BHAKTI-SUFI TRADITIONS

By the mid-First Millaniam CE The landscape of the sub continent was dotted with variety of religious structures-Stupas, Monasteries, Temples etc . If these typified certain religious beliefs and practices, others have been reconstructed from textual traditions, including the Puranas, many of which receive there present shape around the same time, and yet another remain only faintly visible in textual and visual records.

New textual sources available from this period include compositions attributed to Poets-Saints, most of whom expressed themselves in regional languages. These compositions, which were often set to music, wee compiled by disciples or devotees, generally after the death of the Poet- Saints. These traditions were fluid – often the original message was either modified or some ideas that appeared irrelevant were abundant .

Using these sources thus poses a challenge to historians. Historians also draw on hagiographies or biographies of Saints written by their followers (or members of their religious sect). These may not be literary accurate, but allow a glimpse into the ways in which the devotees perceived the lives of these path breaking women and men.

Integration of cults A MOSAIC OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES Post 8th century AD was remarkable for increased visibility in sculpture in wide range of Gods and Goddesses and texts. Though the major deities continued to be Vishnu and Shiva and the Goddess - each of them were visualized in a variety of forms indicative of integration of cults Process :- (a) One was the process of speeding Brahmanical ideas. In this process Puranic texts were composed, compiled and preserved in simple Sanskrit to enable accessibility to women and shudras.

Integration of cults (b) Brahmans accepted and reworked on the beliefs and practices of other social categories. This process ahs been termed by sociologists as integration of great Puranic traditions and little traditions. Examples:- (a) Principal deity Jagannatha at Puri , Orissa. In this instance a local deity, whose image was and still continues to be made of wood by tribal specialists was identified as Jagannatha (lord of the World) as a form of Vishnu .

Integration of cults Examples:- (b) Goddess cult – Worship of Goddess was often in a very simple form. These local deities were incorporated by providing them with an identity as a wife of principal male deities, example, Laksmi, as wife of Vishnu, Parvati, as wife of Shiva. (c) Tantric ideas were integrated into Vajrayana Buddhism, where of male bodhisattavas not only started having spouses, but they receive respect similar to that of Shakti (evident in the sculpture of the Buddhist Goddess Marichi of Bihar)

“GREAT” And “LITTLE” TRADITIONS The term “great” and “little” traditions were coined by sociologists Robert Redfield in the 20th century to describe the cultural practices of peasants societies. The observance of rituals and customs among peasants emanating from dominant social categories for example, priests and rulers were classified as great traditions. While the peasants following of local customs and practices that did not necessarily confirm with the dominant classes, i.e, great traditions were categorized as little traditions. Great and little traditions changed over time through a process of interaction. However, scholars while accepting the significance of these categories are uncomfortable with the hierarchical notion, implicit in the terms of great and little traditions.

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