Choose the correct statements regarding “Bhakti” traditions:
A. Saguna bhakti tradition was with attributes.
B. Alvars meant those who are immersed in devotion to Vishnu.
C. Nayanars meant leaders who were devotees of Devi.
D. Nirguna bhakti tradition was without attributes.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B and D only
Historians of religion divide the bhakti traditions into two broad groups. Saguna bhakti is the worship of a god with attributes, that is, a god with a particular form. Nirguna bhakti is the worship of god without attributes, an abstract form of god.
A. Saguna bhakti tradition was with attributes. Correct. Saguna traditions worshipped particular deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars, and forms of the goddess or Devi. These deities were usually imagined in human form.
B. Alvars meant those who are immersed in devotion to Vishnu. Correct. The Alvars led some of the earliest bhakti movements in Tamil Nadu, from about the sixth century. They travelled from place to place singing Tamil hymns in praise of Vishnu.
C. Nayanars meant leaders who were devotees of Devi. Incorrect. The Nayanars were leaders who were devotees of Shiva, not of Devi. Like the Alvars, they were Tamil saints who sang hymns in praise of their god. NTA changed only one word, Shiva to Devi, and a true line became false. Read every word before you mark the answer.
D. Nirguna bhakti tradition was without attributes. Correct. Nirguna bhakti was the worship of an abstract form of god, with no fixed shape or image.
NCERT (2025-26): “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). They travelled from place to place singing hymns in Tamil in praise of their gods.…” |