Bhakti Movement — Overview
- Period: 7th – 17th Century
- Personal devotion to the divine; traditions varied
- Saints such as Kabir criticized empty rituals and sacrifices
- Many Bhakti saints criticized caste hierarchy
- Emphasis on Bhakti (devotion) towards God
Two Branches of Bhakti
🌸 Saguna (With Form)
- Worships God with attributes / form
- Shiva worshippers → Nayanar
- Vishnu worshippers → Alvar
- Only female Alvar: Andal
- Saints: Ramananda, Surdas, Meerabai, Tulsidas, Chaitanya
✨ Nirguna (Formless)
- Worships formless / attributeless God
- Saints: Kabirdas, Guru Nanak, Dadu Dayal
- Emphasis on inner devotion over rituals
Adi Shankaracharya — 788–820 CE (traditional dates)
Adi Shankaracharya788–820 CE (traditional dates)
- Major systematizer of Advaita Vedanta
- Philosophy: Advaita Vedanta
- Composed commentary: Brahmasutra Bhashya
- Traditionally associated with the Smarta tradition
- Traditionally associated with 4 principal Mathas:
N
Jyotirmath (Joshimath)
North
Prominent Bhakti Saints
Ramanujacharya1017–1137 CE (traditional dates)
- Founded Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-dualism)
- Composed: Sri Bhashya
VallabhacharyaSaguna
Sect
- Philosophy: Shuddhadvaita (Pure non-dualism)
- Propagated Pushti Marg
- Worshipped Shrinathji
Ramananda14th–15th centuries
- Belonged to Saguna sect
- Emphasized Bhakti as path to salvation
- Traditional disciples: Kabirdas (weaver) and Ravidas
KabirdasNirguna Sect
- Belonged to Nirguna sect
- Contemporary of Sikandar Lodi
- Verses preserved in Bijak, Kabir Granthavali and Adi Granth
- Traditionally a disciple of Ramananda; occupation: weaver
Guru NanakFounder of
Sikhism
- Founded Sikhism
- Belonged to Nirguna Branch
- Baba Farid’s verses appear in the Guru Granth Sahib; Farid lived centuries earlier
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu1486–1534
CE
- Preacher of Bengal Vaishnavism
- Popularized Gaudiya Vaishnava Bhakti in Bengal
- Popularised Sankirtan (public God-praising songs) in Bengal
- Philosophy: Achintya Bhedabheda
Other Notable Saints
| Saint |
Period / Region |
Key Fact |
| Purandara Dasa |
South India |
Father of Carnatic music |
| Vidyapati |
— |
Composed Padavali (love ballads of Radha-Krishna) |
| Surdas |
Traditional dates: 1478–1583; precise chronology uncertain |
Krishna Bhakti; Mathura & Vrindavan |
| Meerabai |
Traditional dates: 1498–1546; precise chronology debated |
Rathore princess; daughter-in-law of Rana Sanga; Krishna devotee |
| Tulsidas |
Traditional chronology: 1532–1623; birth year debated |
Rama devotee; Ramcharitmanas, Kavitavali, Gitavali |
| Dadu Dayal |
— |
Founder Dadu-Panth; Nirguna Bhakti; Nipakh Movement |
| Raidas |
— |
Traditionally linked with Ramananda and Meerabai; verses in Guru Granth Sahib |
| Shankaradeva |
Assam |
Bhakti in Assam; Borgeets tradition; Founder of Sattriya dance |
| Tyagaraja |
Tamil Nadu |
Great Rama devotee |
Maharashtra Bhakti Saints
⭐ Gyaneshwar / Gyananadev Early Maharashtra Saint
- Major early Marathi Bhakti saint and author of the Dnyaneshwari
- Composed Bhavartha-Deepika — commentary on Bhagvat Gita (Marathi translation)
- Major formative figure of the Varkari tradition
- Worshipped Vishnu as Vithoba
NamdevSaint Shiromani
- Known as Saint Shiromani
- Made Varkari ideology popular among masses
- Some verses included in Guru Granth Sahib
Eknath1533–1599 CE
- Composed Bhavarth Ramayana — commentary on Ramayana
TukaramMaharashtra
- Composed Abhangs — Marathi devotional poetry
- Dedicated to God Vithala (Vithoba) — form of Vishnu
RamdasContemporary of Shivaji
- Founder of Samarth Sect
- Seventeenth-century saint and contemporary of Shivaji
- Composed Dasbodh — collection of sermons
7 Major Philosophies & Exponents
Advaita Vedanta
Adi Shankaracharya
Vishishtadvaita
Ramanujacharya
Dvaitadvaita
Nimbarkacharya
Shuddhadvaita
Vallabhacharya
Dvaita Vedanta
Madhvacharya
Achintya Bhedabheda
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Shaiva Vishishtadvaita
Shrikantha
Key Terms in Bhakti
| Term |
Meaning |
| Saguna |
God with form/attributes |
| Nirguna |
God without form (formless) |
| Nayanar |
Shiva-worshipping Bhakti saints |
| Alvar |
Vishnu-worshipping Bhakti saints |
| Pushti Marg |
Path of grace — propagated by Vallabhacharya |
| Sankirtan |
Public God-praising songs — Chaitanya Mahaprabhu |
| Abhangs |
Marathi devotional poetry — Tukaram |
| Borgeets |
