Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Indian Ideology and Bhakti Cult from Class 6 Social_Science. Let us begin our journey into the lives of great religious and social reformers who were born between the 8th century and the 16th century. Many great men were born in India. They not only guided the people through their teachings but also undertook active social reforms. Their reforms eradicated ignorance and evil practices among the people. Their impact is spread even today. These thinkers revived religion and society on a strong ideological basis. In this chapter, we will study the life, teachings, and reforms of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Basaveshvara, and Madhvacharya, who were at the forefront of these movements. You might already know about Purandaradasa and Kanakadasa. What were their contributions to society? Just like them, saints of North India also awakened people through their teachings. We will also learn about the purpose, meaning, and features of the Bhakti cult, and be introduced to Sri Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Meerabai, and the Sufi saints. We will understand how the Bhakti cult established harmony among different religious groups and contributed to the growth of regional languages. Our learning goals are to understand these reformers' thoughts, see their relevance today, understand their contribution to social harmony, and imbibe generosity from their teachings. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us start with Sri Shankaracharya. He was born in the village of Kaladi in Kerala. His parents were Shivaguru and Aryamba. Being a true genius, he understood the four Vedas at the age of 8. The philosophy he propounded is called Advaita. Shankara brought many reforms in the Hindu society of his time and led people on the path of knowledge. Through Advaita philosophy, he preached that all mankind are one and equal. He became a social reformer by stopping conflicts between castes. He established Peethas, also known as mathas, at Badarinatha in Uttarakhand, Dwarake in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha, and Sringeri in Karnataka. These served as emotional and religious centres for uniting Indians. Shankara wrote many scriptures, and his work Bhaja Govindam is popular even today. It is truly surprising that Shankara achieved so much within his 32 years of life span. In your textbook, you will see a picture of Sri Shankaracharya and the Badrinath temple. [CHECKPOINT]
Next, we will learn about Sri Ramanujacharya. He was born at Sriperambudur near Chennai. He studied religious shastras at Kanchi. His father was Keshava Dikshita and his mother was Kantimati. The philosophy he propounded is called Vishishtadvaita. Ramanujacharya travelled all four directions of India and spread Srivaishnavism. He declared that salvation may be attained through devotion and surrendering to God. Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler of Karnataka, welcomed him warmly. Let us look at his reforms. Ramanuja encouraged caste harmony. By condemning casteism, he preached the principle of Bhakti to all castes. He said that devotion and surrendering are very important for salvation. He told people to surrender to God without any desires. He asserted that one can attain salvation through the path of devotion. Ramanuja was also responsible for building several grand temples in Melukote and South India. The textbook shows a picture of the Cheluvanarayana temple in Melukote, along with a portrait of Sri Ramanujacharya. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us move on to Sri Basaveshwara. His role in the social and religious reforms in Karnataka was indeed revolutionary. He hailed from Basavana Bagewadi in Vijayapura district. During his childhood, instead of Upanayana, he received linga diksha. He studied at Kudalasangama. His parents were Madarasa and Madalambika, who belonged to the Basavana Bagevadi Agrahar of Shaiva Brahmins. Basava’s philosophy is called Shaktivishisthaadvaita. Basaveshwara was appointed as the treasurer by Bijjala, the Kalachuri ruler who ruled from Kalyana. Basavanna began to preach progressive ideas in Kalyana. The traditionalists opposed these ideas. Disappointed by this, he left Kalyana and moved to Kudalasangama. It is believed that he later united in Kudalasangama. His reforms were profound. Basavanna aimed at building a casteless and classless society. Work is Worship, which in Kannada is Kayakave Kailasa, was one of his main teachings. He condemned casteism, idol worship, and sacrifices. He stated that one’s body itself is a temple. His words, woman is a mother, she is everything, gave confidence to women who had lost their voice. He established Anubhava Mantapa at Basavakalyana, which was a platform for the Vachanakaras. Basaveshwar composed more than thousands of Vachanas, and they end with the pen name Kudala Sangamadeva. The message of Sri Basaveshwara, the leader of the vachana movement for the welfare of mankind, is timeless. In this background, the government of Karnataka has declared Vishwaguru Basavanna as the cultural leader of Karnataka on 13-02-2024. