The verse from Padmapurana means “Bhakti arose in Dravida desa, grew old in Karnataka, stayed a little while in Maharashtra, and decayed in Gujarat”1. It suggests that bhakti originated and flourished in South India before spreading to other parts of India.
Bhakti is derived from the Sanskrit word bhaj, which means to share or participate. The bhakta is one who shares or participates in the divine1. Bhakti is a form of devotion or love for God that transcends ritualism, casteism, formalism and dogmatism.
The emergence of bhakti in Dravida desa can be attributed to various factors:
The influence of Tamil culture and literature, which had a rich tradition of love poetry and emotional expression. The Tamil poets called Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) and Nayanars (devotees of Shiva) composed devotional hymns in praise of their chosen deities between the 7th and 12th centuries CE. They expressed their personal experiences of God’s grace and mercy, as well as their longing for union with Him.
The reaction against the rigidities and inequalities of Brahmanical orthodoxy, which imposed strict rules of conduct, ritual purity, caste hierarchy and social discrimination. The bhakti saints challenged these norms and advocated a more egalitarian and inclusive approach to religion. They emphasized the equality of all souls before God, regardless of their birth, gender, status or sect. They also denounced idolatry, superstition, hypocrisy and corruption among the religious elites.
