Match List I with List II:
| LIST I | LIST II | ||
| A. | Saguna | I. | Those who worship Vishnu |
| B. | Alvars | II. | Worship with attributes |
| C. | Nirguna | III. | Those who worship Shiva |
| D. | Nayanars | IV. | Worship without attributes |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
(A) Saguna — this matches (II) Worship with attributes. Saguna means with attributes; these traditions focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars, and forms of the goddess, often in human-like forms.
(B) Alvars — this matches (I) Those who worship Vishnu. The word Alvars literally means those who are “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu.
(C) Nirguna — this matches (IV) Worship without attributes. Nirguna means without attributes; nirguna bhakti was the worship of an abstract form of god.
(D) Nayanars — this matches (III) Those who worship Shiva. The word Nayanars literally means leaders who were devotees of Shiva.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. Poems of Prayer … At a different level, historians of religion often classify bhakti traditions into two broad categories: saguna (with attributes) and nirguna (without attributes). The former included traditions that focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations) and forms of the goddess or Devi, all often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an abstract form of god.… 2.1 The Alvars and Nayanars of Tamil Nadu … Some of the earliest bhakti movements (c. sixth century) were led by the Alvars (literally, those who are ‘immersed’ in devotion to Vishnu) and Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of Shiva).…” |