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 ‘incarnation’ concept is associated with which specific deity?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Vishnu
The passage says that the saguna traditions worshipped specific deities such as Vishnu and his avatars. An avatar is an incarnation: a form that the deity was believed to take in order to save the world whenever evil threatened it. In Vaishnavism, cults grew around the various avatars of Vishnu, and ten avatars were recognised.
NCERT (2025-26): “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.… 10.2 The growth of Puranic Hinduism … In such worship the bond between the devotee and the god was visualised as one of love and devotion, or bhakti. In the case of Vaishnavism, cults developed around the various avatars or incarnations of the deity. Ten avatars were recognised within the tradition. These were forms that the deity was believed to have assumed in order to save the world whenever it was threatened by disorder and destruction because of the dominance of evil forces.…” |