PERSONALITIES

Guru Arjun Dev : Fifth in the line of Sikh Gurus, and youngest son of Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjun Dev compiled the Adi Granth. He completed the construction of the holy tank begun by his father at Amritsar, besides gelling the Harmandir built Jahangir ordered his execution in 1606 at Lahore for having supported Prince Khusro who had rebelled against the Emperor, his father.

Chaitanya : Viswambar Misra, or Chaitanya (1485-1533) was unique in medieval Yaishnava bhakti history in that he was the initiator of a very broad movement covering Bengal and practically all of east India. His movement involved an organised sect, a theology, and a broad-based popular cult. The theology of the sect was worked out at Vrinavan. According to it Krishna is considered not merely as an incarnation of Vishnu but as the highest aspect of the divine. its true essence'. In this aspect be is united with the highest shakti manifest in Radha. The devote's aim is to attain through bhakti the supreme state of bliss in which he emotionally identifies with Radha and achieves happy union with Krishna. Chaitanya expressed himself in the sankirtan, a session of hymn singing by a group of devotees. The Chaitanya movement left a lasting impact on Bengali life and literature and - inspired later socio-religious reformers. Though no social 'reformers themselves, the Chaitanyites rejectcd all distinction of caste and disregarded the Veda and vedantists.

Chandidas: Chandidas (fourteenth century) was a pioneer in Bengali bhakti literature. He holds that the only way to salvation is the love of God. This love must be based on an earthly passion Fora particular person, but as this passion needs to be sublimated, the object of this passion should be somebody inaccessible.

Kwajah Muinuddin Chisti: He brought the Sufi order of Chisti to India. He settled in Ajmer about 1206.

Shaikh Salim Chisti : Sufi saint who lived in the reign of Akbar, he prophesied the birth of three sons to the Emperor. Akbar named his eldest son Salim after the saint. Fatehpur Sikri was built near the saint's dwelling place, Sikri.

Dadu: Considered an imponant exponent of the Nirguna School, Dadu,a weaver from Ahmedabad, was a disciple of Kabir. Living in the sixteenth century, he preached love and devotion of God, opposed discrimination on basis of caste, and spoke for Hindu - Muslim unity.

Eknath : Marathi saint and philosopher of the sixteenth century, he revived the bhakti Vaishnava spirit and tradition in Maharashtra He was free of caste prejudices, He brought out the first reliable edition of Jnanadeva 's Jnaneshvari. He wrote a commentary on the Ramayana and the eleventh book of the Bhagavata Purana. He was a mystic who showed how one could aspire to the deepest experience of religion within the ordinary framework of life. His songs have become pan of the Marathi heritage.

Gokulnath :A notable religious reformer of medieval India, Gokulnath belonged to the Acharya tradition of the Vallabha sect
and was an important figure in the Varta Sahitya in Hindi literature. He wrote the well-known Chaurasi Vaishnavan ki Varta and Do Sau Bavan Vaishnavan ki Varta.

Gorakhnath : The founder of the Kanphata Yogi sect, lived in the 12th century. He advocated exercise of certain ascetic 'practices to gain mastery over matter. Gorakhpur, which was the centre of his teaching. was probably named after him. His cult gained notoriety for fearsome and malignant practices as ritual

Guru Gobind Singh : The tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind singh ( 1666-1708) founded the new brotherhood Khalsa (the pure) on April 15,1699. An inner core of the faithful, accepted by baptism, the Khalsa were enjoined to maintain the 'five ks' - kesh, kangha. kachacha. kara and kirpan. He fought valiantly with the Mughals to avenge the death of Guru Tegh Bahadur, his father. He was assassinated at Nanded in Maharashtra.

Jnandeva : Among the Indo - Aryan languages, 'bhakti' first appeared in Marathi in the 13th century with Jnanesvara(or Jnandeva). He wrote a Marathi commentary on the Bhgavad Gita, more commonly known as Jnanesvari. His bhakti was due to his connection with Varkari sect which instituted regular pilgrimages to the Vithoba Shrine in Pandharpur. The Jnanesvari made pioneering effort by using the vernacular language and thus rnived the contact with the masses. It used a form meant for Kirtan chanting and drew examples and metaphors from the simple life of the village.

