Importance of Women in the Bhakti Movement

Women in the Bhakti Movement

In the Bhakti Movement, a significant role was also played by female poet-saints. However, it is pertinent to note that many of these women saints had to struggle for acceptance within the otherwise largely male-dominated movement and it was only through demonstration of their utter devotion to the Divine, their outstanding poetry and stubborn insistence of their spiritual equality with their contemporaries, they were able to garner acceptance and more egalitarian access to the Divine. 

It is also interesting to note that since most of the bhakti poetry was grounded in the everyday familiar language of the ordinary people, the women bhaktas wrote more around the same issues such as the obstacles faced by them at home, family tensions, the absent husband, meaningless household chores, and restrictions of married life, including their status as married women. In many cases, the women saints rejected traditional women's roles and societal norms and left their husbands and homes altogether to become wandering bhaktas, while in some other instances, they tried to engage in Bhakti without discarding their household roles. Interestingly, conforming still largely to the patriarchal ideology that upheld the chaste and dutiful wife as ideal, these women transferred the object of their devotion and their duties as the 'loves' or 'wives' to their Divine Lover or Husband. In fact, from 6th to 13th centuries far greater number of women took part in the movement's earlier development, while during the later centuries, male bhaktas and saints dominated the Bhakti scene. 

Some Female Bhaktas 

1. Akkamahadevi: A 12th century bhakti saint who belonged to the southern region of Karnataka and earned the honorific title 'Akka' meaning 'elder sister' from prominent philosophers of her time Basavanna, Chenna Basavanna, Prabhudeva and Maldivalayya. She was as an ardent devotee of Shiva whom she addressed as Chennamallikarjuna.

2. Janabai: Was born around 13th century in Maharashtra in a low caste Sudra family. Coincidentally, she worked in the household of one of the most revered bhakti poets, saint Namdeva, and through she never had any formal schooling, she composed over 300 poems focusing on varied aspects pertaining to her life be it domestic chores or about the restrictions she faced as a low caste women. 

3. Mirabai or Mira: She is known for her devotional songs pertaining to Lord Krishna and interestingly her poetry portrays a unique relationship with Krishna as she is not only being portrayed as the devoted bride of Krishna, but Krishna is also portrayed as in pursuit of Mira . Mira belonged to a high class ruling Rajput family and was married to the son of Rana Sanga of Mewar at an early age but she was not interested in household life and eventually, she left her husband and family and went on a pilgrimage to various places associated with her divine husband, Krishna. Through she was rejected initially being a women, yet Mirabai's reputation of devotion, piety and intellectual astuteness eventually led to her inclusion within the community of the saints of Brindavan. 

4. Bahinabai or Bahina: She was a poet-saint from 17th century Maharashtra, who wrote different abangas, women' s folk songs, that portray the working life of women, especially in the fields.