BEGINNINGS OF BHAKTI MOVEMENT

         SAINTS  WILL  AID

         BEGINNINGS OF BHAKTI                      MOVEMENT

The Bhagavatam records that the Bhakti movement  originated in the Dravida Desa.

Utpanna Dravide Saaham
Vriddhim Karnatake gatha
Kwachitkwachin Maharashtre
Gurjare jeernataam gatha.       Mahatmyam, 1.48

I was born in Dravida (Tamil) Desa. I grew up in Karnataka area. I attained glory in some places in Maharashtra. I reached old age in Gurjara (Gujarat).This is recorded as revealed by Bhakti, appearing as a lady, to Narada. 

This appears to tally with the historical perspective, as it is understood. The earliest record we have of a mass movement of pure devotion to Bhagavan in historical times seems to be the phenomenon of the rise of the Nayanmars and Alwars- the devotees of Shiva and Vishnu, respectively, in Tamil land. Greek sources record the existence of the cult of Krishna-Vasudeva at the time of Alexander's invasion. But that does not appear to be a separate bhakti movement, with characteristics we associate with it later on.

The Avataars. Victoria and albert Museum, London.

We will also have to look at it from the Indian perspective of cyclical time. The four yugas, which repeat themselves, have significant internal differences within them. In the Krita or Satya yuga, the means of Liberation were meditation. People were basically good, had long life and had to engage in arduous meditation for years for Realization. We see such stories recorded in the Puranas. In the next, it was Yajna: we see various kinds of yajna. In the Dwapara, it was resort to worship of archa murtis, visit to temples, pilgrimages,etc. In the scriptures it is clearly stated that none of this will work in Kali yuga where the only means of spiritual Realisation will be remembrance of the names of God and their chanting.It is not that other forms of devotion will all disappear totally, but they will be followed as mere formalities, with the real spirit lacking. Kali yuga started with the departure of Lord Krishna from earth around 4000BC. It is significant that the Greeks noted the existence of the cult of Krishna-Vasudeva in the areas which they invaded. The Veda contains lot of prayers (Suktas) to various Deities, but it did not advocate devotion  as the main method of Realisation. This is definitely a post-Krishna phenomenon and there is some justification in the Bhakta-Bhagavata tradition claiming special kinship with Krishna worship. It is also significant that even the main Vedic ritualistic orthodoxy has incorporated Rama-Krishna factor in the performance of Vedic rituals. The Bhagavad Gita is the real source of Bhakti cult, for Bhakti in the form of total surrender to God is the ultimate message of the Gita, whatever may be the interpretation of Pundits and some Acharyas. Subsequently, other schools have risen, advocating devotion based on other Deities.

Nayanmars:
Appar :    580-650 AD
Jnanasambandha: 640-656
Sundarar : 8th Century
Manikkavachaka: 9th Century.

 The four main Nayanmars: Sambandha, Appar. Sundaramurty, Manickavachaka. 
This picture is from a temple in Helensburgh, NSW, Australia.

Images of some Nayanmaars from Tirukazhukunram.

Alwars:
Poigai Alwar: 7th Century
Boodattalvar:  7th
Tirumazhisai:  7th
Tiruppaan Alwar : 8th century
Tirumangai Alwar: 730-800
Kulasekhara Alwar: 8th
Tondaradippodi  : 8th
Nammalvar:  745-780
Periyalwar :  800-885
Andal        : Later half of 9th century
Madhurakavi: 9th Century

Care: There are many traditions about these dates, some going back to even 3000BC!

Group of the Ten alwars.

After the 9th century, there is a big vacuum, we cannot account for. But we see the bhakti cult rising in Maharashtra, North, Bengal and Orissa, and in Karnataka and Andhra , thus encircling the whole country between the 14th and 18th Centuries-but leaving Tamil area alone! Not that there were no individual practitioners of devotion; there certainly were figures like Ramanuja,Appayya Dikshita, Arunagirinatha, etc But they  (except Arunagirinatha)were primarily philosophers and theologians. Pure bhakti movement we see again only after the rise of Nama Siddhanta in the 17th Century.

The Nayanmars rose mainly in response to the challenge posed by the rise of Buddhists and Jains, who kept the Tamil Kings under their spell, by foul means and fair; these were basically advocates of Nastika (Niriswara and anti-Vedic) views which adversely affected the general belief of the common people in God, temple worship, practice of Vedic rituals, etc. So, these 4 Saivite Acharyas travelled extensively, visited almost all the temples, revived devotional worship, instilled faith in Vedic learning and rituals and also succeeded in weaning away the kings from the Nastika faiths. They sang hymns extempore in each temple or holy place, they sang in Tamil, without interfering with the established systems of worship, so that in due course, their hymns came to be recited in the temples as part of the ritual. The hymns were set to specific tunes which were based on the ancient musical traditions. The hymns were mainly paeans of praise, recalling the various puranic incidents, recounting the glory of Lord Shiva and his sports (leela) with devotees and others.As a result of their efforts, Buddhism and Jainism completely lost their hold on princes and people.

