Bhakti MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Bhakti - Download Free PDF

• Sufism is a mystical Islamic belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through the direct personal experience of God.
• It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of God and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom in the world.
• The core concept of the Sufi Movement is Darikh-i-Duniya / Wahad-ul-wahjud, meaning “Universal Brotherhood”. 
• The Sufi orders are broadly divided into two,
  • Bashara: Those who followed the Islamic Law
  • Beshara: Those who were not bound by Islamic Law.

Khwaja Muinnuddin Chisti

• Among the Sufi shrines, the shrine of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan is one of the most popular. The shrine invites devotees, Muslims and Hindus both, from all over the world.
• The Ajmer Dargah is an important religious centre for Muslims, and even some Hindus, who visit there to get their wishes fulfilled
• He was among the very first Sufi saints to arrive in India where Delhi was under the rule of Sultan Iltutmish. 
• He was a spiritual advisor to Ghori, and upon his advice, the conquest of India occurred, apparently, it was a vision received to the mystic which was later conveyed to ghori. 

The correct answer is - Shaivism

Key Points

• Tevaram
  • Tevaram refers to a collection of devotional hymns dedicated to Lord Shiva.
  • It was composed by the three Tamil saint-poets, collectively known as the Muvar - Appar, Sundarar, and Sambandar.
  • These hymns are a significant part of the Shaivite tradition in Tamil Nadu.
  • The Tevaram hymns are sung in Shiva temples and are considered sacred scriptures of Shaivism.

Additional Information

• Shaivism
  • Shaivism is a major tradition within Hinduism that focuses on the worship of Lord Shiva.
  • It emphasizes the concepts of devotion and spiritual liberation.
  • Important texts in Shaivism include the Vedas, Agamas, and Puranas.
• Tevaram's Historical Significance
  • The Tevaram hymns were instrumental in reviving Shaivism during the decline of Buddhism and Jainism in South India.
  • They played a pivotal role in promoting temple worship and devotional practices among Tamil-speaking communities.
• Other Traditions
  • Vaishnavism: Focuses on the worship of Lord Vishnu and his avatars.
  • Tantrik Buddhism: Associated with esoteric practices and rituals within Buddhist traditions.
  • Tantrik Jainism: Incorporates tantric elements into Jain philosophy and practices.

The correct answer is: '2) Vishnu'.

Key Points

• Lord Jagannatha is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu.
  • Jagannatha is a deity worshipped in regional traditions of Hinduism in India, particularly in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Manipur, and Tripura.
  • He is considered a form of Vishnu, one of the principal deities of Hinduism, who is also known as the preserver and protector of the universe.
  • Lord Jagannatha is the central figure in the famous Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) in Puri, Odisha, where he is worshipped along with his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
  • The temple of Jagannatha in Puri is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

Other Options

• Surya:
  • Surya is the sun god in Hinduism and is considered the source of all life and energy.
  • He is one of the Adityas and is often depicted riding a chariot harnessed by seven horses.
• Shiva:
  • Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism, known as the destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu.
  • He is often depicted with a third eye, a serpent around his neck, and the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair.
• Brahma:
  • Brahma is the creator god in Hinduism, part of the Trimurti along with Vishnu and Shiva.
  • He is traditionally depicted with four heads and is responsible for the creation of the universe and all beings.

Hence, the correct answer is that Lord Jagannatha is a form of Vishnu.

Additional Information

• Role of Vishnu in Hinduism:
  • Vishnu is known as the preserver and protector of the universe and is believed to incarnate in various forms (avatars) to restore cosmic order, with the most famous avatars being Rama and Krishna.
  • He is often depicted with a conch, a discus, a mace, and a lotus flower in his four hands.
• The Rath Yatra of Puri:
  • The annual Rath Yatra in Puri is a major festival where the deities Jagannatha, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are taken out in a grand procession on huge chariots.
  • The festival attracts millions of devotees and is a significant cultural and religious event in India.

The correct answer is - C, D

Key Points

• Lalla and Andal
  • Lalla and Andal were not associated with the Mughal royal household.
  • Lalla was a mystic poet from Kashmir, and Andal was a Tamil poet and saint.
  • Their contributions were significant in Indian literature and spirituality but had no relation to the Mughal dynasty.
• Chand Bibi
  • Chand Bibi was a warrior queen of the Deccan Sultanates, specifically Bijapur and Ahmednagar.
  • She was known for defending Ahmednagar against the Mughal forces, not for being part of the Mughal royal household.

Additional Information

• Alanga and Zebunissa
  • Zebunissa was the daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb, making her part of the Mughal royal household.
• Gulbadan Begum and Maham Anaga
  • Gulbadan Begum was the sister of Emperor Humayun and aunt of Emperor Akbar.
  • Maham Anaga was Akbar's foster mother and an influential figure in the Mughal court.
• Jahan Ara and Roshan Ara
  • Jahan Ara and Roshan Ara were daughters of Emperor Shah Jahan.
  • Both were significant personalities within the Mughal royal family.