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us pause for an important activity. Please collect three vachanas of Basavanna that you find important. Understand the spiritual principles found in them and write ten sentences about it. Now, let us understand some key terms. Kayaka means work done in a devotional way. Sharing the fruits of Kayaka with everybody in an equitable way is dasoha. The aim of Basaveshvara was to instil work culture, or Kayaka, among the people. Vachana literature is a distinct literary genre. The vachana literature could be read like prose or sung like a poem. There were Vachanakaras, which means one who writes vachanas, like Jedara Dasimayya, Allamaprabhu, Chenna Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi, and others. They belonged to all castes and classes. The thoughts expressed in the vachanas are relevant even today. The textbook includes a portrait of Sri Basaveshwara. [CHECKPOINT]
Next in our sequence is Sri Madhvacharya. He was born at Pajaka village near Udupi. After accepting sanyasa, Madva travelled throughout India twice to spread his teachings. Lord Vishnu was his adorable deity. His parents were Tulu Brahmin Madhyagheha Bhatta and Vedavati. He propounded Dvaita philosophy. His reforms include composing many works in Sanskrit relating to Madhva philosophy. He appointed eight pontiffs to perform regular pujas of Lord Sri Krishna at Udupi. He preached the simple path of Bhakti, which means devotion. Madhvacharya set up a system under which each pontiff would worship Lord Krishna for a period of two months in rotation. Later, saint Vadiraja extended the period of rotation, called paryaya, to two years. Apart from the Ashtamathas, the Uttaradi, Vyasaraya, and Raghavendra Mathas are also religious centres of the Madhva principles. The people of Karnataka, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra were influenced by the teachings of Madhvacharya. You will see a picture of the Sri Krishna temple in Udupi and a portrait of Sri Madhvacharya in your book. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us explore the Bhakti Movement. Our country is a land of saints and sages. Hundreds of saints have taken birth here from time to time. They brought about social harmony and encouraged people to walk on the right path. They also exposed social ills. The saints preached the path of bhakti, or devotion towards God. They believed that Bhakti is the only way to earn God’s grace. This approach to God is known as the Bhakti cult. The features of the Bhakti cult are very clear. First, the Bhakti cult condemned discrimination between superior and inferior and preached equality. Second, the Bhakti saints opposed and ridiculed outdated customs. Third, the Sufi saints proclaimed that religion meant love of all and service to mankind. They maintained that there is only one God, not many. Fourth, the saints took up the task of uniting the hearts of the people. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us learn about the Bhakti saints. Sri Chaitanya was born in West Bengal. He condemned caste discrimination. He preached that Bhakti was the only path to the realization of God, or mukti. His teachings were rooted in love, brotherhood, and charity. He went on sacred pilgrimage throughout India spreading the message of love. Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism. He was born in Punjab of present Pakistan. He emphasized the religious common points of Hinduism and Islam. His songs called Japji are in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. Sikhism emphasises the importance of chanting God’s name and doing good deeds. It also stresses equality between men and women. Nanak questioned, how can a woman, who gives birth to kings and prophets, be inferior to men? He declared, even if I have a lakh tongues, I will chant the name of one God on all those tongues. Nanak had visited Karnataka during his travel throughout the country. The place in Bidar where he stayed is called the Nanak Jhira. [CHECKPOINT]
