Bhakti movementThe Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during the 6th century CE, it gained prominence through the poems and teachings of the Vaishnava Alvars and Shaiva Nayanars in early medieval South India, before spreading northwards.
Marathi languageIndo-Aryan language of IndiaMarathi ( ; मराठी, 𑘦𑘨𑘰𑘙𑘲, Marāṭhī, pronounced) is a classicalIndo-Aryan language predominantly spoken by the Marathi people in the Indian state of Maharashtra, and is also spoken in Goa and the territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. A Marathi-speaking community also exists in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the official language of Maharashtra, and an additional official language in the state of Goa.
Marathi peopleThe Marathi people () or Marathis are an Indo-Aryanethnolinguistic group who are native to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India on 1 May 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states.
EknathEknath (IAST: Eka-nātha, Marathi pronunciation: ) (c. 1533 – 25 February 1600), pronunciation was an Indian HinduVaishnava saint, philosopher and poet. He was a devotee of Vitthal, a Hindu deity. He is a major figure of the Warkari tradition. He is often viewed as a spiritual successor to prominent Hindu Marathi saints Dnyaneshwar and Namdev. BiographyHistorical information about his life is obscure.
Bhagavad GitaThe Bhagavad Gita (; Sanskrit: भगवद्गीता, IPA: [ˌbʱɐɡɐʋɐd ˈɡiːtaː], romanized: bhagavad-gītā, lit. 'God's song'), often referred to as the Gita (IAST: Gītā), is a Hindu scripture, likely composed in the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the epic poem Mahabharata.
DnyaneshwarSant Dnyaneshwar (Marathi pronunciation: [d̪ɲaːn̪eʃʋəɾ]), (Devanagari : सन्त ज्ञानेश्वर), also referred to as Jñāneśvara, Jñānadeva, Dnyandev or Mauli or Dnyandev Vitthal Kulkarni (1275–1296 (living samadhi)), was a 13th-century Indian Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath and Varkari tradition. In his short life of 21 years, he authored Dnyaneshwari (a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita) and Amrutanubhav.
TukaramTukaram (Marathi pronunciation: ), also known as Tuka, Tukobaraya, and Tukoba, was a Hindu Marathi saint of the Varkari Sampradaya who lived in the 17th century. He was a devotee of the god Vithoba, a form of Vishnu. He is best known for his devotional poetry called abhanga, which is popular in Maharashtra. Many of his poems deal with social reform. BiographyEarly lifeTukaram was born in the modern-day Maharashtra state of India. His name at birth was Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile.
VithobaVithoba (IAST: Viṭhobā), also known as Vitthala (IAST: Viṭṭhala), and Panduranga (IAST: Pāṇḍuraṅga), is a Hindu deity predominantly worshipped in the Indian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is a form of the Hindu deity Vishnu in his avatar of Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing arms akimbo on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his consort Rakhumai.
NamdevNamdev (Pronunciation: ), also transliterated as Namdeo (traditionally, c. 26 October 1270 – c. 3 July 1350) was a MarathiVaishnavasaint from Narsi, Hingoli, Maharashtra, Medieval India within the Varkari tradition of Hinduism. He was a devotee of the deity Vithoba of Pandharpur. The details of Namdev's life are unclear. He is the subject of many miracle-filled hagiographies composed centuries after he died.
Advaita VedantaHindu tradition of textual interpretation
MuktabaiMuktabaiVitthalpant Kulkarni was a saint in the Varkari Movement. She was born in a Marathi family and was the younger sister of Dnyaneshwar, the first Varkari saint. She wrote forty-one abhangs throughout her life. Early lifeMuktabai's father's name was Vitthalpant Kulkarni, and her mother was Rukminibai Kulkarni. According to Nath tradition, Muktabai was the youngest of the four children born to Vitthalpant Kulkarni and his wife Rukmanibai.
Guru Granth SahibThe Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, pronounced [ɡʊɾuː ɡɾənt̪ʰᵊ säː(ɦ)(ɪ)bᵊ(˦)]) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign, and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (Punjabi: ਆਦਿ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ), its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.