Thread by @Mission_UPSC_

10 Bhakti Saints with PICTURES and important FACTS

Every year 1 to 2 Qs are asked from movements.

It can not be any easier to remember them than this thread🚀

1. Shankaracharya

- Born at Kaladi in Kerala

- Disciple of Govindacharya

- Gave doctrine of Advaita Vedanta

- Founded Mathas at: Sringeri in Karnataka, Dwarka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha, Badrinath in UK

- His followers are called Smratas

2. Ramanuja

- Gave Vishitha Advait philosophy

- Wrote Sri Bashya

- Head of Srirangam Vaishnava Math

- He preached Shudras

- He is called Ilaya Perumal - the radiant one

3. Ramananda

- 14th century Vaishnava devotional poet saint

- Devotee of Ram

- Disciple of Ramanuja

- Accepted disciples without discriminating anyone by caste or religion

- Disciples included: Kabir, Ravidas, Bhagat Pipa & Dhanna(a jat peasant)

4. Vallabhcharya

- Patronage of King Krishnadevaraya

- Vrindavan

- Family life is no hurdle in life of salvation

- Gave philosophy of Shuddha Advaita -> absolute union

5. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

- Devotee of Lord Krishna

- Born in Bengal

- Puri became the main centre of his activities

- 1st to introduce Kirtans in Bhakthi movement

6. Kabir

- One God, many names

- His verses are found in Sikhism’s scripture Guru Granth Sahib

- 1st to reconcile Hinduism and Islam

- Nirgun Bhakti

- He wrote - Sabad, Bijak, Doha, Holi, and Rekhtal

7. Guru Nanak

- Born in Talvandi near Lahore

- Birth anniversary is celebrated as Gurpurab

- Last part of his life was spent at Kartarpur

- Introduced concept of ‘Vahiguru’ - shapeless, timeless, omnipresent & invisible entity

- Guru Granth Sahib contains his poetic hymns

8. Mirabai

- Krishna margi

- She was born in Rajasthan

- 1st to introduce Giridhara Gopala cult of Brindavan

- 1st to introduce Bhajans -> composed in the language of Vraj Bhasha

9. Tulsidas

- Contemporary of Akbar

- Wrote ‘Ramcharit Manas’

- Founded the Sankatmochan Temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Varanasi

- Started the Ramlila plays

- Other works: Dohavali, Ratna Ramayan, Gitavali , Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali  and Vinaya Patrika

10. Maharashtrian Saints:

- Namdev

- Tukaram

- Eknath

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