Kabir : Born a weaver in the 15th century. was brought up in-a-Muslim home. He was the renowed disciple of the Vaishnava reformer. Ramananda. His teachings of humanity love & self- discipline are incorporated Adi' Adi Granths'. Kabir founded a community, the Kabirpanthi, who consider, Bijak a collection of his verse, as their scripture.

Lokacharya : He lived in the 12th - 13th centuries and propounded the Tengali School of Vaishnavism. He said that God's grace is to be sought not only through bhakti and effort but also by accepting that grace.

Madhva : A brahmin from Karnataka, Madhva in the thirteenth century propounded the dvaita philosophy, opposing Sankara's advaita. He founded the Madhva sect at Udipi, his place of binh. He is supposed to have learnt Persian in order to argue and justify his ideas before Muslim theologians. His Sarva - Darsana Sangraha is a philosophical work analysing of lndian philosophy.

Mirabai : A sixteenth century Rajput chief's daughter, Mira was married to Lakha, Rana of Udaipur (capital of Mewar). Widowed at an early age, she left the court of the Rana to devote herself to the worship of Krishna. She became a disciple of 'Ravidas '. She was a wandering mystic and a poet, composing lyrics in honour of Krishna in Brajbhasha mixed with Rajasthani. Her verses have been included in the Adi Granth.

Nagarjuna : One of India's great philosophers originating in Andhra Pradesh, Nagarjuna (c.150 AD) systematised the Madhyamika school of Mahayana Buddhism. Nagarjuna is believed to have been a contemporary of Kanishka. He propounded 'SUNYAVADA' and wrote Rasaratnakara,Dvadasa Sastra and Sala Sastra.

Namdev : A contemporary of Jnanesvara, Namdev (12701350) was a tailor who became a great poet of the bhakti marga in Maharashtra. The object of his devotion was Vithoba, the form of Vishnu in the temple at Pandharpul Vithoba was the god of the Varkari Panth, a sect that was averse to asceticism and whose membership cut across the whole caste structure. The names of Namdeva and Jnandesvara are connected with the spread of this sect all over Maharashtra. Namdev founded a sect and monastery in Gurdaspur, Punjab.

Guru Nanak : Born at Talwandi (now called Nankana in Pakistan) in 1469, was instrumental in the development of Sikhism. He was influenced by Kabir, and spoke against caste discrimination, polytheism and priestcraft. He tried for Hindu-Muslim unity. He wandered about with his companion, Mardana, who played on a string instrument for Nanak's hymns. His disciples were called Sakhi. anak considered God as without form (nirankar), eternal (akal), and ineffable (alakh). The enlightened man, awakened by the guru, perceives a divinely bestowed harmony and salvation lies in bringing oneself within this pattern of harmony- The 'Janam Sakhi' gives details of Guru Nanak's life.'

Nand Rishi : Muslim Sufi poet, Naruddin, came to be called Nand Rishi. He founded the order of the Rishis and is the patron saint of Kashmiri Muslims. Rishinama and Nurnams contain his poems.

Nimbarka : A Vaishnava philosopher and mystic of the 11th century, Nimbarka founded the Nimandi sect in Mathura region. His only extant work is the Dasaloka, but he is known to have given a commentary on Badarayana's Brahmasutra and systematically expounded the schools of Vedanta thought.

Ramana Maharishi : A spiritual experience in 1896 led 20-year-old Venkataraman to abandon home and seek enlightenment. He achieved spiritual understanding at Thiruvannamalai. Hence - forth he became known as Ramana Maharishi. He died in 1950.

Ramananda : In his cariy days Ramananda (1400-70) probably lived in South India as a follower of Ramanuja's Srivaishnava sect. He returned to the north and settled down at Varanasi and established his own sect. the Ramanandis. He looks upon Rama as the supreme. God who is to be adored with his Shakti. Sita and whose close companions like Hanuman should also be venerated. He was strongly opposed to caste discriminations and opened his sect to all irrespective of caste, sex and community as in God's eyes, all are equal. The egalitarian attitude and the exclusive use of the vernacular made the sect different from others, The sect has historical significance for having initiated several other sects and movements north India The Kabirpanthis and the Sikhs owe much to Ramananda's teachings.

