Kabir, Nanak and Sri Chaitanya were the torch bearers of the Bhakti movement and their ideals form the kernel of the movement. Selfless love and devotion was the cornerstone of the preaching’s of these saints. Primarily, the Bhakti saints were great proponents of monotheism. For them Ram and Rahim, Allah and Govinda – all were the same. They were all manifestations in different names of one Supreme Being.
Second, God was self-creative and all powerful and it was through his direction that the universe generated, sustained and destroyed.
Third, Godhood can be attained through love and devotion and could be worshipped too with only love and devotion.
Fourth, self-purification was another basic tenet of the Bhakti movement with self-purification the path is cleared for the worship of God.
Fifth, the Bhakti movement laid great emphasis on unity amongst all people and this was preached by all the religious saints.
Sixth, love for mankind was basic to the movement.
Seventh, fellow- feeling and fraternity were strongly espoused by the movement.
Eight, the movement vehemently opposed to caste system and the differences that existed between castes.
Finally, Bhakti movement made an intense effort to remove the differences between Hindus and Muslims.
Factors for the Popularity of the Bhakti Movement:
The Bhakti movement became extremely popular in India. During the medieval period this movement assumed considerable significance. The movement brought about a revolutionary change in the sphere of religion. Hence within a very short span of time, the Bhakti movement became very popular. First, the complexities and complications involved in the method of worship in Hinduism were not easily intelligible to the people. The Bhakti movement paved the way for simple and easy means to worship God. People in general realized this and were attracted to become a part of this movement.
Second, the Bhakti movement was propagated through simple ‘Dohas’, ‘Bhajans’ and ‘Kirtans’, which were easily understood and appreciated by the people. Hence people from almost all parts of India identified themselves with the Bhakti movement.
Third, the most important aspect of the movement was the magnetic personalities of Kabir, Nanak and Sri Chaitanya. Their austerity and simplicity touched the hearts of all. Moreover, their soothing words and benevolent teachings made each of them a centre of attraction.
Fourth, the Bhakti saints preached in regional languages-the language of the people. As a result, the people of a particular region understood the ideals of the saints and were drawn towards them.
Fifth, the idea that Godhood could be attained through love and devotion only came as a big relief to the people who seemed to be confused with the rituals and complexities of religion. Hence, people gave up all outward ceremonies and made effort towards attainment of godhead through the path of Bhakti.
Finally, the Bhakti saints raised their voice against the caste system and people were influenced by it. Since the Bhakti movement was far from the absurdities of the caste system, people in general had a natural inclination towards the movement and helped the movement in assuming a popular flavor.
Results of the Bhakti Movement:
The Bhakti movement was a major religious development in the history of Medieval India. Its results deeply influenced the contemporary religious and cultural trends in India. The movement gave a new dimension to ancient beliefs and values and it initiated great changes in the prevailing social condition.
As a result of this movement, the differences that prevailed in society between castes and communities were removed. The fact that there was no difference between man and man or between Hindus, Muslim, Buddhists and Jains, as preached by the Bhakti Saints, created a new consciousness among people. They now tended to ignore communal and cattiest feelings and sought to be tied in a common bond of friendship. It helped in widening the scope of Indian culture.
New Method of Worship:
Kabir, Nanak and Sri Chaitanya preached the attainment of Godhood through love and devotion. This inspired people to worship their personal Gods through Kirtans and Bhajans. Moreover, this form of worship was very simple and involved no expenditure. People started worshipping their personal Gods themselves without making Brahmins their mediums.
This movement helped in restoring the spirit of unity in India. Kabir and Nanak preached that all were equal and that all people in India belonged to one race and one country. As a result, all Indians tried to give up their mutual jealousies and rivalries and were engrossed with a deep sense of love for their motherland.
The Growth of Regional Literature:
The Bhakti movement also helped in the growth and development of regional literature. The saints of this movement by and large preached in the language of the people. While Kabir preached in Hindi, Nanak preached in Punjabi and Sri Chaitanya in Bengali. Similarly, the preachers of later times too preached in their own regional language in a very simple way. All their teachings were written down in regional languages. In due course, the writings enriched the literature of different regions of India. Furthermore, both Hindus and Muslims became deeply attracted towards each others literary qualities.
Under the inspiration of Sultan Hussain Shah of Bengal, learned Muslim of the time translated the Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita into Bengali. Equally significant was the .synthesis of Hindi and Persian which resulted in the birth of a rich language – Urdu. Influenced by this movement, subsequently, Goswami Tulsidas wrote the Ram Charit Manas.
Friendly relation between Hindus and Muslims:
The Bhakti movement led to the establishment of friendly relations between Hindus and Muslims. Both the communities tried lo make an introspection of their respective religions. While Hindus tried to imbibe certain religious practices of the Muslims, the Muslims inculcated certain practices of the Hindus. Hindus started worshipping the ‘Pirs’ of the Muslims and treated the Muslim ‘fakirs’ with respect.
The Muslims too started worshipping “Narayana’ and offered charities to Hindu hermits and medicants. This cultural assimilation led to the growth of the ‘Satya Pir’ worship cult. During the time of Sultan Hussain Shah of Bengal, the Satya Pir cult became extremely popular.
In this manner, the Bhakti Movement of the medieval period brought about a great change in the social and cultural trends in India. It achieved considerable success in bringing about a spirit of unity among Hindus and Muslims. The movement made a great effort in liberating religion from the clutches of evil practices and meaningless ceremonies. Undoubtedly, the Bhakti Movement set up a new milestone in the history of India.