The Alwars followed a similar course based on devotion to Vishnu and His Avatars . Ramanuja especially made an effort to bring Non-brahmins into the fold of orthodoxy. He stressed the doctrine of 'Prapatti' or complete surrender as the way. 

But unfortunately, rivalry developed between the two sects and it has continued to this day.

The main body of Smarta brahmins continues to keep its distance from both these sects, though worshipping both Deities without distinction. The overwhelming majority of the common people continues to be outside these sects, worshipping mainly local gods and goddesses, and fostering folk traditions. 

Thus in the Tamil area, bhakti movement has not covered every one, even though the Nayanars and Alwars sang in Tamil! (But their Tamil cannot be understood  today even by most 'educated' Tamils without commentary or explanation! Such is the advance made in Tamil education!) Those who try to dilute our scriptures to suit the modern taste for intellectual ease and indulge in secular translation should keep this in mind. People will not take up religion only on the basis of language. And a true Hindu can never forget that all our original ideas and sources are in/from Sanskrit. No translation can be a substitute for reading the Ramayana/ Gita/ Bhagavatam in the original. We do not read the Ramayana only for or as a story. It has been summed up in one sloka, if one needs only the story. Both Saivites and Vaishnavites claim that their Acharyas have rendered Veda in Tamil (It is claimed that Sambandhar's hymns are a Tamil rendering of Rig Veda; the Vaishnavites say: 'Vedam Tamizh seida maaran Sadagopan'.) But can they be understood or allusions explained without reference to the Sanskrit original? Without Sanskrit, there is no Hindu religion.Tirumurugatruppadai, the Sangam classic of Nakkirar records that one face of Lord Muruga protects the yajnas performed by the Brahmins without deviating from the Mantra rules:"Oru mukham Mantra vidiyin marabuli vazhaa andanar velvi orkkumme".(Lines 94-96, Tirucheeralaivai) Since the Asuras usually try to interfere with the proper performance of Yajnas, two arms of the Lord are ever ready, holding the Spear and the Shield, to protect the Yajna (line 110).

The second time Bhakti movement  spread was only after the rise of the Nama siddhanta . But in spite of its popular and egalitarian elements, it was taken up only by the orthodox sections (mainly Smartas), who could no more practice their orthodox ways under the changing social and economic conditions. This shows that you can take the horse to water (or vice versa) but you cannot make it drink.

Many saints appeared in the North to combat the Muslim threat, but a similar phenomenon is not seen in the South! Here, people simply removed their Deities from temples and hid them elsewhere, fearing Muslim invasion and plunder.

An off shoot of this movement was the rise of Sampradaya Bhajan tradition., drawing largely from the Marathi example, due to the influence of the Maratha rule in Tanjore. This is really a splendid achievement, combining Nama chanting, good music, adapting hymns from all languages without distinction, and equally covering all Deities without distinction! The tradition also honours all Gurus and devotees from all areas! To listen to a good quality traditional bhajan is a moving religious experience, akin to a dip in all holy Tirthas and visit to all major temples. To go through and study their compilation of literature is such a rewarding religious, aesthetic and intellectual exercise. It will make a literate Hindu an educated one- educated in our itihasa-purana, sacred lterature, lives of saints and devotees, etc. It will make him a truly cultured  complete Indian, not a mere money-making  and bread earning  and consuming  economic machine or animal.

Sri Bodhendra who initiated the Namasiddhanta and Sankirtana tradition in the Chola Desa in the Tamil area.

But the Nama Siddhanta or Sampradaya Bhajan tradition is not a free-for-all show.It too is based on some orthodox  elements and practices. It too involves discipline. It takes for granted a certain type of family atmosphere and living tradition.  With secular education spreading like wild fire and engulfing the whole society,  with Brahmin community having lost its traditional bases of support, and having given up its self-discipline; and with each generation in need of educational qualification along secular lines to secure a livelihood, with more and more girls taking to secular education, professional career and modern living style; with decline of Brahmin neighbourhoods which lent support to common cultural practices, with the collapse of even the larger family and support to elders, with the spread of the habit of TV watching like an addiction even among the elderly,  all traditional systems are gradually declining.  Our ladies cannot even sing simple Arati songs at home functions. How many youngsters sing songs at Kolu during Navaratri? You will notice few youngsters in a bhajan or Harikatha performance. The proportion of youngsters in population is rising, but increasing numbers of them are getting alienated from our tradition-of any sort. What is it all leading to?