Vaishnava Bhakts

During medieval period, the entire India was swept by Bhakti movement of Vaishnava tradition. This movement represented spiritual empowerment of the masses. The corresponding spiritual movement of the masses first happened in South India in the seventh century, and spread in various parts of India (UP, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa, Delhi etc.) in the 14th-17th centuries.
Bhakti poets such as Alwars, Raidas, Narsigh Mehta, Haidas, Meera Bai, Namdev, Ramananda, Surdas, Tulsidas, Eknath, Tyagaraja, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and many others influenced the expansion of Vaishnavism. They wrote a large number of Bhajans (poetries) in the glory of Parmatama and taught the religion of love and kindness to society.

Bhakts (devotees) borne in different parts of nation during this period gave message of:

• Enlightenment and liberation from re-birth are fulfilled by Bhakti of of Vishnu or his avatars viz. Krishna, Rama.
• Parmatama can be realised bhakti which can be done by total surrender to him.

The details of such bhakts are as under:

The Alwars (6th to 9th Century), Tamil Nadu:

1. 1. Alwars in Tamil is ‘Azhwar’ means immersed in Parmatama love. Alwars are collective name of tamil vaishnavs tradition. They are known for Vatsakayabhav,  Madhurbhav Bhakti.
   2. Parmatama is omniscient and beyond comprehension of mind and senses. He can be realised only through consciousness. Bhakti fulfilled through surrender.
   3. The Alwars prescribe conquering the senses, not by starving them, but by changing their direction towards Paramatma. The senses and the mind rather than being uprooted, are nurtured towards Parmatama. Therefore, instead of being obstacles, they become instruments of spiritual progress.
   4. They wrote poems called Narlayira Divya Prabandhan – The divine four thousand. All their poems are chanted once in a year during the Adhyayan festival in vashnav temples of south. 

 

Namdev ((1270 – 1350 AD) born in the state of Maharashtra village of Naras-Vamani, in Satara district (presently called Narsi Namdev), Maharashtra.

1. 1. He emphasized importance of living as householder and he can attain enlightenment.
   2. Namdev wrote around 700 bhakti poems which are known for abhangs. The Adi Granth of Sikhism includes a compilation of 61 songs of Namdev.
   3. Namdev is considered one the five revered gurus in the Dadupanth tradition within Hinduism, the other four being , Dadu, Kabir, Ravidas and Hardas.

 
Jnaneshwar son of Vitthalpant, (1385-1407AD), born in Alindi, Pune, Maharashtra:

1. He firmly believed that Parmatama’s grace comes by meditation on the Guru.
2. The central theme of Gita is the Karma yog which has for its goal realisation of Parmatama and cessation of the pain of rebirth.
3. He started Varkari Sampradaya. His followers fast on Ashadh sud Ekadashi and Kartik sud Ekadashi and go to Pandharpur to have darshan of vithob and sing bhajans.
4. He wrote Bhavarthdipika Tika or Jnaneshwar Tika, Amrutanubhav, Haripath ke Abhang and Changdeva Parisathi.   

 
Raidas son of cobbler (1399-1519 AD) born in Mandur, Kashi, UP: He worshipped chturbhuj murti and is known for Raidasi.

1. According to Saint Raidas, the retirement of ego is essential for loving devotion. Devotion and ego are not possible together. As long as the seeker does not offer his services in the footsteps of his accomplishment, he cannot achieve the goal of the goal.
2. Radass has used simple, practical language in his poetic compositions, in which there is a mixture of words of Awadhi, Rajasthani, Khari biri and Urdu-Persian.

   
Ramanand (1400—1470), born in Allahabad and settled in Varanasi, UP.
a.   He founded Ramanandi Sampraday.
b.   According to Ramananda, Lord Rama was the supreme spirit and humanity was one big family. 
c.   He fought against the evils of caste system and advocated devotion to reach God.
 

1. Narisnh Mehta (Nagar Brahmin, 1414-1480 AD), born in Taloja, Junagadh, Gujarat:
2. Narsi Mehta was a contemporary of Mira Bai. He had Sakhya Bhav. He had direct darshan of Sri Krishna.
3. His bhajan “Vaishnav Jan To” was favourite of Mahatma Gandhi.
4. He composed a poem 'Hari Mala'.He wrote Suratsangram, Krishna Janma Vadhai, Ras-sahasra, Saburi Chhatrisi, Chaturi Shodashi, Bal lila, dan lila, Ras lila, Sudama charit and Nrusinhvilas and around 740 Bhajans. 

 
Surdas (blind) son of Ramdas (saraswat Brahmin, 1479-1582 AD), born in Delhi:

1. Surdas met saint Vallabharacharya who taught Surdas lessons in Hindu philosophy and meditation and put him on the path of spirituality. He advised him to sing the devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna and Radha.
2. He composed about one lac padas, collated in Sursagar. Sursaravali, Sur pachhisi and sahitya lahari.

