Brahmanism 1

Annexure to Bhakti Slides

Prelims 2022
Kaptaan Jack Sparrow

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 Saiva Cult
Kapalikas and Kalamukhas:
Pasupatas
a. Extreme Tantric cults 10-13th century = KN 3
b. Probably offshoots of Pasupatas.
a. Earliest known Saiva c. By 14th they died bcoz Rise of Lingayats and may
Cult. be merged with Aghoris and Kanphatas.
b. Founded by Lakulisa. d. Teachings were similar, Yoga was mandatory.
e. Both took Great vow (Mahavrat)
c. Began Orissa and W India
Kapalikas:
from 7th to 11th century. -> Adherents of Mahakala, Kapalabhrit and Bhairava
d. Pasu (individual soul) (i.e. terrifying aspects of Siva)
eternally existing with -> Flouted social conventions = Ate meat, drank
Pati(supreme soul). intoxicants, sexual rituals = achieving cosubstantiality
with Siva.
e. End of misery by yoga
-> Magical practices attaining siddhis.
and vidhi, where Vidhi = Kalamukhas:
various senseless & -> Drank from cups fashioned from human skull.
unsocial acts -> Smeared their bodies with ashes of cremated
AnC By Kaptaan Jack Sparrow corpses. 2/27/2022
Pancharatras:
• By Sandilya (100 AD). 4
• Stressed the need of total devotion.
• Cosmological basis was given to Krishna.
• Vishnu as supreme Brahman.
• Lost glory when concept of Vishnu’s incarnation was hit during Gupta’s
reign.

Vaikhanasas:
• By Vikhanas.
• Initially part of Taittiriya school of Yajur ved later on emerged as orthodox
Vishnu cult.
• Five-fold conception of Vishnu as brahman => five fold rituals.
• Image worship imp movement.

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Mahanubhava Sect: 5

• A new religious thought ememrged in Seuna country (1200s).

• These were worshippers of Lord Krishna.
• Traditionally, god Dattatreya is believed to be the founder of this
faith but Chakradhara after attaining self realization gave it more
institutional form in 1273.
• Further rise of this sect gave impetus to Marathi language too as
its founder Chakradhara insisted that Marathi be used as language
rather Sanskrit.

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Sant Ravidas (1450-1520) 6

• He was contemporary of Delhi Sultanate. Babur took over in 1527.

• Argued for removal of social divisions of caste and gender, and
promoted unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedom.
• Ravidas's devotional verses were included in the Sikh scriptures
known as Guru Granth Sahib.
• The Panch Vani text of the Dadu Panthi tradition within Hinduism
also includes numerous poems of Ravidas.
• His ideas of god evolved from Saguna to Nirguna, later some of
these ideas formed foundation of Nath Yoga.
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• His poetry and works. He frequently mentions the term Sahaj, a mystical state 7
where there is a union of the truths of the many and the one.
• Begumpura (Be-gam-pura, or "land without sorrow"), a term coined in a poem by
Ravidas. The term means the city where there is no suffering or fear, and all are
equal.

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Bhaktamal 8

• A poem in the Braj language that gives short biographies of more

than 200 bhaktas.
• It was written by Nabha Dass, a saint belonging to the tradition of
Ramananda.
• Though considered a hagiography by some, the work recounts no
miraculous events, and is widely believed to be an unbiased
account of bhaktas across all sectarian paths.

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