Ramanuja : A Tamil brahmin who flourished about 1100 AD was born at Sriperumbudur in Tamil. Nadu. He gave the rising piety of the times a firm philosophical basis with his idea of bhakti-marga and interpreted Vedanta a produce the system known as Visishtadvaita. He took Vishnu to be the 'supreme person', and founded the Vaishnava sect. He admitted the outcastes too in his sect and encouraged an egalitarian social systeul encouraging female education. His "Sribhashya" is an authoritative text for the Vaishnava,

Ramdas ; The last of the great Maharashtrian hymn-makers, Ramdas (1608-81) was orphaned as a child. After years of wandering and spiritual training, he settled on the banks of River Krishna where he built a temple to Rama whose devotee he was. Ramdas was not only a theologian, but also a reformer concerned with the state of society in the wake of Islam's impact. Shivaji was his pupil. In Ramdas devotionalism and activism combined, The Dasabodha is a compilation of his writings and sermons produced over several years.

Ravidas : A disciple of Ramananda, Ravidas came from a leather - worker family and became a great Vaishnava devotee in the fifteenth century. His disciples included Mirabai, His sect is known as Sadnami and their creed prohibits idolatry and enjoins the members to constantly think of God. Ravidas wrote intensely devotional hymns which greatly influenced Hindi literature. and some of which were included in the Granth Sahib.

Sankara : A brahmin born in Kaladi, Kerala, Sankara became a sanyasin at an early age. After studying under the philosopher Govindapala he set out on his own and propounded Advaita philosophy. He is said to have founded four Peethas - at Sringeri, Dwarka, Puri and Badrinath.

Sankaradeva : Vaishnava poet and reformer who brought Vaishnavism to Assam to counter Tantric Shaktism. Sankaradeva's poetic compositions include Rukmini Harana Kavya, Kirtan Gosha, Kaliya Damana and Ram Vijaya He encouraged an egalitarian society and welcomed tribesmen to
Hinduism.

Surdas : A brilliant disciple of Vallabha, Surdas (1483 - 1563) was a blind musician attached to the temples at Agra and Mathura. His songs are suffused with tender bhakti and deal with the love of Krishna the child and the lover. His songs are collected in 'Sursagar'

Guru Tegh Bahadur : He was the ninth Sikh Guru. He laid the foundation of Anandpur in 1665. He was tried and executed by Auranzeb as an unbeliever Gurudwara Sis Ganj in Delhi marks the place of his execution. His body was taken by a Labana Sikh and cremated at a site where the Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Delhi now stands .

Tukaram : Seventeenth century devotee of Vithoba who came from a Sudhra family, Tukaram composed hymns which are sung to this day in Maharashtra and other places.

Tulsidas : A spiritual heir of Ramananda, Tulsidas (1532 - 1623) is famous for his Ramcharitmanas, a new Rarnayana in the vernacular. His bhakti is the love of a servant for his loving master; his work is totally free of sensuality. He inspired a great devotion to Rama.

Vallabba: A Telugu born at Varanasi, Vallabha (1479 - 1531) wielded great influence through his sect in Gujarat and Rajputana, Surdas was one of his disciples. Adevotee of Krishna he expounded his own doctrine of pure monism.

Yajnavalkya : Ancient sage and law.giver who presented a code of law in Yajnavalkya Smriti, Yajnavalkya is also said 10 have composed the Yajurveds, Satapatha Brahmana and Brihandaranyaka.

Arnir Khusrau: Poet and musician at the court of Alauddin Khilji. (c. 1300) he considered the music of India the finest in the world. The qawwali is said to have begun with Amir Khusrad who is also supposed to have invented the sitar and the khayal, though he himself does not mention this. He wrote in Persian and in Braj.

Vishnu-Narayan Bhatkhande : Interested in music from boyhood, Bhatkhande devoted his life to research in the field. He was the first to organise a full-fledged conference of musicians and musicologists at Baroda He also-reorganised the Baroda State Music School. His ambition to get a music college opened was realised with the inauguration of the Marris College of Music at Lucknow. He made significant contribution to the field of music by pioneering the publication of a collection of compositions in Hindustani music. He composed'some'songs himself, under the signature "Chatur". He wrote the famous Hisdustani Sangeet Paddhati in Marathi, trying. to bridge the gap between theory and practice. He classified ragas into ten that as (parental scales) now widely accepted in north India. He edited several classics besides authoring Abhinava Raga Manjari and A Short Historical Survey of the Music of Upper India

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar : A great musician, a good teacher, Paluskar is most well-known for having opened the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. His Ramdhun- Raghupoti Raghava Raja Ram was sung during Dandi March in 1930, and it was a favourite with Gandhi whose prayer meetings always included a rendering of it.

