Consider the following statements: 1. 'Bijak' is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal 2. The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Contents17
- A1 only
- B2 only
- CBoth 1 and 2
- DNeither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Answer: (D) Neither 1 nor 2
Both statements are wrong — a 'Neither 1 nor 2' question.
Statement 1 — WRONG:
'Bijak' is the famous collection of teachings of Kabir (not Dadu Dayal).
Kabir's followers compiled his verses into the Bijak.
Dadu Dayal's teachings are collected in the 'Dadu Anubhav Vani.'
Statement 2 — WRONG:
Pushti Marg ('Path of Grace') was founded by Vallabhacharya (1479–1531), NOT Madhvacharya.
Madhvacharya (13th century) founded the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta.
Quick revision:
Kabir → Bijak,
Dadu Dayal → Dadu Anubhav Vani,
Vallabhacharya → Pushti Marg,
Madhvacharya → Dvaita Vedanta.
(Ref: NCERT Class 7, Our Pasts-II; NIOS material)
Bijak is Kabir's famous collection of verses compiled by his followers, while Dadu Dayal's teachings are in 'Dadu Anubhav Vani.'
Pushti Marg was founded by Vallabhacharya in the 16th century, not by Madhvacharya who established Dvaita Vedanta in the 13th century.
UPSC tests precise knowledge of saint-text pairs and philosopher-philosophy connections to catch students who mix up similar medieval religious figures.
Saint Kabir & His Teachings
Art And Culture Bijak Kabir
Saint Kabir: Life, Philosophy & Literary Works
Bijak is the collection of Kabir's teachings, NOT Dadu Dayal's
Kabir (15th century) preached Nirguna Bhakti - worship of formless God
Criticized both Hindu rituals and Islamic orthodoxy equally
Used simple Hindi dohas and padas for common people
Who Was Kabir
Kabir (1440-1518) was one of the most influential saints of the Bhakti movement. Born in a Muslim weaver family in Varanasi, he became a disciple of the Hindu saint Ramananda. Kabir preached a syncretic philosophy that drew from both Hindu and Islamic traditions while rejecting ritualistic practices of both religions.
Kabir's Key Teachings
Concept | Kabir's Position | Significance |
|---|---|---|
God | Nirguna (formless, attributeless) | Rejected idol worship and anthropomorphic concepts |
Rituals | Meaningless external practices | Criticized Hindu ceremonies and Islamic namaz equally |
Caste System | Artificial human creation | Opposed Brahmanical hierarchy and untouchability |
Language | Simple Hindi with local dialects | Made spiritual teachings accessible to common people |
Path to God | Bhakti through inner devotion | Emphasized personal relationship with divine |
Literary Contributions
Bijak ('Account Book') - main collection of Kabir's verses compiled by his disciples
Dohas - rhyming couplets with profound spiritual meaning and social criticism
Padas - longer devotional songs expressing his philosophical views
Sakhis - witness verses describing spiritual experiences and divine realization
Trap: Statement 1 incorrectly attributes Bijak to Dadu Dayal instead of Kabir
Memory aid: B for Bijak = B for rememBer Kabir
Don't confuse Kabir's Bijak with Dadu Dayal's Dadu Anubhav Vani
Both were Nirguna saints but lived in different centuries - Kabir (15th), Dadu (16th-17th)
Dadu Dayal & Sant Tradition
Art And Culture Dadu Dayal
Dadu Dayal: The Rajasthani Saint & His Teachings
Dadu Dayal (1544-1603) was a prominent saint of Rajasthan
His teachings are compiled in Dadu Anubhav Vani, NOT Bijak
Founded the Dadu Panth (sect) with followers called Dadupanthis
Preached Nirguna Bhakti similar to Kabir
Life & Philosophy
Dadu Dayal (1544-1603) was born in Ahmedabad and later moved to Sambhar in Rajasthan. Like Kabir, he preached Nirguna Bhakti and criticized ritualistic practices. He emphasized Ram Nam (chanting God's name) as the path to salvation and opposed caste distinctions.
