Class 7th: Ch 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine History
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Notes
The lesson explores how in medieval India different religious teachers and movements emphasised devotion (bhakti) and personal experience of the divine, rather than just ritual or caste-based religion.
It shows how these devotional paths crossed social boundaries of caste, gender and age.
It looks at Hindu Bhakti traditions (Alvars, Nayanars, Virashaivas, etc.), Sufi saints in Islam, and finally the emerging Sikh movement of Guru Nanak.
The lesson highlights that these paths emphasised inner experience, equality of all, and removal of ritualistic or caste barriers.
Key Streams / Traditions
1. Hindu devotional streams
The Alvars (south India) who sang in Tamil about Lord Vishnu; the Nayanars who sang about Shiva.
The Virashaiva or Lingayat tradition in Karnataka (e.g., Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi) emphasised direct relationship with Shiva, rejected caste, ritual.
The role of teachers such as Shankaracharya (advaita Vedanta) and Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita) in shaping ideas of divine and devotion.
The Bhakti centres: e.g., Pandharpur in Maharashtra became a major Bhakti centre.
Yogis, Nathpanthis and Siddhas: rejected formal ritual, emphasised meditation, body-mind training, oneness with the formless Ultimate Reality.
2. Sufi tradition in Islam
Sufis emphasised love for God, devotion, simplification of ritual, compassion towards all human beings.
They rejected purely formal practices and emphasised an inner spiritual path.
3. Emergence of Sikhism (Guru Nanak’s teachings)
Guru Nanak emphasised worship of one God, equality of all (irrespective of caste, creed, gender).
His key terms: nam (the Name of God or remembrance of God), dan (charity, helping others), isnan(cleanliness of conduct).
Liberation is not just personal bliss but active life of service and social commitment.
### Major ideas and practices
Devotion (bhakti): turning to God with love, not just ritual.
Equality: These traditions rejected caste discrimination, the idea that some people were closer to God because of birth.
Inner experience: The path is not just outward rituals but inner transformation, memory of God, meditation.
Critique of rituals/caste/privilege: Many teachers questioned the prevailing social order and religious practices.
Social dimension: Service, compassion, equality were part of the spiritual path.
### Why were these movements important?
They made spirituality accessible to ordinary people (not just priests or upper castes).
They contributed to cultural integration (mixing languages, regions, castes).
They challenged social hierarchy and exclusivity in religion.
They enriched Indian devotional literature: poems, songs, vernacular languages.
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## Text-Question Answers
Below are typical textbook questions and their answers.
1. Match the following
The Buddha → questioned social differences. [1])
Shankaradeva → namghar (Vaishnavite institution in Assam).
Nizamuddin Auliya → Sufi saint.
Nayanars → worship of Shiva.
Alvars → worship of Vishnu.
2. Fill in the blanks
(a) Shankara was an advocate of advaita
(b) Ramanuja was influenced by the Alvars
(c) Basavanna, Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi were advocates of Virashaivism. ([Study Rankers][1])
(d) Pandharpur was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.
3. Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis.
Answer:
They believed in using logic and reflection rather than blind ritual.
They criticised conventional religion and social orders (like caste, hierarchy).
They believed the path to salvation lay in meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality and realising oneness with it.
They trained body and mind: yoga‐asanas, breathing exercises, meditation.
4. What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?
Answer:
Kabir rejected both major religious traditions (Brahmanical Hinduism & orthodox Islam).
He ridiculed external rituals, idol worship, caste divisions.
He believed in a formless Supreme God.
He preached devotion (bhakti) as the path to salvation.
He expressed his ideas through simple Hindi-language poems (sakhis) and pads that ordinary people could understand.
5. What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?
Answer:
They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God.
They emphasised compassion towards fellow human beings.
They rejected idol worship and simplified rituals into collective prayer.
They believed in monotheism—submission to one God—and rejected complex codes of behaviour demanded by religious scholars.
6. Why do you think many teachers rejected the prevalent religious beliefs and practices?
Answer:
Because the existing systems created social differences and discriminated against lower castes.
Because the idea that all human beings are not equal was widespread and many teachers believed this must change.
They believed bondage to inequality, ritualism, and superficial religion blocked true spiritual freedom.
7. What were the major teachings of Guru Nanak?
Answer:
He emphasised worship of one God.
He insisted that caste, creed or gender were irrelevant for attaining liberation.
He said that liberation was not about inert bliss but active life with social commitment.
He used the terms nam(right worship/remembrance), dan (welfare of others/charity) and isnan*(purity of conduct).
He underlined the importance of right belief and worship, honest living, and helping others.
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