The correct answer is - Shaikh Bakhtiyar Kaki - Gujarat

Key Points

• Shaikh Bakhtiyar Kaki
  • Shaikh Bakhtiyar Kaki was a renowned Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in India.
  • He is primarily associated with Delhi, not Gujarat.
  • He was the disciple and successor of Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki and his shrine is located in Mehrauli, Delhi.

Additional Information

• Muinuddin Chisti
  • Muinuddin Chisti, also known as Khwaja Garib Nawaz, is one of the most famous Sufi saints in India.
  • He established the Chishti Order of Sufism in the Indian subcontinent and his shrine is located in Ajmer, Rajasthan.
• Baba Farid
  • Baba Farid, also known as Fariduddin Ganjshakar, was a prominent Sufi saint of the Chishti Order.
  • His shrine is located in Pakpattan, which is in present-day Pakistan.
• Salim Chisti
  • Salim Chisti was a revered Sufi saint of the Chishti Order during the Mughal era.
  • His tomb is located in Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

The correct answer is Seventh.

• Prophet Muhammad founded the faith of Islam in the seventh century.

Key Points

• Prophet Muhammad was born around 570 in the city of Mecca, located on the Arabian Peninsula.
• In 622, the prophet Muhammad completes his Hegira, or “flight,” from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution.
• The four holiest sites in Islam are:
  • The Kaaba (inside the Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca
  • Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina
  • Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
  • Umayyad Mosque in Damascus

Additional Information

• Central to Islamic beliefs are the Five Pillars of Faith are:
  • There is only one universal God: Allah.
  • Followers of Islam (Muslims) are expected to pray five times each day while facing Mecca.
  • All Muslims are expected to pay a yearly tax that is mostly intended to help the poor and needy.
  • For the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims must not eat, smoke, drink, or have sexual relations from sunrise to sunset.
  • All able Muslims must make a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes.  

The correct answer is Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Key Points

• The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), or the Hare Krishna movement, was founded b His Divine Grace Acharya Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in the year 1966.
• This Society includes major centers, temples, and rural communities, nearly one hundred affiliated vegetarian restaurants, thousands of local meeting groups (namahattas), a wide variety of community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide.
• ISKCON belongs to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava sampradaya, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture.
• Philosophically it is based on the Sanskrit texts Bhagavad-Gita and the Bhagavat Purana, or Srimad Bhagavatam.
• These are the historic texts of the devotional bhakti yoga tradition, which teaches that the ultimate goal for all living beings is to reawaken their love for God, or Lord Krishna, the “all-attractive one”.
• ISKCON devotees chant God’s names in the form of the maha-mantra, or the great prayer for deliverance: "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare".

• Members of ISKCON practice bhakti-yoga in their homes and also worship in temples.

• They also promote bhakti-yoga, or Krishna Consciousness, through festivals, the performing arts, yoga seminars, public chanting, and the distribution of the society’s pieces of literature.

• ISKCON members have also opened hospitals, schools, colleges, eco-villages, free food distribution projects, and other institutions as a practical application of the path of devotional yoga.  

Source- https://www.iskcon.org/about-us/what-is-iskcon.php

The correct answer is Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile.

Key Points

Saint Tukaram Bolhoba Ambile Maharaj alluded to as Santshreshta, Jagadguru, Tukoba and Tukobaraya.

• He was a 17th-century Marathi writer and saint of the Bhakti development in Maharashtra, India.
• He was a portion of the populist, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition.
• Saint Tukaram Maharaj is best known for his reverential verse called Abhanga and community-oriented adore with otherworldly melodies known as kirtans.
• His verse was committed to Vitthala or Vithoba.
• He was either born within the year 1598 or 1608 in a town named Dehu, close to Pune in Maharashtra, India.
• Saint Tukaram was born to Kanakar and Bolhoba More of the Kunbi caste.
• Tukaram's family possessed a retailing and money-lending trade as well as we're locked in horticulture  and exchange.
• His guardians were lovers of Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu divinity Vishnu (Vaishnavas).
• In his mid-age, he started pondering on the slopes of Sahyadri extend (Western Ghats) and afterward composed he "had dialogs with my possess self".
• He went through most of his afterward a long time in reverential adore, community kirtans (bunch supplications with singing), and composing Abhanga poetry.

