CDS History · Medieval India
The Bhakti Movement: Saints and Their Songs
The Tamil Alvars and Nayanars, Basavanna and the Virashaivas, the saints of Maharashtra, north India, Punjab and Assam, and the devotional poems of Bengal and Braj.
Why this matters
Sixteen CDS questions. The Alvars and Nayanars alone account for five, and Basavanna's Virashaivas for three, the newest in 2026 (I). Half the page is only MODERATE, so the god each group worshipped and the book each saint left are quick marks.
Concept 1 of 4: Alvars and Nayanars
Bhakti began in the Tamil country between the 6th and 9th centuries. Two groups of saint-poets sang in Tamil and travelled from temple to temple: one for Vishnu, one for Shiva. Fix which group belongs to which god and most questions are done.
Definition
- The Alvars (12 saints) were devoted to Vishnu. Their hymns were compiled in the 10th century as the Nalayira Divya Prabandham, called the Tamil Veda. Andal was a woman Alvar.
- The Nayanars (63 saints) were devoted to Shiva. Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar were Nayanars; their hymns are in the Tevaram. The women Nayanars include Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Mangayarkkarasiyar and Isaignaniyar.
- Saguna bhakti worships God with attributes (a form such as Rama or Krishna); nirguna bhakti worships God without attributes.
| Group | God | Saints named in CDS | Hymn collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvars (12) | Vishnu | Andal, the woman Alvar | Nalayira Divya Prabandham, compiled in the 10th centuryQ CDS 2018 (I): the Nalayira Divya Prabandham is the work of the Alvars. |
| Nayanars (63) | Shiva | Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar; women: Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Mangayarkkarasiyar, Isaignaniyar | TevaramQ Alvars or Nayanars were asked five times, from CDS 2018 (I) to 2023 (II). |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q52Hard
Example 1 · Medieval India · The Bhakti Movement
Who among the following is not a woman Nayanar saint ?
Vishnu for Alvars, Shiva for Nayanars, Shakti for neither
The Alvars worshipped Vishnu and the Nayanars worshipped Shiva. A pairing of the Alvars with Shakti is the false one.
Andal is an Alvar
In a list of women saints, Andal is the odd one out of the Nayanars because she was an Alvar, a devotee of Vishnu.
Concept 2 of 4: Basavanna and the Virashaivas
In 12th century Karnataka a minister named Basavanna started a Shiva movement that rejected caste and temple ritual. His followers carry a small linga on their body, which gives them their other name, Lingayats.
Definition
- Basavanna (1106 to 1168) was a minister at the court of a Kalachuri ruler. He founded the Virashaiva movement in Karnataka; his followers are the Virashaivas or Lingayats.
- They worship Shiva as the linga, reject caste and Brahmanical ritual, and wrote short poems called vachanas in Kannada.
- Tradition traces Virashaivism to five teachers: Renuka, Daruka, Ghantakarna, Dhenukarna and Vishvakarna.
- Its philosophy is called Shaktivishishtadvaita, and the Ashtavarana are its eight observances (guru, linga, jangama, padodaka, prasada, vibhuti, rudraksha, mantra).
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founder | Basavanna, a minister at the Kalachuri court, 12th centuryQ Asked three times: CDS 2022 (I), 2024 (I) and 2026 (I). |
| Followers | Virashaivas, also called Lingayats |
| Writings | Vachanas in Kannada |
| Doctrine | Five founding teachers; Shaktivishishtadvaita; the eight AshtavaranaQ CDS 2024 (I): all three statements were correct. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (I) 2022 — General Knowledge · Q52Moderate
Example 2 · Medieval India · The Bhakti Movement
Who among the following was the founder of the Virashaiva Movement in Karnataka ?
Basavanna was not a Nayanar
Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar are Tamil Nayanars. The founder of the Virashaiva movement in Karnataka is Basavanna.
Concept 3 of 4: Saints of Maharashtra, the north, Punjab and Assam
From the 13th century bhakti spread north and east. Each saint is asked with one fact: where he taught, whom he followed, and what his followers did with his songs.
Definition
- Namdev (13th to 14th century) of Maharashtra, a devotee of Vitthal, carried bhakti north as far as Punjab. He was a strict monotheist who opposed caste. He lived well before Kabir.
- Kabir (15th century), of Varanasi: his verses are kept in three traditions, the Bijak (Kabirpanth, Varanasi), the Kabir Granthavali (Dadupanth, Rajasthan) and the Adi Granth Sahib.
- Guru Nanak (1469 to 1539) organised his followers into a community and set the rules for congregational worship (sangat) with collective recitation. Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth in 1604.
- Shankaradeva (late 15th century) of Assam: his teaching is the Bhagavati dharma (based on the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana). He set up satras (monasteries) and namghars (prayer halls); his major work is the Kirtana-ghosha.
| Saint | Region and time | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Namdev | Maharashtra, 13th to 14th century | Took bhakti to the north; opposed caste; earlier than KabirQ |
| Kabir | Varanasi, 15th century | Verses in the Bijak, the Kabir Granthavali and the Adi GranthQ CDS 2018 (I): all three compilations hold his verses. |
| Shankaradeva | Assam, late 15th century | Bhagavati dharma; satras and namghars; Kirtana-ghoshaQ |
| Guru Nanak | Punjab, 1469 to 1539 | Rules for the sangat, congregational worshipQ CDS 2021 (II): Guru Nanak, not Guru Arjan. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q72Moderate
Example 3 · Medieval India · The Bhakti Movement
Which of the following statements about the Vaishnava saint of Assam, Shankardeva, is/are correct ?
