In Bhakti traditions, which two broad types of worship are mentioned?

Question

In Bhakti traditions, which two broad types of worship are mentioned?

1. A. Vedic and Non-Vedic
2. B. Saguna and Nirguna (Correct answer)
3. C. Orthodox and Reformist
4. D. Shaiva and Vaishnava

Correct Answer

Option B — Saguna and Nirguna

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Saguna and Nirguna.

Key Points

• The Bhakti tradition divides by how the divine is conceived:
  • Saguna — God with form and attributes, worshipped as Rama, Krishna, Shiva or Devi
  • Nirguna — God without form or attributes, formless and beyond image worship
• The distractors describe other classifications: Shaiva and Vaishnava are sects, not modes of worship, and Vedic/Non-Vedic and Orthodox/Reformist belong to different frameworks entirely.

Additional Information

• Saguna poets: Tulsidas and Surdas (Rama and Krishna devotion), Mirabai (Krishna) and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
• Nirguna poets: Kabir, Guru Nanak and Dadu Dayal, who rejected idol worship, ritual and caste distinction.
• The movement began in Tamil Nadu around the 6th-9th centuries with the Alvars (Vaishnavite) and Nayanars (Shaivite) before spreading north.
• Shankaracharya propounded Advaita (non-dualism), Ramanuja Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) and Madhvacharya Dvaita (dualism).

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

भक्ति परम्परा में उपासना के कौन से दो व्यापक प्रकार बताए गए हैं?

1. A. वैदिक और अवैदिक
2. B. सगुण और निर्गुण
3. C. रूढ़िवादी और सुधारवादी
4. D. शैव और वैष्णव