Point out the correct pair/s given below-
(A) Nayanars - Shiva
(B) Nirguna - With Attributes
(C) Alvars - Vishnu
(D) Andal - A Woman Alvar
(E) Karaikkal - A Devotee Of Shiva
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (C), (D), (E) Only
(A) Nayanars - Shiva Correct. The Nayanars were leaders who were devotees of Shiva.
(B) Nirguna - With Attributes Incorrect. Nirguna means without attributes; nirguna bhakti was worship of an abstract form of god. ‘With attributes’ is saguna, the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars, and forms of the goddess.
(C) Alvars - Vishnu Correct. The Alvars were those “immersed” in devotion to Vishnu.
(D) Andal - A Woman Alvar Correct. Andal was a woman Alvar whose compositions were widely sung; she saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu.
(E) Karaikkal - A Devotee Of Shiva Correct. Karaikkal Ammaiyar, another woman devotee, was a devotee of Shiva.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakti … 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). They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods.… 2.3 Women devotees … Perhaps one of the most striking features of these traditions was the presence of women. For instance, the compositions of Andal, a woman Alvar, were widely sung (and continue to be sung to date). Andal saw herself as the beloved of Vishnu; her verses express her love for the deity. Another woman, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, a devotee of Shiva…” |