Bhakti saints - Youth Destination IAS

Question - Evaluate the contribution of Bhakti saints in the development of vernacular literature in India. - 18 November 2021 Contribution of Bhakti saints Answer - The Bhakti movement in India probably originated in the Tamil region around the 6th and 7th centuries AD, and became very popular through the poems of the Alvars and Nayanars. This movement gradually spread to North India by the 13th century AD. The Bhakti movement was primarily a monistic movement, which emphasized the mystical union of the individual with God. They placed great emphasis on love as the bond between God and the individual. His promotional zeal made him popular among the masses. They eschewed the use of traditional languages (Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian), favored local languages (such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Sindhi) to make his teachings more accessible to the people and contributed greatly to the development. Contribution of Bhakti Saints in vernacular languages During this period, literary works of high quality were produced in many regional languages. The increase in maturity of many of these languages and their use as instruments of literary work can be considered an important feature of medieval India. With the loss of the prestige of the Brahmins, Sanskrit also lost some of its luster. The use of common language by the Bhakti saints was undoubtedly an important factor in the rise of these languages. Basavanna was the leader of the Bhakti movement in Karnataka. The Bhakti movement in this region produced a rich vein of literature, which came to be known as Vachana literature, composed by Basava himself and his disciples. These verses clearly expressed some subtle observations on spiritual and social matters, and also played an important role in the development of the Kannada language. A characteristic of all Bhakti saints was that they composed their verses in the language that was best understood by the people they taught. Some of the earlier translations of the scriptures were available only in Sanskrit and were unreadable for most people. Bengali was used by Chaitanya and by the poet Chandidas, who wrote extensively on the theme of the love of Radha and Krishna. Ballads on events of contemporary interest composed by wandering ministers were equally popular. Bhakti leader Shankaradeva popularized the use of Assamese in the Brahmaputra valley in the 15th century. He used an entirely new medium to spread his ideas. He wrote a number of short one-act plays, of the nature of morality plays, incorporating themes from the Puranas. In Maharashtra, the Bhakti movement began in the late 13th century. Its supporters were called "Varkaris". Its most popular were Jnanadeva (1275–96), Namdev (1270–50), and Tukaram (1608–50), who composed many verses embodying the essence of devotion. Eknath Tukaram, a Shudra, wrote on religious and spiritual matters for the common man rather than the religious dogma prevalent among the upper class and thus popularized Marathi. The Jagannath Temple at Puri houses a collection of manuscripts that date from the twelfth century and contain elements of the language that later developed into Oriya. Chaitanya spent his last years in Puri and encouraged his followers to use Oriya instead of Sanskrit. The development of Maithili spoken in the area of modern Bihar was also associated with Vaishnava and Bhakti literature. Hindi was spoken in the region around Delhi, and modern Uttar Pradesh. It first developed with the historical epics composed by local bards. Later it was used by the Bhakti movement. Kabir(dohas), Nanak, Surdas ( soor sagar/soor suravali). Tulsi das (ram charit manas) and Mirabai, gave it an important status. Amir Khusro also used it in his poetry. Hindi was spoken in the region around Delhi, and modern Uttar Pradesh. It first developed with the historical epics composed by local bards. Later it was used by the Bhakti movement. Kabir(dohas), Nanak, Surdas ( soor sagar/soor suravali). Tulsi das (ram charit manas) and Mirabai, gave it an important status. Amir Khusro also used it in his poetry. The Bhakti movement empowered the underbelly of Indian society in fundamental ways and also provided the required impetus for the growth of vernacular literature. This movement infused vernacular languages with the ideas of equality, liberty, freedom of choice of worship and the importance of being a human, an individual. This influenced life and thought of the people immensely. This tradition of those deemed “low" singing and writing did not, however, end with the Bhakti movement co-mingling into the mainstream. In recent years, a number of singer-songwriters have sung stridently and powerfully about what they see as injustices in the society they live in. Download our APP - Go to Home Page - Buy Study Material -

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Contribution of Bhakti saints in the development of vernacular literature in India

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