IDEA OF BHAKTI

IDEA OF BHAKTI

This was also the time when the worship of certain deities, which became a central feature of later Hinduism, gained in importance. These deities included Shiva, Vishnu, and goddesses such as Durga.

This magnificent statue is of a special form of Vishnu, the Varaha, or boar. According to the Puranas (see Chapter 11(BUILDINGS, PAINTINGS AND BOOKS)) Vishnu took the shape of a boar in order to rescue the earth, which had sunk into the water. Here the earth is shown as a woman.

These deities were worshipped through Bhakti, an idea that became very popular at this time. Bhakti is generally understood as a person’s devotion to his or her chosen deity. Anybody, whether rich or poor, belonging to the so-called ‘high’ or ‘low’ castes, man or woman, could follow the path of Bhakti.

The idea of Bhakti is present in the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred book of the Hindus, which is included in the Mahabharata (see Chapter 11(BUILDINGS, PAINTINGS AND BOOKS)). In this Krishna the God, asks Arjuna, his devotee, and friend, to abandon all dharmas and take refuge in him, as only he can set Arjuna free from every evil. This form of worship gradually spread to different parts of the country.

Those who followed the system of Bhakti emphasised devotion and individual worship of a god or goddess, rather than the performance of elaborate sacrifices.

According to this system of belief, if a devotee worships the chosen deity with a pure heart, the deity will appear in the form in which he or she may desire. So, the deity could be thought of as a human being, lion, tree, or any other form. Once this idea gained acceptance, artists made beautiful images of these deities.

Because the deities were special, these images of the deity were often placed within special homes, places that we describe as temples. You will learn more about these temples in Chapter 11(BUILDINGS, PAINTINGS, AND BOOKS).

Bhakti inspired some of the best expressions in art — sculpture, poetry, and architecture.

Hindu

The word ‘Hindu’, like the term ‘India’, is derived from the river Indus. It was used by Arabs and Iranians to refer to people who lived to the east of the river, and to their cultural practices, including religious beliefs.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK

BHAKTI AND POEM BY A BHAKTA

BHAKTI AND POEM BY A BHAKTA

Bhakti

Bhakti comes from the Sanskrit term bhaj meaning ‘to divide or share.’ This suggests an intimate, two-way relationship between the deity and the devotee. Bhakti is directed towards Bhagavat, which is often translated as god, but also means one who possesses and shares bhaga, literally good fortune or bliss. The devotee, known as the bhakta or the bhagavata, shares his or her chosen deity’s bhaga.

A poem by a bhakta

Most Bhakti literature tells us that riches, learning, and high status do not automatically ensure a close relationship with the deity. This is part of a poem composed in Tamil by Appar, a devotee of Shiva, who lived about 1400 years ago. Appar was a vellala (Chapter 8(VITAL VILLAGES, THRIVING TOWNS)).

“The leper with rotting limbs,

The man who is regarded as low by the brahmin, even the scavenger

...

Even these men, if they are servants (i.e. devotees)

Of him who shelters the Ganga in his long hair (i.e. Shiva)

 I worship them,

They are gods to me.”

Elsewhere

Christianity

About 2000 years ago, Christianity emerged in West Asia. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, which was then part of the Roman empire. Christ’s teachings were that He was the Saviour of the world. He also taught people to treat others with love and trust others, just as they themselves wanted to be treated.

Here are a few verses from the Bible, the holy book that contains the teachings of Christ:

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.”

Christ’s teachings appealed to ordinary people and spread through West Asia, Africa, and Europe. The first Christian preachers came from West Asia to the west coast of the subcontinent within a hundred years of Christ’s death.

The Christians of Kerala, known as Syrian Christians because they probably came from West Asia, are amongst the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Islam

Although Arabia is a desert, it was at the hub of communications for centuries. In fact, Arab merchants and sailors played an important role in sea trade between India and Europe. Others who lived in Arabia were the Bedouins, pastoral tribes depending mainly on camels, hardy animals that could survive in the desert.

Around 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad introduced a new religion, Islam, in Arabia. Like Christianity, Islam was a religion that laid stress on the equality and unity of all before Allah, the one supreme god. Here is a verse from the Quran, the sacred book of Islam:

“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s remembrance, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.”

Within a hundred years Islam spread to north Africa, Spain, Iran, and India. Arab sailors, who were already familiar with the coastal settlements of the subcontinent, now brought the new religion with them. Arabs soldiers conquered Sind (in present-day Pakistan) about 1300 years ago.

Activity:

1.What does the poet regard as more valuable, social status, or devotion?

2.Look at Map and trace out the route that they(Christians) may have used.

3. Find Arabia on Map. Trace the routes that would have been taken by these sailors and soldiers on Map.

Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK