Which of the following statements is not correct regarding the Bhakti Movement ?
- (1)Vallabhacharya established Pushtimarga.
- (2)Nimbarka propounded the Philosophy of Dvaitadvait.
- (3)Madhvacharya propounded Nirguna Bhakti Siddhant instead of Saguna Bhakti.
- (4)Ramananda advocated Rama Bhakti.
Answer
Why
Correct — option (3), Madhvacharya propounded Nirguna Bhakti Siddhant instead of Saguna Bhakti.
The stem asks for the statement that is not correct, and option (3) is it.
The Sahitya Akademi's Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature calls Madhva 'the founder exponent of the celebrated Dvaita school of Hindu philosophy'. Wikipedia summarises his teaching: the individual soul and Brahman, God Vishnu, are different realities, the soul dependent on God.
NCERT's Class XII text (Themes in Indian History, Part II) defines the two categories. Saguna bhakti focused on specific deities 'such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars', often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Nirguna bhakti was worship of an abstract form of god.
Madhva's devotion is to a god with form. The Encyclopaedia lists his Dvadashastotra, a hymn to the image of Krishna enshrined at the Udupi Matha, and an anthology of verses in praise of Vishnu.
That places him in the saguna tradition, the reverse of what option (3) says. The other three statements hold, so option (3), Madhvacharya propounded Nirguna Bhakti Siddhant instead of Saguna Bhakti, is the incorrect one.
The idea to remember: Madhva = Dvaita and devotion to Vishnu with form, which is saguna; NCERT says Guru Nanak advocated a form of nirguna bhakti.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Vallabhacharya established Pushtimarga. — This statement is correct, so it cannot be the answer to a 'not correct' question.
Wikipedia describes Vallabha (1478–1530) as the founder of the Krishna-centred Pushtimarga sect of Vaishnavism and the propounder of Shuddhadvaita, formulated in response to Shankara's Advaita. NCERT's Class XII timeline places Vallabhacharya in Gujarat in c. 1400–1500.
- (2)Nimbarka propounded the Philosophy of Dvaitadvait. — This statement is correct. Wikipedia calls Nimbarka the chief proponent of Dvaitadvaita, dualistic non-dualism, in which the soul is both distinct and non-distinct from God. He spread the worship of Radha and Krishna and founded the Nimbarka Sampradaya.
The trap is the near-identical name: Dvaitadvaita is Nimbarka's, while Dvaita alone is Madhva's.
- (4)Ramananda advocated Rama Bhakti. — This statement is correct. Wikipedia describes Ramananda as a Vaishnava poet-saint whom tradition recognises as founder of the Ramanandi Sampradaya, and who refocused Hindus on a direct devotional form of Rama worship.
NCERT's Class XII timeline places him in Uttar Pradesh in c. 1300–1400. Its chapter reports traditions that Kabir's guru was perhaps Ramananda, but adds that historians find it very difficult to show the two were contemporaries.
Concept
Bhakti traditions can be sorted two ways. By the object of devotion: NCERT says historians of religion classify them as saguna, devotion to a deity with attributes, or nirguna, devotion to an abstract form of god.
By philosophy: the Vaishnava teachers differ on how the soul relates to God. Madhva's Dvaita keeps them distinct, Nimbarka's Dvaitadvaita holds them both distinct and non-distinct, and Vallabha's Shuddhadvaita answers Shankara's Advaita.
The two sortings answer different questions: the first asks what is worshipped, the second how the soul relates to God. For the saguna or nirguna label, look at the deity: Madhva's is Vishnu, with form.
RPSC's 2024 syllabus lists 'Religious & Literary contribution of Bhakti & Sufi movement' under Indian History.
Madhva's influence reached beyond his own school. The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature credits Madhva as a catalyst for literary creativity through the Chaitanya school in Bengal and the Haridasas in Karnataka.
NCERT's Class XII chapter says Guru Nanak advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. It describes the Alvars as immersed in devotion to Vishnu, and Mirabai as recognising Krishna, the avatar of Vishnu, as her lover: by NCERT's own definition, saguna devotion.
Key facts
- The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature (Sahitya Akademi) calls Madhva, also known as Anandatirtha, the founder exponent of the Dvaita school.
- NCERT (Class XII): saguna bhakti focused on deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars; nirguna bhakti was worship of an abstract form of god.
- Wikipedia: Vallabha (1478–1530) founded the Krishna-centred Pushtimarga and propounded Shuddhadvaita.
- Wikipedia: Nimbarka was the chief proponent of Dvaitadvaita and founded the Nimbarka Sampradaya, centred on Radha and Krishna.
- NCERT (Class XII) says Guru Nanak's hymns suggest he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti.
Option (3) is the incorrect statement. Sources: Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature; NCERT Class XII; Wikipedia.
Study next
Common traps
- Mixing Dvaita with Dvaitadvaita: Madhva taught Dvaita, Nimbarka taught Dvaitadvaita.
- Placing Madhva by his philosophy alone: the saguna or nirguna label turns on what is worshipped, and Madhva's devotion is to Vishnu with form.
- Crediting Pushtimarga to the wrong Vaishnava teacher: it is Vallabha's Krishna-centred path, while Nimbarka founded the sampradaya named after him.
A question can pair teachers with philosophies or sects and ask which pair is wrong, or ask which teacher taught a named doctrine.
A question can also ask whether a figure belongs to the saguna or the nirguna stream.
Related PYQs
UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2018 and 2016 here once those papers are published on this site.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which school of Vedanta is associated with Madhvacharya?
- (a)Advaita
- (b)Vishishtadvaita
- (c)Dvaita
- (d)Shuddhadvaita
Answer(3) — The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature calls Madhva the founder exponent of the Dvaita school. Option (1) is Shankara's school and option (2) Ramanuja's, both of which Madhva criticised; option (4) is Vallabha's philosophy. - practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following does NCERT associate with a form of nirguna bhakti?
- (a)Madhvacharya
- (b)Vallabhacharya
- (c)Guru Nanak
- (d)Nimbarka
Answer(3) — NCERT (Class XII) says Guru Nanak's hymns suggest he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti, the Absolute having no gender or form. Option (1) worshipped Vishnu with form; option (2) founded the Krishna-centred Pushtimarga; option (4) spread the worship of Radha and Krishna.