Saint Meerabai, who is revered as the Radha of Kaliyug, was also a great composer of songs. She was born in a royal family of Rajputs in Rajasthan. She was very fond of playing with the idol of Lord Krishna given to her by her grandfather. She considered Lord Krishna as her deity. Her mother-in-law strongly objected to her worshipping of Krishna. Meera could not withstand this and left the palace forever and went to Brindavan, the holy place associated with Lord Krishna. The feelings of bhakti and love are prominent in her compositions. Giridhar Gopal is the deity she worshipped. Through her bhajans, Meera finds a permanent place in the hearts of millions. Other prominent Bhakti saints include Kabirdas, who condemned the injustice of the caste system, idol worship, pilgrimage, fasts, vows, and all other religious rituals. He declared that he was the child of Allah and Rama. Tulsidasa wrote his famous epic poem Ramcharitamanasa. Surdas was another saint-poet who was born blind, and Sur Sagar is his famous work. The textbook shows portraits of Sri Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, and Meerabai. [CHECKPOINT]
Now let us study the Sufi Movement. The Sufi cult originated in Arabia and entered into India. The Sufi saints wore coarse woollen clothes, called suf, as a badge of poverty. Hence they were called the sufis. Gradually, the sufis were influenced by Yoga, Vedanta, and thoughts of Buddhism. Many sufi saints, for example, Baba Budan, were worshippers of Dattatreya. The sufi saint of Vijayapura, Budan-al-din, wrote songs in praise of Lord Krishna. The sufis preached that religion means love and service to mankind. They expressed their bhakti by means of singing and dancing. Both these practices were forbidden by the traditionalists. There were even women sufis. The sufi women disciple Rabiha is revered even today. Nizamuddin Auliya was a major sufi saint of India. He settled in Delhi and lived a life of poverty. A mosque with a thatched roof was the centre of his activities. He rejected a village donated by the Delhi sultan. He remained away from politics. He preached the message of good conduct and compassion to the devotees who came to see him. [CHECKPOINT]
Bandenawaz is a famous sufi saint of Karnataka. His attractive darga is in Kalaburgi. The Hindus considered Bandenawaz as Keshav Chaitanya and worshipped him. The Chisti is an important sufi sect. Its founder, Moyinuddin Chisti, came to Ajmer and established his centre. The qualities of his followers are piety, service to one’s guru, and walking the right path. The Chistis were concerned about the harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims. They wrote in regional languages. Salim Chisti of Fatehpur in Agra is a well-known Chisti. The influence of the Bhakti Movement is profound. The Bhakti saints were responsible for creating harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims. The Bhakti saints composed literature in the regional languages. As a result, Indian languages were enriched. The textbook shows a portrait of Nizamuddin Auliya and a picture of Salim Chisti’s tomb in Agra. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us now review the chronology of these great saints. Shankaracharya lived in the 8th to 9th century. Ramanujacharya lived in the 11th to 12th century. Basaveshvara lived in the 12th century. Nizamuddin Auliya lived from 1238 to 1325 C.E. Madhvacharya lived in the 13th to 14th century. Moyinuddin Chisti lived in the 13th century. Guru Nanak lived from 1469 to 1538 C.E. Sri Chaitanya lived from 1486 to 1534 C.E. Meerabai lived from 1498 to 1546 C.E. Bandenawaz lived in the 15th century. Salim Chisti lived in the 16th century. Let us look at some new words to help your understanding. Diksha means to initiate with ceremony. Zhara means sweet water spring. Piety means devotion towards God. Here are some important facts to know. Sri Chaitanya’s birthplace is Navadweep, also known as Nadiya, in West Bengal. Guru Nanak’s birthplace is Talawandi in Pakistan. Meerabai was the only daughter of Ratansingh of the Rathod family of Jodhpur. [CHECKPOINT]
Now it is time to test your understanding with the exercises. I will read each question and provide the complete answer. First, fill in the blanks with appropriate words. Question one: Guru Nanak’s songs are called as Japji. Question two: The holy book of the Sikhs is Guru Granth Sahib. Question three: The birth place of Ramanujacharya is Sriperambudur. Question four: Saint Meerabai is known as Radha of Kaliyug. Now, answer the following questions. Question five: What were the reforms made by Shankaracharya? Answer: Shankara brought many reforms in the Hindu society of his time and led people on the path of knowledge. Through Advaita philosophy, he preached that all mankind are one and equal. He became a social reformer by stopping conflicts between castes. He established Peethas at Badarinatha, Dwarake, Puri, and Sringeri to unite Indians. He wrote many scriptures, including the popular Bhaja Govindam. Question six: What are the teachings of Basaveshvara? Answer: Basavanna aimed at building a casteless and classless society. He taught that work is worship, known as Kayakave Kailasa. He condemned casteism, idol worship, and sacrifices, stating that one’s body itself is a temple. He gave confidence to women by saying woman is a mother, she is everything. He established the Anubhava Mantapa at Basavakalyana as a platform for Vachanakaras. He composed thousands of Vachanas ending with the pen name Kudala Sangamadeva. [CHECKPOINT]
