Bhakti Movement and Literature: Re-forming a Tradition

Book Details

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Author: M. Rajagopalachary

• Language: English

• Edition: 01-07-2016

• ISBN: 9788131608128

• Pages: 240

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.5 x 1.6 inches

About the Book

The Bhakti movement stands as a vibrant counterculture that redefined the contours of religious and social life in India. Providing a concrete shape to the abstract teachings of Sanskrit scriptures, it created a movement that transcended caste, class, community, and gender. Bhakti's primal instinct for unbridled attachment, total surrender, and a deep craving for freedom forms the bedrock of its tradition. The movement, while serving as a reformative force, subverted the existing dynamics of worship and challenged social hierarchies, making way for a new, inclusive spiritual awakening.

Marked by spontaneity and ecstatic expression, Bhakti literature blossomed with poets from various castes, regions, and religions, creating an extensive body of work from the 8th century AD onward. The literature produced during this time—spanning metrical compositions, poems, songs, vachanas, bhajans, keertanas, and padams—remains unique in its approach. It showcases the dialogue between poets and God, portraying God not only as a divine figure but as a lover, companion, benefactor, and guide, reflecting the human-like connection the devotees sought.

This volume of twenty-seven articles traces the history and growth of the Bhakti movement and its literature, focusing on the contributions of poet-saints like Andal, Kanakadasa, Mirabai, Kabir, Vemana, Pothana, Annamayya, and others. Each article brings out a rich tapestry of religious, philosophical, and literary insights that offer a deep understanding of Bhakti and its lasting impact on Indian culture.

Contents Include:

• Introduction by M. Rajagopalachary and K. Damodar Rao

• 1: Bhakti: Precept and Practice / Ch. Subba Rao

• 2: Bhakti in Life and Literature / S. Laxmana Murthy

• 3: ‘Sandhya Bhasha’: The Language of Bhakti Poetry / P. Mallikarjuna Rao

• 4: Bhakti Movement: Vitality of Vaishnavism and Vishishtadvaita / N. Ramesh Chandra Srikanth

• 5: Veerashaiva Bhakti Movement and Social Reform / Avula Meenakshi

• 6: Women Poet-Saints of the Bhakti Movement / P. Shailaja

• 7: The Gita and Human Life / T. Viswanadha Rao

• 8: Devi Bhakti in Indian Tradition: Contextualising the Translation of Bhoomaiah’s Brilliance-jewelled Swan / K. Damodar Rao

• 9: Bhakti Literature and Nationalism: A Select Study of Poonthanam and Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri / S. Rukmini

• 10: Metamorphosis of Militia Man into an Ardent Meditator: The Life of Kanakadasa / A.V. Suresh Kumar

• 11: Bridal Mysticism in Andal’s Poetry / G. Mohana Charyulu

• 12: Mirabai: Devotee of a Noble Order / B.V. Ramana

• 13: Interweaving Divinity through Altruistic Vision: A Study of Kabir’s Poetry / N. Anil Krishna

• 14: Sant Kabir and Yogi Vemana: A Comparative Study of their Philosophy / Gannu Nataraja Shekhar

• 15: Quest for Salvation in Pothana Mahabhagavatham / K. Rajamouly

• 16: Light from Heaven: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Krishna Consciousness / Baishali Mitra and B. Gopal Rao

• 17: Annamacharya: Exponent of Pada Kavita in Telugu Bhakti Literature / Palakurthy Dinakar

• 18: Bhakti and its Manifestations in Annamayya / Thummuri Sharath Babu

• 19: Sant Jnaneshvar: A Pioneer of Reformist Bhakti Cult / T. Shyama Krishna

• 20: Bhakti and Religious Pluralism in S. Radhakrishnan’s Works / G. Damodar

• 21: Sri Aurobindo’s Vision of Renaissance in India / M. Rajagopalachary

• 22: Savitri: A Spiritual Quest / G. Damodar and B. Geetha Devi

• 23: Tagore: Humanity and Divinity / B. Krishna Chandra Keerthi

• 24: Raja Rao: A Note on the Philosophy / S. Laxmana Murthy

• 25: Bhakti Literature and Recent Indian Fiction: Politics and Poetics of Protest / Rajeshwar Mittapalli

• 26: Cinema and Social Consciousness: Elements of Bhakti in Bollywood Music / Sumita Roy

• 27: Sufism in India / Shahida

About the Author/Editor

• M. Rajagopalachary is an Emeritus Fellow at the Department of English, Kakatiya University, Warangal. A recipient of the State Award for Excellence in teaching, he is a prolific author with expertise in Literary Criticism, Translation, and Indian and American Fiction. His recent works include contributions to Postcolonial Indian English Fiction: Decentering the Nation and Multiculturalism in Indian Tradition and Literature.

• K. Damodar Rao is the Head of the Department of English at Kakatiya University. He is well-known for his critical work on The Novels of Aye Kwei Armah and has translated extensively from Telugu into English, winning the Sahitya Akademi prize for his translations. He is also the Editor of Kakatiya Journal of English Studies.