1. His teachings are often known as the Bhagavati dharma.
2. He encouraged the establishment of satras or monasteries and namghars or prayer halls for the transmission of spiritual knowledge.
3. His major compositions include the Kirtana-ghosha.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Nanak set the rules, Arjan compiled the book
The rules for congregational worship (sangat) go back to Guru Nanak. Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth; do not swap the two.
Concept 4 of 4: Devotional writing in Bengal and Braj
Bengal produced long narrative poems in praise of a god or goddess, called mangal-kavya, and verse lives of the saint Chaitanya. The questions match authors to titles that sound alike, so learn them in pairs.
Definition
- Mangal-kavya are long Bengali poems in praise of a deity.
- Chandimangal (in Bengali, 16th century): by Mukundaram Chakravarti, called Kavikankan.
- Lives of Chaitanya: Chaitanyamangal (later called Chaitanya Bhagavata) by Brindavan Das; Chaitanyacharitamrita by Krishnadas Kaviraj.
- Shivasankirtan (also called Shivayan), early 18th century: by Rameshwar Bhattacharya.
- Annadamangal, with its tale Vidyasundar: by Bharatchandra Ray.
- Vraja Bhakti Vilasa (in Sanskrit, 16th century): by Narayana Bhatta, mapping the sacred sites of the Braj region around Mathura and Vrindavan.
| Work | Author | Language and time |
|---|---|---|
| Chandimangal | Mukundaram Chakravarti | Bengali, 16th centuryQ CDS 2019 (II): the language is Bengali. |
| Vraja Bhakti Vilasa | Narayana Bhatta | Sanskrit, 16th centuryQ |
| Chaitanyamangal | Brindavan Das | Bengali, 16th century |
| Chaitanyacharitamrita | Krishnadas Kaviraj | Bengali, 16th century |
| Shivasankirtan (Shivayan) | Rameshwar Bhattacharya | Bengali, early 18th centuryQ Asked twice: CDS 2021 (I) and 2025 (I). |
| Annadamangal (Vidyasundar) | Bharatchandra Ray | Bengali, 18th century |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2021 · CDS (I) 2021 — General Knowledge · Q61Hard
Example 4 · Medieval India · The Bhakti Movement
Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :
Code :
| List I (Author) | List II (Poetical work) |
|---|---|
| A. Brindavan Das | 1. Shivasankirttan |
| B. Krishnadas Kaviraj | 2. Chandimangal |
| C. Mukundaram Chakravarti | 3. Chaitanyacharitamrita |
| D. Rameshwar Bhattacharya | 4. Chaitanyamangal |
Two lives of Chaitanya
Chaitanyamangal is by Brindavan Das; Chaitanyacharitamrita is by Krishnadas Kaviraj. The titles look alike, so match the author to the exact title.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
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Reference tables (4)
Alvars and Nayanars2 rows
| Group | God | Saints named in CDS | Hymn collection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvars (12) | Vishnu | Andal, the woman Alvar | Nalayira Divya Prabandham, compiled in the 10th centuryQ CDS 2018 (I): the Nalayira Divya Prabandham is the work of the Alvars. |
| Nayanars (63) | Shiva | Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar; women: Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Mangayarkkarasiyar, Isaignaniyar | TevaramQ Alvars or Nayanars were asked five times, from CDS 2018 (I) to 2023 (II). |
Basavanna and the Virashaivas4 rows
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founder | Basavanna, a minister at the Kalachuri court, 12th centuryQ Asked three times: CDS 2022 (I), 2024 (I) and 2026 (I). |
| Followers | Virashaivas, also called Lingayats |
| Writings | Vachanas in Kannada |
| Doctrine | Five founding teachers; Shaktivishishtadvaita; the eight AshtavaranaQ CDS 2024 (I): all three statements were correct. |
Saints of Maharashtra, the north, Punjab and Assam4 rows
| Saint | Region and time | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| Namdev | Maharashtra, 13th to 14th century | Took bhakti to the north; opposed caste; earlier than KabirQ |
| Kabir | Varanasi, 15th century | Verses in the Bijak, the Kabir Granthavali and the Adi GranthQ CDS 2018 (I): all three compilations hold his verses. |
| Shankaradeva | Assam, late 15th century | Bhagavati dharma; satras and namghars; Kirtana-ghoshaQ |
| Guru Nanak | Punjab, 1469 to 1539 | Rules for the sangat, congregational worshipQ CDS 2021 (II): Guru Nanak, not Guru Arjan. |
Devotional writing in Bengal and Braj6 rows
| Work | Author | Language and time |
|---|---|---|
| Chandimangal | Mukundaram Chakravarti | Bengali, 16th centuryQ CDS 2019 (II): the language is Bengali. |
| Vraja Bhakti Vilasa | Narayana Bhatta | Sanskrit, 16th centuryQ |
| Chaitanyamangal | Brindavan Das | Bengali, 16th century |
| Chaitanyacharitamrita | Krishnadas Kaviraj | Bengali, 16th century |
| Shivasankirtan (Shivayan) | Rameshwar Bhattacharya | Bengali, early 18th centuryQ Asked twice: CDS 2021 (I) and 2025 (I). |
| Annadamangal (Vidyasundar) | Bharatchandra Ray | Bengali, 18th century |
Watch out for (5)
- Vishnu for Alvars, Shiva for Nayanars, Shakti for neither→ Alvars and Nayanars
- Andal is an Alvar→ Alvars and Nayanars
- Basavanna was not a Nayanar→ Basavanna and the Virashaivas
- Nanak set the rules, Arjan compiled the book→ Saints of Maharashtra, the north, Punjab and Assam
- Two lives of Chaitanya→ Devotional writing in Bengal and Braj
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