Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra by Jankhana

“Women and men both have a limited time in the world, and we cannot wait for the revolution to finally happen, and then we realize that we are free to love and live with people of the same gender or another caste, religion, race, nationality, whatever.”

The art piece by Meena Kandasamy, an Indian poet, writer, translator, and activist from Chennai, encapsulates a pure reflection of breaking the barriers of caste, creed, religion, and status. And that’s what Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra was all about - a synonym for ‘Unity’ and ‘Companionship’. 

 

“Pyar Aur Sankaar

Mann Aur Vyavahaar

Punji Yahi Hai Zindagi Ki

Seva Aur Samarpan

Khud Ko Kar De Arpan

Bhaavana Yahi Hai Bhakti Ki”

 

Founder of the Bhakti Movement 

The first wave of the movement was experienced in the 13th century when Maharashtra was invaded by Muslim emperors, endlessly fighting with each other. This, in turn, left a far-reaching effect on the Marathi culture and language. During the course, the essence and beauty of Hinduism were going into oblivion. Amidst this chaos, Sant Dnyaneshwar who was a great philosopher and yogi founded the Bhakti Movement, creating a revolution in Maharashtra. The Bhakti movement in Maharashtra is popularly known as the  “Maharashtra Dharma”. Sant Dnyaneshwar also had many names to his credit that made him a name to reckon with. He was referred to as Jnanesvara, Jnanadeva, Mauli, and Dnyandev. He wrote a Hindu scripture Bhavartha Dipika, the Marathi commentary of the Bhagavad Gita. The book constitutes a religious sermon as a pure reflection of spiritualism and devotionalism. 

With a strong belief in attaining the presence of God Almighty through different forms of prayers like kirtan chanting, religious songs, or bhajans, he won the hearts of the mass. People started following him and his beliefs. 

Proponents of the Bhakti Movement 

Following Sant Dnyaneshwar, many bhakti saints supported the movement and performed pilgrimage at the Vithoba temple at Pandharpur, situated on the banks of the Bhima River in Maharashtra. This beautiful temple became the center of the movement, and all the followers were respectfully tagged as “Varkaris”. 

Some of the important names marking a benchmark in history are:

 

• Namdev: He was a tailor by caste and became a passionate devotee of Vithoba, chanting his hymns to reach all hearts. He composed many songs in Marathi and Hindi, some of which are preserved in the holy books of Sikhism, like Granth Sahib. His significant contribution during the movement was breaking class and caste distinctions apart. 
• Ekanatha: He was one such bhakti saint of Maharashtra who uncovered many hidden beliefs of devotion in his most inspiring ways. The highest truth for him was “Parmatma”. He did not believe in the old-school ways of worshipping the Great Lord and came up with his lyrics, bhajans, and kirtans to create a new spark of worship and devotion in the purest form. He also wrote Eknathi Bhagwat, a Marathi commentary on the Bhagavad Purana.
• Tukaram: Imbibing inspiration from Jnanadeva, Ekanatha and Namadeva, he became a contemporary of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Leading a life of ‘service to humanity’, he preached ‘Equality’ and ‘Brotherhood’ within and outside Maharashtra. He looked forward to building a homogenous society. Hence, he worked in all possible ways to unite the Hindu-Muslim communities, navigating through all challenges that life threw at him. 
• Guru Ramadasa: He was a contemporary of Chhatrapati Shivaji and a devotee of Lord Rama who established many ashrams and monasteries to give people space and an environment for spiritual activities. ‘Self-Realization’ and ‘God-Realization’ were the two mantras he kept preaching with a deep love for humanity. 

Impact of Bhakti Movement on Literature 

Breaking new grounds and reviving the lost essence of Hinduism, Varkaris or the Bhakti Saints took the route of devotional songs, religious sermons, cultural offerings, storytelling, and bhakti poems to unite the people around a shared purpose of invoking deep selfless love for each other and the divine. In all its forms, the unbreakable sequence of these devotional art pieces was the character reflection of the saints who faced many social oppositions and hurdles on their path to “Divinity”. This continuous sequence was popularly known as “Abhang”, meaning “that does not break”.

Passing on from generation to generation, these songs and prayers became the core of Marathi Literature. With a simple to understand language and a profound impact, these sung and written pieces were immersive, harmonizing the stupendous soul with the mind, heart, and body. And there, it instilled the true spirit of “Bhakti” into the minds and souls of the common man.  

The movement further embraced all the sections of society with the only view of uniting the people of the state, breaking the barriers of caste, region, gender, and class. This gradually changed the dynamics of prayers and worship while giving a new form to all hierarchies at social, religious, and cultural levels. 

To wrap the character and personality of these “saints” or “Varkaris” in a few words, 

“Na Ruke, Na Thake, Na Haare Vo,

Sabko Apne Saath Karte Chale Gaye Vo,

Na Gora, Na Kaala, Na Amir, Na Garib,

Kya Hindu, Kya Muslim, Har Koi Aaya Karib,

Mil Kar Todi Reeti Rivajon Ke Zanzeerein,

Gira Di Har Taraf Khadi Nafrat Ki Deewarein,

Bas Yahi To Ek Koshish Thi Bhakti Andolan Ki,

Aur Phir Rakhi Neev Ek Naye Bharat Ke Nirmaan Ki”

 

References:


Bhakti Movement in Maharashtra (indianetzone.com)

Bhakti Movement - UPSCSuccess

Bhakti Movement - List of Bhakti Movement Saints [Medieval History Of India Notes For UPSC] (byjus.com)

Bhakti Movement | Simplified UPSC