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A Project Report
By Shivani Kuddyady Class X The Bishops School, Kalyani Nagar 3 June 2013
Saint Mahadevi
Saint Bahinabai
PRELUDE
To be able to appreciate the real essence of the Bhakti Movement it is necessary to understand the founding principle that inspired its origin & energized its momentum for many centuries. Yes. Bhakti Movement was a Spiritual Renaissance that swept across of India for centuries. Bhakti (Devotion) stems from Spiritual Realization of Mankinds association with God which defines People to be Spirits, experiencing Life, in Human form, on Earth, in the Universe. Spirituality is Adhyatma in Sanskrit is the primordial discipline of Being Human, it expounds timeless tenets & techniques of realizing ones True Self to enable good living. Both Schools of Thought that define the discipline of Spirituality determine God as 1 Eternal, Unchanging, Intelligent, Invincible, Inexhaustible, Invisible Force that created, pervades & powers the whole Universe and all forms of Life in it with a very subtle difference. 1. Advait (Non-Duality) defines Oneness of Supreme Force & Life Force of Human Beings. 2. Dvaita (Duality) defines dependency of Human Beings on Supreme Being for sustenance. Bhakti (Devotion) approach unifies both schools of thought, preaching absolute love for God. Spirituality is the root of Religion but is independent of Religious influences. Religions are frameworks of faith & following that urge Worship to enrich realization of ones Self & God. Devotion, the driving force of Worship, materialized as Idolization, Literature, Drama, Poems & Songs, catalyzing collective Consciousness of the Masses into a Unified Conscience that sustained the movement for several centuries sans the aid of todays modern technology! In the grand scheme of things the Bhakti Movement practiced absolute Love for God without socio-religious restrictions to lead a more meaningfully life of purpose. The Key Principles of the Bhakti Movement were as follows: 1. It is Bhakti or devotion to God alone that can help man attain salvation. 2. It is important to follow a true guru for realizing God. 3. All people are equal and no one is superior or inferior. 4. Caste distinctions, rituals, fasts, etc., are useless and lead to nowhere. 5. All Humans should be tolerant.
It seems appear the movements northward advancement (15th through 17th centuries), its radical edge as it pertained to womens inclusion, was tempered. Greater numbers of women took part in the movements earlier development (6th to 13th centuries); it is largely male bhaktas and sants that are today perceived as the spokes persons for the movement in its later manifestations. The poetry of women bhaktas from this latter time period is generally not indicative of a rejection of societal norms in terms of leaving family and homes in pursuit of divine love. Instead, some of the later poet-saints stayed within the confines of the household while expounding on their souls journeys, their eternal love for the Divine, as well as their never-ending search for truth.
Bahina bai was a poet-saint from 17th century Maharashtra, writing in the form of abangas, womens songs that accompanied their labours, especially in the fields. Her writings are particularly autobiographical, recounting her childhood, puberty and married life. Despite having obvious conflicts with her husband due to her overarching and ecstatic love for her Divine Lover in the form of Lord Vithoba, another name for Krishna, she took her role as wife and responsibilities to her earthly husband seriously. Her husband was also critical of her allegiance to the Bhakti poet-saint Tukaram. Nonetheless, her poetry reflects an attitude of duty and respectful empathy toward both her marriage and her spouse. This becomes clear through her writings on the responsibilities of women toward their husbands. Though highly unusual, it is believed that Bahinabai received some classical training from her father, a Brahmin scribe. Her poetry recounts visions she experiences of the low-caste poet-saint Tukaram; despite her high caste status, she became his devotee, thus choosing the path of devotion over brahmanical norms of ritual purity.