(Saint Tukaram Maharaj)

The correct answer is ​Laldas Ji

• Religious renaissance in the Mewat region was done by famous Saint Laldas during the medieval period.
• He was born in 1540 AD in Dhauli Duv village (Alwar).
• Saint Laldas took initiation from Muslim saint "Gaddan Chishti" and preached 'Nirgun Bhakti'.
• Acharya Parshuram was born in the 16th-century village of Thikariya (Sikar).
• Acharya Parashurama was the 36th Nimbakacharya and received initiation from 'Harivyas Devacharya'.
• Jambhoji founded the 'Vishnoi sect' and most of the people who were initiated into the Bishnoi sect were Jats.
• Sant Nawal Das was born in Hassolav village, Nagaur, and was the founder of the "Naval sect".

Shaivism is one of the major traditions within Hinduism that reveres Shiva as the Supreme Being.

• The followers of Shaivism are called "Shaivites" or "Saivites".
• It is one of the largest sects that believe Shiva- worshipped as a creator and destroyer of worlds- is the supreme God overall.

Important Points Bhakti in South India:

• The seventh to ninth centuries saw the emergence of new religious movements, led by the Nayanars (saints devoted to Shiva) and Alvars (saints devoted to Vishnu) who came from all castes including those considered “untouchable” like the Pulaiyar and the Panars.
• They were sharply critical of the Buddhists and Jainas and preached ardent love of Shiva or Vishnu as the path to salvation.
• They drew upon the ideals of love and heroism as found in the Sangam literature (the earliest example of Tamil literature, composed during the early centuries of the Common Era) and blended them with the values of bhakti.
• The Nayanars and Alvars went from place to place composing exquisite poems in praise of the deities enshrined in the villages they visited and set them to music.

Thus, we can say that Nayanars popularized Shaivism in South India.

Additional Information

 The 12th-century philosopher and the statesman of Karnataka, Basaveshwara found the Veera Shaivism.

• Veera Shaivism was spread by his followers known as Sharanas.
• They are known as Veera (heroic) Shaivaites and also Lingayats meaning bearers of Siva Linga.
• A pendant that has encased Linga is constantly worn around the neck by the Shaivites.
• These people are also known by the names Shivasharanas and Lingavantas.

The correct answer is B and C only.

Key Points

• The Nayanars and Alvars were the Tamil poet-saints. 
• The Nayanars were devotees of Shiva while the Alvars were the devotees of Vishnu.
• Nayanars and Alvars played a crucial role in propagating the Bhakti Movement in Southern India. 
• They are 12 Alvars and 63 Nayanars in all.
• The Nayanars were a group of 63 saints who lived during the 6th to 8th centuries CE.
• Nayanars composed devotional hymns in honour of the Hindu god Shiva.
• Nayanars collective devotional poetry is known as the Thirumurai, also known as the Tamil Veda.
• Nayanar Saints:
  • ​Tiru Neelakanta
  • Meiporul
  • Viralminda
  • Amaraneedi
  • Eripatha
  • Yenathinathar

Sufis were Muslim mystics. They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all fellow human beings.

Important Points

• The Sufi masters held their assemblies in their khanqahs or hospices.
• Devotees of all descriptions including members of the royalty and nobility, and ordinary people flocked to these khanqahs.
• They discussed spiritual matters, sought the blessings of the saints in solving their worldly problems or simply attended the music and dance sessions.
• The tomb or dargah of a Sufi saint became a place of pilgrimage to which thousands of people of all faiths thronged.
• Like the saint-poets, the Sufis too composed poems expressing their feelings, and a rich literature in prose, including anecdotes and fables, developed around them.
• Among the great Sufis of Central Asia were Ghazzali, Rumi and Sadi.
• Like the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis, the Sufis too believed that the heart can be trained to look at the world in a different way.
• They developed elaborate methods of training using zikr (chanting of a name or sacred formula), contemplation, sama (singing), raqs (dancing), discussion of parables, breath control, etc. under the guidance of a master or pir.
• Thus emerged the silsilas, a genealogy of Sufi teachers, each following a slightly different method (tariqa) of instruction and ritual practice.
• From the above, we can conclude that the Genealogy of Sufi teachers is called Silsilas.
• Hence, it is clear that a dargah is a shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervish. Sufis often visit the shrine for ziyarat, a term associated with religious visits and “pilgrimages”.

Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan and is home to the Ajmer Sharif shrine. The city was established as "Ajayameru" (translated as "Invincible Hills") by a Chahamana ruler, either Ajayaraja I and Ajayaraja II and served as their capital until the 12th century CE.