Swami Haridas : Deeply learned and widely acquainted with the music of his days, Swami Haridas of the sixteenth century was a strong force in the spread of the dhrupad. He belonged to the tradition of madhura bhakri - adoration expressed in erotic terms. He began the Haridasi school of mysticism.

Tansen : Ramtanu or Taona Misra, the boy who came to be known as Tansen later. was from childhood interested and proficient in music. The first real patron of the singer was Raja Ramchandra Baghela of Rewa who conferred the honorific title 'Tansen' on him. Being subordinate to Emperor Akbar, the Raja had to agree to Akbar's request that Tansen be sent to the Imperial Court at Agra Tansen thus became one of the 'nine gems' at Akbar's court in 1562. His compositions and style of singing were in the dhrupad tradition. He is supposed to have authored Sangeet Sar, Raga Mala and Sri Ganesha Stotra. He is traditionally considered to havecrealed the new ragas bearing the prefix Miyan - Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar. Darbari Kanada is also attributed to him. The musical tradition created by Tansen has come to be known by the name of Senia gharana.

Purandaradasa : Sreenivasa Nayaka born in what is now South Maharashtra in 1484 was a miser according to legend till enlightenment came under the tutelage of Vyasaraya, a guru of Vijayangara emperors. Becoming a member of the order of Haridasas he turned into Purndaradasa. He postulated Maya Malavagaula as the standard scale for teaching; even today this is the first raga to be taught to beginners in the Karnataka music style. He also devised graded lessons of basic scale exercises (svaravali), exercises with paired notes (janta varisai), note patterns (alankara) etc. for training students. He is called Adi Guru and the 'father of Karnataka music".

Kshetrayya : Born probably in the 17th century in Andhra, Varadayya or Kshetrayya composed padams of great beauty marked by strikingly direct language and simple lyricism. The songs express the love of Kshetrayya himself (as a woman) for the lover, Muvva Gopala (also Kshetrayya's signature) or Lord Krishna.

Muthuswami Dikshitar : Highly proficient in music from his very childhood, Muthuswami was born in Thiruvarur in Thanjavur and was trained mainly by his father. His well-known compositions are - Tirtuttani kritis, Navavarana Kritis. He has composed certain pieces in uncommon ragas such as Saranga Nata, Kumudakriya and Amritavarshini which are references for use of these ragas. He innovated musical techniques with certain
complex use of varying tempo. Some of his pioneering innovations were: introduction of the violin (for long considered a Western instrument) into the Karnataka music ensemble: He is considered one of the 'trinity' in Karnataka music, the other two being Thyagaraja and Shyama Shastri.

Shyama Shastri: Venkata Subramania born in 1762 to a priest in Tiruvarur in Thanjavur came to be known as Shyama Shastri. A great scholar and a composer, his works are intricate and difficult in musical technique, panicularly the rhythmic aspect. One of the 'trinity' of Karnataka music, his songs have the signature 'Shyam Krishna'. He was a superb master of tala and is said to have defeated the redoutable Kesavayya in a musical contest by employing the complicated Sarabhanandana tala

Swati Tirunal : Swati Tirunal Rama Varma was a nineteenth century Maharaja of Travancore, well-versed in nearly thirteen languages in many of which he was able to write poems. His well-known works include Kuchelopakhyanam and Padmanabha Satakam. He composed varnams, kritis, padams and javalis. His genius extended to Hindustani music, for he composed drupads, khayals and thumris too. Vadivelu, who, with the help of his guru, Muthuswami Dikshitar, had popularised the violin in Karnataka music, was at his court.

Tyagaraja : Born in Thiruvarur in 1759 (or 1767) Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu, Thyagaraja became one of the Trinity of Karnataka music. He spent most of his life at Thiruvayyuru, where he attained samadhi. A scholar and poet, Thyagaraja gave a new direction to Karnataka music. His famous works include the Panchanama kriris. Utsava Sampradaya keerranai, two operas, Prahlada Bhakti Vijayam and Nauka Chairtram, besides innumerable kritis.. mostly in Telugu. He created ragas from simple melodies. for example Karaharapriya, Harikambhoji, Devagandhari.