Devotional Paths to the divine part 1

Archana prays every morning and sings bhajans (songs of worship) in the temple. She also meditates on the name of her favourite god. What is such devotional worship, directed towards one supreme deity, known as?

• Shakti

• Bhakti

• Ramti

• Gamti

Many people believed that their social privileges came from their higher birth in a noble family or in a higher caste. But many people did not agree with such ideas. In fact, many religions came forward with the teaching that it was possible to overcome social differences and break the cycle of rebirth through personal efforts. Who spread these new ideas?

• Kabir and the Jains

• Buddha and Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti

• Buddha and the Jains

• Meera bai and Narsinh Mehta

The idea of Bhakti became so popular that even Buddhas and Jains (who spread the new idea that one can build good karma to become free from the cycle of birth and rebirth) adopted it. Which gods were worshipped as supreme deities by the people of the those times and made part of myths and legends?

• Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh

• Parvati, Laxmi, and Sarasvati

• Sita, Gita, and Gayatri

• Shiva, Vishnu, and Durga

In the 7th and 9th centuries, we saw the emergence of new religious movements led by the Nayanars and the Alvars. They came from all castes, including those labelled as 'untouchables', and they worshipped Shiva and Vishnu as a path to salvation. Which famous Tamil literature speaks of the love and heroism of these gods?

• the Sangam literature

• the Narayan literature

• the Tulsigrast Ramayan

• the Vishnu Puran

The Nayanars and the Alvars, groups of people who came from all castes including the 'untouchables', were sharply critical of the Buddhists and Jains. Instead, they followed the ideals of love and heroism as found in the Sangam literature. They travelled from place to place, composing exquisite poems in praise of their deities. Who were the Nayanars and Alvars?

• The Nayanars were saints devoted to Krishna, and the Alvars were saints devoted to Vishnu.

• The Nayanars were saints devoted to Shiva, and the Alvars were saints devoted to the Bhagvad Gita.

• The Nayanars were saints devoted to Buddha, and the Alvars were saints devoted to Mahavira.

• The Nayanars were saints devoted to Shiva, and the Alvars were saints devoted to Vishnu.

Shankara was one of the most revered Hindu philosophers of India, and he consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. He taught that the Brahman is the only ultimate reality, and that it is formless. He also taught that whatever we can see, feel, touch, etc., are all illusions. Where was Shankara born?

• present-day Punjab

• present-day Pakistan

• Kerala

• Gujarat

Ramanuja was a Hindu theologist and philosopher born in a Tamil Brahmin family in the village of Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. His doctrine greatly inspired the new tradition of bhakti which developed in north India. According to Ramanuja, which was the best way to attain salvation (permanent freedom and happiness)?

• intense devotion to Krishna

• intense devotion to Shiva

• intense devotion to Vishnu

• intense devotion to Rama

The word bhakti refers to intense religious devotion to one god, and the idea of bhakti was spread all across the Indian subcontinent between the 13th and the 17th centuries. Who were some of the famous saints-poets from Maharashtra whose songs in simple Marathi continue to inspire people even today?

• Mirabai, Kabir, Eknath, and Narsinh Mehta

• Janeshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram

• Janeshwar, Tarak Mehta, Eknath, and Guru Nanak

• Sankara, Ramanuja, Eknath, and Tukaram

Janeshwar, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram were famous saint-poets from Maharashtra. They rejected all forms of ritualism and social differences based on birth. Which famous Vishnu temple in Pandharpur did their religion of bhakti focus on?

• Vitthala

• Padmanabhaswamy

• Hare Rama - Hare Krishna

• ISKCON

The groups of Nathapanthis, Siddhacharas, and Yogis used simple logical arguments to criticise rituals, so these groups became popular with people belonging to the so-called 'lower castes'. They advocated the renunciation (formal rejection) of the world, and they believed in meditation as the path to salvation. Which practice did they follow to achieve control over their minds and bodies?

• fasting

• yogasana

• deep sleep

• bhakti