Sant Tradition Comparison
Saint | Literary Work | Region | Key Teaching |
|---|---|---|---|
Kabir | Bijak | Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi) | Nirguna Bhakti, Hindu-Muslim synthesis |
Dadu Dayal | Dadu Anubhav Vani | Rajasthan (Sambhar) | Ram Nam, caste equality |
Ravidas | Ravidas Ki Bani | Uttar Pradesh | Social equality, anti-caste |
Surdas | Sur Sagar | Mathura-Vrindavan | Saguna Krishna Bhakti |
Dadu Panth Organization
Dadupanthis were organized into different branches after Dadu's death
Khalsa branch remained celibate and practiced strict discipline
Virakta branch allowed householder disciples with families
Major centers established in Naraina (near Jaipur) and other Rajasthani towns
Don't attribute Bijak to Dadu Dayal - it belongs to Kabir
Dadu Anubhav Vani is Dadu's work, not Bijak
Both Kabir and Dadu preached Nirguna Bhakti but were different saints
Dadu was primarily active in Rajasthan, Kabir in Uttar Pradesh
Vallabhacharya & Pushti Marg
Art And Culture Pushti Marg Vallabhacharya
Vallabhacharya's Pushti Marg: Philosophy of Divine Grace
Pushti Marg was founded by Vallabhacharya (1479-1531), NOT Madhvacharya
Pushti means 'grace' - salvation through divine grace and Krishna devotion
Based on Shuddhadvaita (pure non-dualism) philosophy
Emphasizes lila (divine play) and seva (service) to Krishna
Vallabhacharya's Philosophy
Vallabhacharya (1479-1531) founded the Pushti Marg ('Path of Grace') based on his Shuddhadvaita philosophy. Unlike other Vedantic schools, he taught that the world is real and a manifestation of Brahman's bliss aspect. Salvation comes through Krishna's grace rather than human effort alone.
Major Vedanta Schools Comparison
School | Founder | Philosophy | View of World | Path to Salvation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Advaita | Adi Shankara | Non-dualism | Maya (illusion) | Knowledge (Jnana) |
Vishishtadvaita | Ramanuja | Qualified non-dualism | Real but dependent | Devotion + Knowledge |
Dvaita | Madhvacharya | Dualism | Real and separate | Devotion to Vishnu |
Shuddhadvaita | Vallabhacharya | Pure non-dualism | Real manifestation of Brahman | Grace (Pushti) + Devotion |
Pushti Marg Elements
# Pushti Marg
## **Seva** (Service)
- Daily worship rituals
- Offering food to Krishna
- Decorating the deity
- Singing devotional songs
## **Lila** (Divine Play)
- Krishna's childhood stories
- Gokul and Vrindavan legends
- Radha-Krishna love theme
- Govardhan Leela
## **Pushti** (Grace)
- Divine grace essential
- Human effort insufficient
- Krishna chooses devotees
- Unconditional surrenderPushti Marg Practices
Eight-fold daily worship (Ashtayama seva) of Shrinathji (Krishna)
Haveli tradition - temples designed as Krishna's palace with royal treatment
Pichwai paintings depicting Krishna's various lilas and seasonal festivals
Ashta Chhaap - eight poet-saints who composed devotional literature in Braj Bhasha
Trap: Statement 2 wrongly attributes Pushti Marg to Madhvacharya instead of Vallabhacharya
Madhvacharya founded Dvaita, not Pushti Marg
Vallabhacharya = Pushti Marg (15th-16th century), Madhvacharya = Dvaita (13th century)
Both focused on devotion but had different philosophical foundations
Madhvacharya & Dvaita Vedanta
Art And Culture Madhvacharya
Madhvacharya's Dvaita: The Dualistic School of Vedanta
Madhvacharya (1238-1317) founded Dvaita (dualism) school, NOT Pushti Marg
Dvaita maintains eternal distinction between soul and Brahman
Emphasized Vishnu worship and bhakti as path to moksha
Born in Karnataka, influenced South Indian Vaishnavism
Dvaita Philosophy
Madhvacharya (1238-1317) established the Dvaita school which strongly opposed Advaita. He argued that individual souls (jiva) and Brahman are eternally distinct entities. Unlike monistic schools, Dvaita maintains that devotees can never become one with God but can achieve salvation through devotion to Vishnu.
Dvaita's Five-fold Distinction
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`****Jiva-Ishvara****
Individual soul vs Supreme God (Vishnu)`"]
s2["`****Jada-Ishvara****
Inert matter vs Supreme God`"]
s3["`****Jiva-Jada****
Individual soul vs inert matter`"]
s4["`****Jiva-Jiva****
One individual soul vs another`"]
s5["`****Jada-Jada****
One inert object vs another`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4
s4 --> s5Madhva's Contributions
Anuvyakhyana - detailed commentary on Brahma Sutras defending dualistic interpretation
Udupi Krishna Temple - established eight mathas (monasteries) for temple management
Haridasa tradition - inspired devotional movement in Karnataka with saint-composers
Tattvavada - technical name for his philosophical system emphasizing eternal differences
Madhvacharya founded Dvaita, NOT Pushti Marg
Don't confuse Madhva (13th century) with Vallabha (15th-16th century)
Dvaita = eternal separation, Shuddhadvaita (Vallabha) = pure non-dualism
Both emphasized Vishnu/Krishna worship but had opposite metaphysical views