Popular Saints of Bhakti Movement in India
1. Ramanuja : He was the earliest exponent of Bhakti Movement. He was born in 1017 A.D. at Perumbudur in South India. He was appointed as the successor of his teacher Yamunamuni, the famous Vaishnava saint. He wrote a commentary on Brahma sutras. His Commentary on Brahma sutras are popularly known as Sri Bhasya.
2. Nimbarka : Nimbarka was a contemporary of Ramanuja. He wrote Vedanta-Parijatasourabha, a commentary on the Brahma Sutra in simple language. Nimbarka attached great importance to attainment of knowledge and devotion. Nimbarka propounded Radha Krishna cult, one of the most popular cults of India.
3. Madhva : Madhva was devotee of Vishnu from South India. He took to monastic life when he was 25 years old. He wrote four Bhasyas on Brahma Sutra. Madhva did not believe in the qualified monism of Ramanuja. He held that the greatest obstacle in the path of salvation was the belief in the identity of Brahma and Jiva.
4. Vallabhacharya : He was a prominent Vaishnava saint from South India. He hailed from a Telugu Brahman family. He advocated a system of pure non-dualism devoid of the concept of Maya. He glorified the intense love of Radha and Krishna.He advocated a universal religion which did not believe in distinction of sex, caste, creed or nationality.
5. Ramananda : The credit for spread of Vaishnava religion in North India goes to Ramananda. He was born at Prayag in a Kanya-Kubja family. He preached the worship of Rama and Sita in place Vishnu. He believed in Vishistadvaita philosophy of Ramanuja. He opposed sectarianism and insisted on adoption of Hindi in place of Sanskrit.
6. Chaitanya (1486-1533) : Chaitanya was a great Vaishnava saint and reformer from Bengal. He was born of Brahman parents at Nadia. After the completion of his education, he became a teacher. At the attainment of age of 25 years, he took to monastic life at the feet of Kesava Bharti. He visited many religious places located in southern and western parts of India i.e. Pandharpur, Somnath, Dwarka Vrindaban and Mathura. He settled down at Puri and stayed there till his death in 1533.
7. Kabir : Kabir was prominent saint of Bhakti movement in Northern India. He became disciple of Ramananda. He stayed most of the times at Banaras. He learnt Vedanta philosophy from Ramanand.
8. Guru Nanak
9. Dadu Dayal (1554-1603)
10. Mira Bai (1498-1546)
11. Tulsidas (1532-1623)
12. Sur Das
13. Maluk Das (1574-1682)
14. Sundardas (1596-1689)
15. Birbhan
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