Key Points

• Moinuddin Chishti was a 13th-century Sufi mystic saint and philosopher. He was born in Sanjar (modern-day Iran).
• Moinuddin Chisti is a direct descendant of Muhammad by fathers line from Imam Hassan and mothers from Imam Hussain also called hasni-Hussaini Sayyed was sent to India to spread Islam.
• Having arrived in Delhi during the reign of the sultan Iltutmish (1236), Moinuddin moved from Delhi to Ajmer shortly thereafter, at which point he became increasingly influenced by the writings of the famous Sunni Hanbali scholar and mystic Abdallah Ansari.
• Moinuddin acquired the reputation of being a charismatic and compassionate spiritual preacher and teacher.
• The tomb became a deeply venerated site in the century following the preacher's death in March 1236. Honoured by members of all social classes, the tomb was treated with great respect by the era's most important Sunni rulers, the Sultan of Delhi - Sultan lItutmish paid a famous visit to the tomb in 1332 to commemorate the memory of the saint.
• Akbar also reconstructed the tomb (dargah) sanctum sanctorum in 1579. Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Jahanara later renovated the structure. The dargah was never systematically planned and thus has multiple influences of design and materials used. An elegant covering over the dargah was constructed in 1800 by the Maharaja of Baroda.

Hence, the correct answer is Moinuddin Chisti.

Additional Information

Baba Farid:

• Farid al-Din Masqud Ganj-i-Shakar (4 April 1179 – 7 May 1266) was a 12th-century Punjabi Muslim preacher and mystic, who went on to become "one of the most revered and distinguished Muslim mystics" of the medieval period. He is known reverentially as Baba Farid or Shaikh Farid by Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus of the Punjab Region, or simply as Fariduddin Ganjshakar.He was a Sunni Muslim and was one of the founding fathers of the Chishti Sufi order.
• The small Shrine of Baba Farid is in Pakistan. It is made of white marble with two doors, one facing east and called the  'Gate of Light', and the second facing north called 'Gate of Paradise'.

​Chirag:

• Nasiruddin Mahmud Chiragh Dehlavi (or Chiragh-e-Delhi) was born as Nasiruddin Mahmud Al Farooqi around 1274, at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
• He was a disciple of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, and later his successor. He was the last important Sufi of the Chishti Order from Delhi.
• He died in 17 Ramzan 757 Hijri or 1357 AD, at the age of 82 or 83, and is buried in a part of South Delhi, India which is known as "Chirag Delhi" after him.

The correct answer is From Dadu Sect.

Key Points

• Bhakti saint 'Rajab' was related to Dadu Sect.
• Sant Rajab 
  • He was a disciple of Dadu Dayal.
  • He was a Nirguna Saint.
  • He developed a new technique of archiving, and editing and preserving the words of his Guru and other saints.
• Dadu Sect
  • ​Dadu Dayal was a poet-saint from Gujarat.
  • He was a religious reformer who spoke against formalism and priestcraft.
  • He later moved to Naraina, near Jaipur, where he gathered around himself a group of followers, forming a sect that became known as the Dadupanth.
  • Dadupanthis are one of the 7 martial akharas of Vaishnavite Sampradaya of Hindus.

Additional Information

•   Jasnathi Sect
  • ​Jasnathi Sect is a Jat caste sampradaya sect which is mainly present in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions.
  • Its founder is believed to be Jasnath Ji (1539–1563).
  • This community has five bases, twelve dhams, eighty-four bari, and one hundred and eight establishments.
  • It is considered necessary to follow thirty-six rules in this community including belief in God, non-violence, taking food after a bath, etc.
  • Qatariyasar is their main site where the Agni dance is performed by the people of the Jasnathi sect. 
• Vishnoi Sect
  • ​Shri Guru Jambheshwar was the founder of the Bishnoi sect.
  • He is also known as Jambhoji.
  • The Bishnoi sect has 29 rules.
  • They focus on environment conservation and wildlife.
  • In the leadership of Amrita Devi Bishnoi, 363 Bishnoi died for saving the Khejri tree.
•  Ramsnehi Sect
  • This ​sect was founded by Sant Ramcharan.
  • The main centre of this sect was Shahpura (Bhilwara).
  • Ramsnehi sect other centres -
    • Ren, Medta (Nagaur) - This centre was founded by Sant Daryaav
    • Sinhthal - Bikaner - This centre was founded by Sant Hariram das
    • Khedapa - Jodhpur - This centre was founded by Sant Ramdas.

The correct answer is Iran.

Key Points

• Jalaluddin Rumi, the great Sufi poet of the thirteenth century, belonged to Iran.
• Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was a 13th-century Persian poet, an Islamic dervish and a Sufi mystic.
• He is regarded as one of the greatest spiritual masters and poetical intellects.
• Born in 1207 AD, he belonged to a family of learned theologians.
• Rumi made use of everyday life’s circumstances to describe the spiritual world.
• Rumi’s poems have acquired immense popularity, especially among the Persian speakers of Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan.
• Rumi was a disciple of Sayyed Burhan ud-Din Muhaqqiq Termazi, one of his father’s students.
• Under the guidance of Sayyed Termazi, he practiced Sufism and acquired a lot of knowledge about spiritual matters and secrets of the spirit world.