forms of worship like singing hymns (bhajans).

Use of Vernacular Languages: The saints composed their hymns and teachings in local languages, making them accessible to the common people.
Prominent saints include Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.