bhakti
-
What is bhakti in Hinduism?
In Hinduism, bhakti signifies a devotee's intense, mutual, emotional attachment and love for a personal god, and the god's love for the devotee. The Bhagavadgita, a Hindu religious text, considers bhakti, or bhakti-marga, as superior to the paths of knowledge (jnana) and ritual/good works (karma).
Rooted in South India between the 7th and 10th centuries, bhakti emerged through poems by the Alvars and Nayanars, composed in Tamil to Vishnu and Shiva, respectively. These poems drew from Tamil erotic and royal traditions, applying descriptions of absent lovers or kings to the gods.
Practices involve reciting the deity's name, singing hymns, wearing emblems, pilgrimages, and offering sacrifices. Seeing and being seen by the god (darshan) is an essential ritual element.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What does the word 'bhakti' mean?
In Hinduism, bhakti refers to the intense, mutual, emotional attachment and love between a devotee and a personal god. The Bhagavadgita, a Hindu religious text, considers bhakti-marga, the path of bhakti, as superior to the paths of knowledge and good works.
The bhakti movement originated in South India between the 7th and 10th centuries with poems composed in Tamil dedicated to the gods Vishnu and Shiva. It soon spread to North India. The practice of bhakti includes singing hymns, reciting the deity's name, carrying emblems, and pilgrimages to sacred places. Bhakti traditions are associated with major divinities such as Vishnu, Shiva, and various goddesses, with distinct devotional practices for each.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do Hindus show bhakti in their daily lives?
In Hinduism, bhakti or devotion, is the primary religious attitude in much of Hindu life, effectively connecting the aims of solving worldly problems and finding oneâs soul in relation to divinity.
Hindus show bhakti in their daily lives through:
- Worship Many Hindus dedicate time and energy to rituals designed to obtain prosperity or to remove troubles, to advance their careers, to advance their childrenâs education and careers, or to protect their families from ill health.
- Vows Vows are a major element within practical Hinduism.
- Pilgrimages Hindus undertake pilgrimages to sacred places associated with a deity.
- Prayers Reciting the name of a god or goddess, singing hymns in praise of the deity.
- Sacrifices Devotees offer daily sacrifices in the home or temple.
- Festivals Hindu festivals are combinations of religious ceremonies, spectacles, worship, prayer, music, dances, and other activities of a religious or traditional character.
- Temple Practices Removing shoes, wearing modest clothing, prayer, offerings, ringing a bell upon entry, and more.
5 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Who are some famous saints in the bhakti movement?
The bhakti movement, emphasizing intense emotional attachment to a personal god, arose in South India between the 7th and 10th centuries and later spread to North India. Many bhakti movements welcomed people of all genders and castes.
Some famous saints and figures associated with the bhakti movement include:
- Alvars and Nayanars These poet-saints from South India composed poems in Tamil dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, respectively, laying the foundation for the bhakti movement.
- Kabir A poet-saint (1440â1518) who integrated Sufi elements from Islam into his teachings.
- Tulsidas A 16th-century figure known for his Hindi retelling of the Rama legend in the Ramcharitmanas.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did the bhakti movement change Hindu religious practices?
The Bhakti movement, which began in South India between the 7th and 10th centuries, significantly changed Hindu religious practices by emphasizing intense emotional attachment and love between devotees and a personal god.
Bhakti traditions fostered new forms of worship, including reciting the deity's name, singing hymns, wearing religious emblems, and undertaking pilgrimages. The movement encouraged mystical fervor, with devotees expressing their relationship with the divine as that of a lover and beloved.
The movement also weakened Buddhism and challenged the caste system by providing an alternative to traditional ritual practices and Vedic beliefs. Bhakti poetry often ridiculed caste and the associated etiquette of ritual purity.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is the lasting impact of the bhakti movement on Indian culture and religion?
The bhakti movement, which began in South India between the 7th and 10th centuries, emphasized intense emotional devotion to a personal god. Bhakti spread through India, influencing vernacular literature, promoting equality by cutting across gender and caste lines, and inspiring new forms of worship like kirtana (group singing).
The movement encouraged the use of regional languages, resulting in a wealth of devotional poems and songs. Bhakti challenged rigid religious practices, offering a more direct and personal connection with the divine, and its impact remains visible in the diverse expressions of Hinduism today.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
bhakti, in Hinduism, a movement emphasizing the mutual intense emotional attachment and love of a devotee toward a personal god and of the god for the devotee. According to the Bhagavadgita, a Hindu religious text, the path of bhakti, or bhakti-marga, is superior to the two other religious approaches, the path of knowledge (jnana) and the path of ritual and good works (karma).
Bhakti arose in South India in the 7th to 10th centuries in poems that the Alvars and the Nayanars composed in Tamil to the gods Vishnu and Shiva, respectively. Drawing on earlier Tamil secular traditions of erotic poetry as well as royal traditions, bhakti poets applied to the god what would usually be said of an absent lover or of a king. Bhakti soon spread to North India, appearing most notably in the 10th-century Sanskrit text the Bhagavata-purana. Muslim ideas of surrender to God may have influenced Hindu ideas of bhakti from the start, and later poet-saints such as Kabir (1440â1518) introduced Sufi (mystical) elements from Islam.
Each of the major divinities of HinduismâVishnu, Shiva, and the various forms of the Goddessâhave distinct devotional traditions. Vishnu-bhakti is based on Vishnuâs avatars (incarnations), particularly Krishna and Rama. Devotion to Shiva is associated with his frequent manifestations on earthâin which he can appear as anyone, even a tribal hunter, a Dalit (formerly called an untouchable), or a Muslim. Devotion to the goddesses is more regional and local, expressed in temples and in festivals devoted to Durga, Kali, Shitala (goddess of smallpox), Lakshmi (goddess of good fortune), and many others.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
Many, but not all, bhakti movements were open to people of both genders and all castes. Devotional practices included reciting the name of the god or goddess, singing hymns in praise of the deity, wearing or carrying identifying emblems, and undertaking pilgrimages to sacred places associated with the deity. Devotees also offered daily sacrificesâfor some, animal sacrifices; for others, vegetarian sacrifices of fruit and flowersâin the home or temple. After the group ritual at the temple, the priest would distribute bits of the deityâs leftover food (called prasad, the word for âgraceâ). Seeingâand being seen byâthe god or goddess (darshan) was an essential part of the ritual.
During the medieval period (12th to mid-18th century), different local traditions explored the various possible relationships between the worshipper and the deity. In Bengal the love of God was considered analogous to the sentiments involved in human relationships, such as those felt by a servant toward his master, a friend toward a friend, a parent toward a child, a child toward a parent, and a woman toward her beloved. In South India passionate, often erotic, poems to Shiva and Vishnu (particularly to Krishna) were composed in Tamil and other Dravidian languages, such as Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam. In the 16th century Tulsidasâs Hindi retelling of the Rama legend in the Ramcharitmanas (âSacred Lake of the Acts of Ramaâ) focused on the sentiment of friendship and loyalty. Many of those poems continue to be recited and sung, often at all-night celebrations.