Question seven: What is the importance of vachana literature? Name some vachanakaras. Answer: Vachana literature is a distinct literary genre that can be read like prose or sung like a poem. It expresses progressive thoughts that remain relevant today. Some Vachanakaras are Jedara Dasimayya, Allamaprabhu, Chenna Basavanna, and Akka Mahadevi. Question eight: What did the Bhakti saints preach? Answer: They preached the path of bhakti or devotion towards God as the only way to earn God’s grace. They condemned discrimination, opposed outdated customs, preached equality, and took up the task of uniting the hearts of people. Question nine: Who were the major Sufi saints of India? Answer: The major Sufi saints include Baba Budan, Budan-al-din, Rabiha, Nizamuddin Auliya, Bandenawaz, Moyinuddin Chisti, and Salim Chisti. Question ten: State the effects of the Bhakti Movement. Answer: The Bhakti saints were responsible for creating harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims. They composed literature in regional languages, which enriched Indian languages. Question eleven: Where is the Darga of Bandenawaz? Answer: The Darga of Bandenawaz is in Kalaburgi. Question twelve: Which is the famous work of Tulasidas? Answer: His famous epic poem is Ramcharitamanasa. Question thirteen: What is the famous quotation of Guru Nanak? Answer: His famous quotations are, how can a woman, who gives birth to kings and prophets, be inferior to men? and even if I have a lakh tongues, I will chant the name of one God on all those tongues. Question fourteen: What is the gist of Bhakti Cult? Answer: The gist of the Bhakti cult is that devotion to God is the only path to salvation, it condemns discrimination and outdated customs, emphasizes love and service to mankind, maintains there is only one God, and aims to unite the hearts of all people. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us discuss in groups and answer. Question fifteen: The relevance of the teachings of the Bhakti saints. Answer: The teachings of the Bhakti saints remain highly relevant today because they promote social harmony, equality across castes and genders, devotion over empty rituals, and service to humanity. Their emphasis on love, brotherhood, and unity helps bridge religious and social divides in modern society. Question sixteen: Discuss the changes brought by Social Reformers. Answer: Social reformers like Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Basaveshwara, and Madhvacharya eradicated ignorance and evil practices. They stopped caste conflicts, promoted equality, established religious and educational centres, encouraged devotion over ritualism, empowered women, and enriched regional languages and literature, leaving a lasting impact on Indian society. Finally, let us go through the activities for your classroom and home practice. Activity one: Read the biographies of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Basaveshwara, and Madhvacharya. Activity two: Collect any ten vachanas of Basaveshwara. Activity three: Collect the names of vachanakaras and their pen-names. Activity four: Dress yourselves as Acharyas, saints, and Sharanas and narrate their teachings on the stage during celebrations in the school. Activity five: Read this vachana carefully. Do not steal, do not kill, do not lie, do not rage, do not loathe the other, do not brag of yourself, do not revile the opponent. This itself is inner purity. This itself is outer purity. This alone is the way to win our Koodalasangamadeva. Identify the values found in this vachana. Discuss whether we find these values being practised in our society today. If not, collect the reasons and discuss them. Activity six: Collect and write the teachings of Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya. Activity seven: Collect the pictures of the Bhakti saints with details. Activity eight: Read the biographies of Sri Chaitanya, Guru Nanak, Meerabai, Tulsidas, Kabir, Surdas, and the Sufi saints. Activity nine: Listen to Meera bhajans. Activity ten: Collect more details about sufism from the internet. Discuss their influence on India’s multi-religious society and their relevance in the present context, and prepare a report of one page. [CHECKPOINT]
Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]