Devotional songs — Shankaradeva (Assam) |
| Varkari Sect |
Gyaneshwar was a major Varkari saint — worship of Vithoba |
Sufi Movement — Basics
- “Sufi” is commonly linked to Arabic suf = wool
- Foundational text: Quran
- Inner spiritual path: Tariqat
- Emphasized inner purification and closeness to God
- Guru = Pir | Disciple = Murid
6 Major Sufi Orders (Silsilas)
⭐ Chishti OrderMajor Order in India
- Prominent Indian Sufi order centered on Ajmer
- Founder: Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti → Khanqah in Ajmer
- Prominent Chishti saints:
| Saint |
Special Fact |
| Bakhtiyar Kaki |
Disciple of Muinuddin Chishti |
| Hamiduddin Nagori |
Disciple |
| Sheikh Fariduddin Ganjshakar |
Baba Farid — verses preserved in Guru Granth Sahib |
| Nizamuddin Auliya |
Mehboob-e-Ilahi; Guru of Amir Khusrau
|
| Sheikh Salim Chishti |
— |
| Sayyid Muhammad Gesu Daraz |
— |
Shattari OrderTansen’s Spiritual Guide
- Introduced in India by Abdullah Shattari in the fifteenth century
- Muhammad Ghaus — Tansen’s Sufi spiritual guide; Swami Haridas is traditionally his musical teacher
Firdausi OrderBranch of
Suhrawardi
- Branch of Suhrawardi Order
- Prominent Bihar saint: Sharafuddin Yahya Maneri
- Other saints: Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, Sheikh Hussain Balkhi
Naqshbandi OrderAhmad
Sirhindi
- Founder: Khwaja Bahauddin Naqshband
- Founders in India: Khwaja Baqi Billah
- Key saints: Khwaja Mir Dard, Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi
Suhrawardi OrderSheikh
Shihabuddin
- Begun by Abu Najib Suhrawardi; systematized by Shihabuddin Umar Suhrawardi
- Other saints: Bahauddin Zakariya, Sheikh Ruknuddin, Jalaluddin Bukhari
Qadiri OrderDara
Shikoh
- Founder: Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani
- Notable follower: Dara Shikoh
- Other saints: Niyamatullah, Makhdoom Jilani
Sufi Terminology — Complete List
| Term |
Meaning |
| Wasl |
Union with God |
| Wahdat-ul-Wujud |
Unity of Being |
| Sama |
Devotional listening, often to music or poetry |
| Chilla |
Forty-day spiritual retreat |
| Habs-e-Dam |
Pranayama / breath awareness |
| Fana |
Annihilation of the ego/self in devotion to God |
| Tawakkul |
Belief / trust in God |
| Wahdat-ul-Shuhud |
"Unity of witness" / Apparentism (Lord & devotee relationship) |
| Rida |
Surrender to God's will |
| Haqiqat |
State of truth — knowing the Supreme Being |
| Ma'arifat |
Oriented towards divine knowledge |
| Ishq-e-Majazi |
Worldly love |
| Ishq-e-Haqiqi |
Divine love |
| Masnavi |
Poetry in independently rhyming couplets |
| Khanqah |
Residence of Sufis |
| Tariqat |
Inner spiritual path of discipline |
| Pir |
Sufi Guru / Teacher |
| Murid |
Sufi disciple |
| Silsila |
Sufi Order / chain of tradition |
⚠️ Exam Traps
Trap #1 — Saguna vs Nirguna
Kabir and Guru Nanak are associated with Nirguna devotion. Ramananda, Meerabai, Surdas and Tulsidas are associated with Saguna devotion. Kabir’s discipleship under Ramananda is a traditional attribution.
Trap #2 — Meerabai's Guru
Devotional tradition identifies Ravidas (Raidas) as Meerabai’s guru. His links with Ramananda and Meerabai are traditional attributions rather than firmly dated contemporary records.
Trap #3 — Only Female Alvar
Andal was the only female Alvar among the Vishnu-worshipping Alvar saints. Female Nayanar saints belonged to the separate Shaiva tradition.
Trap #4 — Bhavartha-Deepika vs Bhavarth Ramayana
Bhavartha-Deepika, a Marathi commentary on the Gita, was written by Gyaneshwar. Bhavarth Ramayana, a commentary on the Ramayana, was written by Eknath. They are different works by different authors.
Trap #5 — Chishti Centre in India
Muinuddin Chishti established a major Indian centre of the Chishti Order at Ajmer. An absolute oldest/largest ranking is not needed to identify this centre.
Trap #6 — Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusrau
Nizamuddin Auliya belonged to the Chishti Order. The poet and musician Amir Khusrau was his disciple or murid. Nizamuddin was known as Mehboob-e-Ilahi.
Trap #7 — Tansen's Guru
Muhammad Ghaus of the Shattari Order was Tansen’s Sufi spiritual guide. Swami Haridas is traditionally identified as Tansen’s musical teacher; distinguish the two roles.
Trap #8 — Sattriya Dance Founder
Shankaradeva of Assam founded the Sattriya dance form; do not confuse it with Bharatanatyam or Kathak. He also initiated the Bhakti movement in Assam and the tradition of Borgeets.