1. South Indian Bhakti
By Ananya Srivastava

2. CONTENTS
topics we will cover
E M E R G E N C E
O F B H A K T I
M O V E M E N T
Sources and
Historiography
What was the Bhakti
Movement?
Emergence and Its
Temporal and Spatial
Shift
B H A K T I
S A I N T S
Who were the
nāyanmārs?
Who were the āḻvārs?
Role of Women Saints
Caste and
Occupational
Background of the
Saints
D E C L I N E
O F B H A K T I
M O V E M E N T
Link to feudalism
Dissent and
Reform
Return to
Orthodoxy

3. from where do we know this?
Songs of nāyanmārs and āḻvārs
Later chronicles and hagiologies by their followers
References in contemporary and near-contemporary
epigraphs to devotional works and temples
Sculptured panels, paintings, and images
representing the incidents in the lives of these saints
Sources and Material

4. trends in writing history
Early scholars regarded it as a literary movement or an
ideological one that drew inspiration from religion
Modern writers used that literary philosophical notion to call the
movement Bhakti movement
In the twenties, chronological framework was approximately
fixed
Present studies attempt to analyse the movement in larger
framework along with socio-economic context
Historiography

5. What was the Bhakti Movement?
origin and meaning
A religious movement that originated in the
Tamil region from the sixth to ninth centuries.
Had two main currents: Śaivism and Vaiṣṇ avism
Devotees of Viṣṇ u were called āḻvārs.
Devotees of Śaiva were called nāyanmārs .
The term bhakti has its roots from the word bhaj
which means to share or participate.
The term initially used for devotion was anbu
Similarities between bhakti hymns and early
tamil poems

6. Spatial and Temporal Shift
Pallava period, 6th century, around temples like Tirupatti and Kanchi - Started as a
movement
Coḻa territory, around Chidambaram, Tiruvarur, etc. - Acquired prominence
Pāṇ ḍ ya territories, 8th century - Temples in Madurai, Tirunelveli, etc., became active
centres.
Final Phase, 9th century, in Malaināḍ u/Kerela - Temples like Tiruvanjaikkalam,
Tirunāvāy, etc., became prime centres of devotion.
There are links of Bhakti to Sangam literature.
Bhakti movement was made possible by the synthesis of northern and southern
religious traditions.
emergence and various phases

7. Who were the āḻvārs and Nāyanmārs?

8. Who were the Nayanars?
the shaiva devotees
Shaiva devotees, 63 in number
The word 'nāyanār' means leader
Nāyanmār is an honorific, Śaiva devotees
referred to themselves as atiyar or tontar
Mūvar or the three great hymnists - Appar,
Sundarar and Sambandhar
Sundarar wrote a poem titled Tiruttonḍar Tokai,
which listed 62 nāyanmārs.
Nambiāṇ ḍān Nambi wrote Tiruttonḍar
Tiruvantai, in which he added Sundarar's name.
The relationship of God and devotee in Śaivism
is analogous to that of a master and slave.
Appar, Sundarar
and Sambandhar,
12th century

9. Contemporary time's art showing Appar, Sundarar , Sambandhar, and
Māṇikkavacaka worshipping Lord Śaiva

10. Bronze Image of
Māṇikkavācakar

11. Viṣṇ u devotees, 12 in number
Āḻvār means 'those who dive deep in the divine'
Mudal Āḻvārs- Poygai, Pūdam and Pay
The hymns of the 12 Alvars were collected in the 10th century by Nāthamuni in the Nālāyira Divya
Prabandham, which constituted the Vaiṣṇ ava Canon.
The relationship between that of the devotee and Māyōn/Māl (Kriṣṇ a) was expressed in terms of lover-
beloved.
The philosophical aspect of Āḻvār's Vaiṣṇ ava Bhakti was enunciated by Vaiṣṇ ava ācāryas.
Who were the Āḻvār?
the vishnu devotees

12. The 12 āḻvārs offering prayers to a lotus representing Lord Viṣṇu

13. Bhaktins
women saints
Female devotees - bhaktins
Overwhelmingly male-dominated movement
Periyapurāṇ am shows women in a negative light
3 Nāyanmārs bhaktins - Kāraikkāl Ammayār,
Mangaiyarkkarasiyar, and Isainaniyar
The only āḻvār bhaktin - Āṇ ḍāḷ
Youth and beauty were considered a burden and bhaktin
couldn't combine the household with devotion.

14. Kāraikkāl Ammayār
a nāyanār bhaktin
Image of Kāraikkāl
Ammayār with shrunken
breasts playing cymbals
Life incidents mentioned in Periyapurāṇ am
Her husband abandoned her on seeing her
divine powers
She abandoned her physical beauty and
good health
Concentrated all her energies in devotion to
Shiva
Played cymbals

15. Modern Art: Kāraikkāl Ammayār playing cymbals while Lord Śaiva dances

16. Āṇḍāḷ
the female alvar
The only woman āḻvār
Also known as Kotai
Āṇ ḍāḷ means “she who rules”
Regarded as an amsa of Viṣṇ u second
wife
Wrote two books, dedicated to
Krishna – Tiruppāvai and Nāchiyār
Tirumozi
Practised bridal mysticism
Chose Kriṣṇ a Ranganāth as her
bridegroom

17. Caste and Occupation
varied social background
Āḻvārs like Toṇ ḍaraḍippoḍi, Madhurakavi, and Periyāḻvārs were
Brahmanas.
Kulaśēkharāḻvār was a kshatriya
Some Āḻvārs belonged to the kaḻḻar and pāṇ ā communities of the
Shudra caste
Nāyanmārs like Nandanar belonged to the 'untouchable'
community
Occupational Background - washermen, cowherders, weavers,
potters, hunters, fishermen, a robber, etc.

18. Brahmanas
26.7%
Kshatriyas
20%
Vellala
18.7%
Unspecified
13.3%
Merchants
9.3%
Low-caste
8%
Artisans
4%
Caste and
Occupation
Distribution-
Pie chart

19. Some scholars have argued that bhakti was a representative of Indian
Feudalism. And the doctrine of divine condescension of bhakti was to
provide a moral justification for the exploitation of the masses
Those who are against this view argue that the bhaktas saw themselves
as subservient to God, and that they also assumed a voice of friendship,
familiarity and love.
Feudal Ideology
Link to Feudalism
Was bhakti a representation of feudalism?
lord:vassal::god:devotee
The Feudal
Argument

20. Dissent and Orthodoxy
This was a movement of dissent.
Its ideals of liberty from ritual, equality of caste,
and fraternity in devotion were put out in public.
Untouchability for the paraiya and the miserable
state of poverty of lower classes continued, but at
least they were made more acceptable.
However, these deviations were temporary and
partial. The intellectual dissent soon came to an
end.

21. ...and there was a return to orthodoxy.

22. Thank You
By Ananya Srivastava