<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\nAs the disciple of Ramanujacharya, he introduced the Radhamadhav cult which focused on the worship of Radha and Madhav. He also founded the philosophy of Dwita Advaita, which emphasized the balance between Advaita and Visishtadvaita. In addition to this, he was a renowned astronomer and author of works such as Dashasloki and Vedanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to his philosophy, human beings were confined within physical bodies that were limited by prakrti or matter. He believed that only through surrendering to Radha-Krishna, rather than through their efforts, could individuals attain the grace necessary for liberation from the cycle of rebirth. At the time of death, the physical body would then be shed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Madhvacharya<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n- Early Life and Background.<\/li>
- Born in 1238 in Pajaka, near Udupi, to Narayana Bhatta and Vedavati.<\/li>
- Third of the trinity of philosophers who influenced Indian thought after the ages of the Vedas and Puranas.<\/li>
- Born on Vijayadashami and named Vasudeva.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Philosophy and Contributions<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n- Propounded the philosophy of Dwaita or Dualism.<\/li>
- Initiated into sanyasttva by Achyutapreksha and given the name Purnaprajna.<\/li>
- Given the title \u2018Madhva\u2019 by Achyutapreksha.<\/li>
- Wrote commentaries on important Hindu texts, including the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutra.<\/li>
- Wrote texts on his philosophy, known as Tattvavada or Dvaita, including the Gita Bhashya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, Anu Bhashya, Karma Nirnaya, and Vishnu Tattva Nirnaya.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Dvaita Philosophy<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n- Refutes Mayavada of Sri Shankara and emphasizes that the world is real<\/li>
- The soul is bound to this world through ignorance<\/li>
- To release the soul from this bondage, one must seek the grace of Sri Hari<\/li>
- Bhakti is the only way to reach Sri Hari, and meditation is necessary to practice Bhakti<\/li>
- To meditate, one must clear the mind and attain detachment by studying sacred texts<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Vallabhacharya<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- He was also known as \u2018Achinitabhadra\u2019.<\/li>
- He was the first to promote Krishna Bhakti based on Maha Bhagavad Purana.<\/li>
- He founded the philosophy of Shuddha Advaita which believed in absolute union.<\/li>
- He prescribed Pushtimarga as the means of salvation (extreme devotion to God).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Basavanna<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- He was a 12th-century administrator, philosopher, poet, and Lingayat saint in the Shiva-focused Bhakti movement.<\/li>
- He raised social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas.<\/li>
- He introduced new public institutions such as the Anubhava Mantapa (or, the \u201chall of spiritual experience\u201d), which welcomed men and women from all socio-economic backgrounds to discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in the open.<\/li>
- He was a propagator of Visishtadvaita.<\/li>
- Basavanna’s literary works include the Vachana Sahitya in Kannada Language. He is also known as Bhaktibhandari, Basavanna, or Basaveswara.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Ramananda<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- A 14th Century Vaishnava Poet and Social Reformer.<\/li>
- Ramananda was a Vaishnava devotional poet and saint who lived in the 14th century.<\/li>
- He developed his philosophy and devotional themes, and evidence suggests that he was influenced by Nathpanthi ascetics of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy.<\/li>
- Ramananda was an early social reformer who accepted disciples without discrimination based on gender, class, caste, or religion. Among his disciples were Kabir, Ravidas, Bhagat Pipa, and others.<\/li>
- Ramananda’s verses are mentioned in the Sikh scripture Adi Granth.<\/li>
- Some of his works include Gyan-lila and Yog-Kintamani in Hindi, Vaishnava Mata Bhajabhaskara, and Ramarcana Paddhati in Sanskrit.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Kabir (1440-1510 AD)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- A 15th Century Mystic Poet and Saint.<\/li>
- Kabir was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint whose writings influenced the Bhakti movement in Hinduism, and his verses are found in Sikhism’s scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.<\/li>
- He was a disciple of Ramananda and mounted a spirited attack against the superficial religious practices followed by both Hindus and Muslims.<\/li>
- Kabir suggested that Truth is with the person who is on the path of righteousness, who considers all creatures on earth as his self, and who is passively detached from the affairs of the world.<\/li>
- He was the first to reconcile Hinduism and Islam, and he believed in a formless God.<\/li>
- Kabir’s legacy survives and continues through the Kabir panth (“Path of Kabir”), a religious community that recognizes him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members are known as Kabir panties.<\/li>
- Kabir wrote Sabad, Bijak, Doha, Holi, and Rekhtal, and he propagated Ram Bhakti.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Guru Nanak (1469-1538 AD)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- Guru Nanak was born in Talvandi near Lahore and his birth anniversary is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab by Sikhs worldwide.<\/li>
- In 1496, despite being married and having a family, Guru Nanak embarked on a spiritual journey that lasted almost 30 years, traveling through India, Tibet, and Arabia.<\/li>
- He spent the final years of his life at Kartarpur in the Punjab, where he attracted many disciples through his teachings.<\/li>
- Guru Nanak’s most famous teachings include the belief in one God, accessible to all humans without the need for rituals or priests. He also spoke out against the caste system, advocating for equality among all people, regardless of caste or gender.<\/li>
- He introduced the concept of God as ‘Vahiguru,’ an entity that is formless, timeless, omnipresent, and invisible. Other names for God in the Sikh faith include Akaal Purkh and Nirankar.<\/li>
- Guru Nanak composed 974 poetic hymns, which are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holiest book of the Sikhs.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Mirabai<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- She was the most popular Bhakthi reformer.<\/li>
- She was born in Rajasthan.<\/li>
- She became the wife of Rana Bhojraj, one of the royal families in Rajasthan.<\/li>
- She was the first to introduce the Giridhara Gopala cult of Brindavan and also the first to introduce Bhajan in the Bhakti movement.<\/li>
- Her bhajans were composed in the language of Vraj Bhasha.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Chaitanya Mahaprabhu<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- A Prominent Bhakti Reformer from Bengal<\/li>
- Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered the most popular Bhakti reformer from Bengal<\/li>
- He was born in Nabadwip, Bengal, and was also known as Gouranga and Vishwambar<\/li>
- Keshav Bharti was his guru<\/li>
- Chaitanya preached Vaishnavism in Bengal and Odisha, with Puri becoming the main center of his activities<\/li>
- He introduced Kirtans in the Bhakti movement and the form of Vaishnavism he preached came to be called “Gaudiya Vaishnavism” or “Bengal Vaishnavism.”<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Tulsidas<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- He lived during the reign of Akbar, the Mughal emperor.<\/li>
- He composed the epic \u2018Ramcharit Manas\u2019 in the Avadhi language.<\/li>
- He established the Sankatmochan Temple in Varanasi, dedicated to Lord Hanuman, at the site where he had a vision of the deity.<\/li>
- Tulsidas is credited with starting the tradition of Ramlila, a folk-theater adaptation of the Ramayana.<\/li>
- Among his other notable works are Dohavali, Sahitya Ratna or Ratna Ramayan, Gitavali, Krishna Gitavali or Krishnavali, and Vinaya Patrika.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Dadu Dayal<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n- He was born into the community of weavers at Ahmedabad.<\/li>
- He preached Nirgunabhakthi.<\/li>
- His teachings were compiled in the form of \u2018Dadu Dayaram ki Bani\u2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n