 
Tulsidas son of Atmaram dube (1478-1624 AD), born in Kashi, UP:

1. Tulsidas was a realized soul and saint, poet, often called reformer and philosopher from Ramanandi Sampradaya, in the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya.
2. He is known for his devotion to the Lord Shri Rama.
3. Tulsidas wrote several popular works in Sanskrit and Awadhi; he is best known as the author of the epic Ram charitra manas.
4. His works include Ram charitra manas, Parvati Mangal, Janki Mangal, Vinaypatrika, Vairagya Samdipani, Shri Krishna Gitavali, Shatasai Dohavali and Rama Salaka.

 
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534), born in Mayapur, Bangladesh.

1. He founded Gaudiya Vaishnism.
2. He discovered important places of Krishna’s pastimes in and around Vrindavan including the seven main temples.
3. His influence in Bengal and Orissa was immense.
4. He is revered as Krishna, popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra.

 
Vitthalnath Son of Vallabhacharya (1516 AD) Birth - born in Chunar, Kashi, UP stayed in Gokul & Mathura; Gujarat:

1. He introduced dual puja-upasana of Radha with Shri Krishna.
2. He infused Shri Krishna's worship with music, wonderful food offerings, ornamentation and various arts.
3. He composed a number of bhajans and stortras. He introduced dual puja-upasana of Radha with Shri Krishna. He is known for Vaishnism.

 
Haridas (1569-1649 AD); born in Aligarh, stayed in Vrindavan,

1. He is known for devotional music called dhrupada.
2. He sang his songs of the love of Radha-Krishna.
3. He composed a total of 128 poems of which 18 are philosophical known as “siddhant  Padas and 110 are devotional, known as keli mala. He also founded the Haridas Sampradaya.

 
Eknath (1534-1600 AD), born in Paithan near Aurangabad, Maharashtra:

1. He was a saint of the Varakari Sampradaya founded by Dnanadeva.
2. Eknath was initiated by his guru, Janardana, a devotee of Dattatreya.
3. Eknath was unique since he combined a blend of Vedanta and Sufism. Eknath was a devout gurubhakta and wrote under the name of Eka-janardana meaning eka of janardana.
4. His works include Bhagvat Rahasaya, Eknath Bhagavatam, Bhavarth Ramayan, Nath Bhagvat, Rukmini Svayamvar and many bhajans.

 
Mirabai daughter of Ratnasinh Rajput (Born between 1499 to 1504 AD), born in Medata, Rajasthan in Rajput royal family, stayed also in Dwarka:

1. She was devotee of Sri Krishna.
2. She wrote Krishna’s 360 Bhajans, out of which 150 in Gujarati.

 
Samarth Ramdas (1608-1681 AD ), born in Jamb, Maharashtra:

1. He is most remembered for his Advaita Vedantist text, the Dasbodh.
2. Ramdas was a devotee of Hanuman and Rama. He established temples of Hanuman in towns and villages and preached the message of exercising regularly for strength. Out of hundreds of these Hanuman temples 11 are specially mentioned by him as 11 Maruti.
3. He is known for Ramdasi Sampradaya & Samarth Sampradaya.
4. He established his centre in village known as Chafal.
5. His works include a devotional verse of 205 lines known as Manache Shlok. Karunashk strtra.

 
Tukaram son of Kanobi (lower varna) (1609-1649 AD), born in Dehu Pune, Maharashtra:

1. He is known for his Abhanga devotional poetry and community-oriented worship with spiritual songs known as kirtans.
2. His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.
3. He wrote 4000 bhajans.

 
Gauribai (1759-1809 AD), born in Dungarpur, on border of Gujarat & Rajasthan: 
She wrote over thousands bhajans, majority in Gujarati. 

Thyagraj son of Rama Brahmam (1767-1847 AD), born in Tiruvalur, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu:

1. 1. He was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music.
   2. He wrote hundreds of bhajans.
   
   
   3. Jayadeva (12th Century) in Orissa or Bengal, a Sanskrit Poet:
      1. He wrote epic bhajan called Gita Govinda to praise the devine love of Radha Krishna.
      2. His works form the basis of the east Indian classical dance form, Odissi and have strongly influenced the Bharatnatyam classical dance as well as Carnatic music.
      3. He also institutionalised the Devdasi system in Oriya temples. Devadasis were women dancers specially dedicated to the temple deity, and as a result of the great poet's works, Oriya temples began to incorporate a separate Natamandira, or dance hall, within their precincts for Odissi performances.

 
Kabir (14th -15th Century) born in Varanasi, UP and brought by muslim weavers, disciple of Saint Ramananda:

1. 1. He wrote couplets (Dohe) in Avadhi, Braj & Bhojpuri,
   2. He was critical to many religious practices in Hinduism and Islam.
   3. His works include Kabir Bijak, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi Granth, Adi Granth (Sikh) and Kabir Granthawali (Rajasthan).

 
References:

1. Rishis, Mystics & Heros of India volume 1 by Sadhu Mukundcharandas, Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Shahibaugh Road, Amdavad - 4, India
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/