Preachers and Features of Bhakti movements

Hindu society was laid low with the burden of bound social and spiritual practices, that were incompatible with the philosophy of brotherhood of man. it had been a caste-ridden society thatinspired segregation and un-touchability and wherever idolatry or image worship and theism or worship of the many gods were common practices.

Hence, devotion Movement was a trial on the a part of Hinduism to win the political and social battle that was lost within the tenth century. The devotion exponents accomplished the unity of Godthough totally different|completely different} religions used different names like avatar, Krishna, and Allah.
Their read was that devotion or devotion to God was the sole suggests that of salvation. devotionsilent resolute, uninterrupted devotion to God with none ulterior motive. God was the supply of all joys or eternal seventh heaven.

Now I am going to present you the list of Preachers from the various regions of India along with their brief details:-

South India

Ramanuja (Born A.D. 1018) :-  He gave a sound philosophical basis to the bhakti cult of the Vaishnavas.

Madhavacharya (A.D. 1199 - 1278) :- He was fountain head of bhakti movementin Karnataka, and the founder of the Davaita school of philosophy.

Umapati Shivacharya (A.D. 1290 - 1320) :- He was a prolific writer and eight of the fourteen authoritative philosophical treatiseson Shaivism are attributed to him.

Maharashtra

Jnanadeva (A.D. 1275 - 1296) :- He was the Progenitor of the bhakti movement in Maharashtra. His father Vitthal Pant was adisciple of Ramananda.

Namadeva (A.D. 1270 - 1350) :- He belonged to the Chipi (cloth - painter) caste. He was a disciple of Visoba Khechar, and a Nirguna – upasaka. He is referred to by Kabir. Some of his abhangas are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Ekanatha (Born A.D. 1548) :- He was the grandson of the well – known Maharashtrain saint Bhanudasa. He was opposed to caste distinctions and evinced the greatest sympathy for men of low caste.

Tukaram (Born A.D. 1608) :- He was farmer’s son, and a great devotee of Vithal.

Ramadasa (Born A.D. 1608) :- He established ashrams all over Maharashtra. It was from him that Shivaji received the inspirations to overthrow the Muslim authority and found a kingdom.

North India

Ramananda :- The Bhakti movement was spread in the north by Rama nanda, who was greatly influenced by the teachings of Ramanuja. He ignored the traditional berriers of casts and creed and had among his disciples Raidasa the cobbler, Kabir the weaver, Dhanna the Jat farmer, sena the barber and Pipa the Rajput.

Kabir (A.D. 1398 - 1518) :- He was one of the most important disciples of Ramananda. The God he worshipped, was formless one; he called him by many name, both Rama and Rahim. HE sharply condemned caste and religious distinctions and taught the brotherhood of man. One of his leading followers Dharanidasa formed the Dharmadasi branch of the Kabir Pantha.

Raidasa :- He was a mystic of the Nirguna school. Rani Jjali of Chitor became his disciple. He composed song brimming with love and devotion and unlike Kabir never criticized or made fun of other’s beliefs. Some of his songs are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. After him, his followers formed the Raidasa Panth.

Dadu Dayal (A.D. 1544 - 1603) :- He was a great exponent of the Nirguna school. He partised the teachings of Kabir and discarded the limitations of caste and creed.

Sundaradasa (A.D. 1596 - 1689) :-  He was also a disciple of Dadu.

Rajjab of Sanganer (A.D. 1567 - 1683) :- He was also a disciple of Dadu. He was so devoted to his master that on the latter’s passing away, he closed his eyes, never to open again.

Charanadasa (Born 1703) :- He was a Nirguna – upasaka and practised Yoga, but he was great devotee of Sri Krishna of Vrindavan. In his composition, we have a fine blend of Nirguna and Saguna ideas.

Guru Nanak (A.D. 1469- 1539) :- Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was a mystic of the Nirguna school, but his followers branched off from Hinduism and founded a separate religious system. He became a wandering preacher of a casteless, universal, ethical, antirtualistic, monotheistic and highly spiritual religion, which reflect the ideas of Kabir a good deal.

Tulsidasa (A.D. 1532 - 1623) :- He belongs to Saguna school of Hindu mystics. HE composed the famous Ramcharitamanas which empounds the different aspects of the Hindu Dharma in the form of a narrative of Rama’s deeds.

Suradasa (A.D. 1483 - 1563) :- He also belongs to Saguna school. He was a disciple of the famous religious teacher Vallabhacharya. He sang the glories of Krishna childhood and youth in the Surasagara.

Mira Bai (A.D. 1498 - 1546) :- Born in princely family of Rajputana and wedded to a prince of Chitor, She became a widow soon after marriage. Her form of worship was to regard Krishna as her lover and real husband, and pour out her pent-up love and devotion to God as Krishna.

Chaitanya (A.D. 1486 - 1533) :- The popularity of Vaishnavism in Bengal today is mostly due to Sri Chaitanya of Gauranga. He came under the influence of the Vaishnava saint Ishvara Puri. He spread the massage that raga – marga or the path of spontaneous love was the best for salvation.

Shankaradeva (A.D. 1449 - 1569) :- He spread the Bhakti cult in Assam. He was contemporary of Chaitanya.