Read the passage and answer the questions:
Early Traditions of Bhakti
In course of evolution of these forms of worship, poet-saints emerged as leaders around whom there developed community of devotees in many instances. Further, while Brahmanas remained important intermediaries between gods and devotees in several forms of bhakti, these traditions also accommodated and acknowledged women and “lower castes,” categories considered ineligible for liberation within orthodox Brahmanical framework. What also characterized traditions of bhakti, was remarkable diversity. At 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 worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, and his avatars and forms of goddess or Devi, all often conceptualized in anthropomorphic forms. Nirguna bhakti, on other hand, was worship of an abstract form of god. Some of earliest bhakti movements (c. sixth century) were led by Alvars (literally, those who are “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu) and Nayanars (literally, leaders who were devotees of Shiva). They travelled from place to place singing hymns in praise of their gods.
The Alvars and Nayanars recited/sang hymns in which language?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Tamil
Some of the earliest bhakti movements, from about the sixth century, were led by the Alvars, devotees of Vishnu, and the Nayanars, devotees of Shiva, in Tamil Nadu. They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods. The compositions of the Alvars were later called the Tamil Veda.
NCERT (2025-26): “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). They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods.… During their travels the Alvars and Nayanars identified certain shrines as abodes of their chosen deities. Very often large temples were later built at these sacred places. These developed as centres of pilgrimage. Singing compositions of these poet-saints became part of temple rituals in these shrines, as did worship of the saints’ images.…” |