The Embodiment of BhaktiThis book offers an interpretive history of bhakti, an influential religious perspective in Hinduism. Prentiss argues that although bhakti is mentioned in every contemporary sourcebook on Indian religions, it still lacks an agreed-upon definition. "Devotion" is found to be the most commonly used synonym. Prentiss seeks a new perspective on this elusive concept. Her analysis of Tamil (south Indian) materials leads her to suggest that bhakti be understood as a doctrine of embodiment. Bhakti, she says, urges people towards active engagement in the worship of God. She proposes that the term "devotion" be replaced by "participation," emphasizing bhakti's call for engagement in worship and the necessity of embodiment to fulfill that obligation. |
Contents
3 | |
Images of Bhakti | 13 |
Bodies of Poetry | 43 |
Contours in Song Sculpture and Story | 77 |
A Corpus of Hymns | 115 |
Concluding Remarks | 153 |
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Common terms and phrases
actions agamas aṇava āṇava mala Appar Bhagavad Gītā Bhāgavata bhakti hymns Bhakti Movement bhakti poets bliss brahmans Buddhists Campantar canon century Chidambaram Chola context couplet Cuntarar dance described devotion discussion distinctive embodiment example experience Gītā grace guru Hindu Hinduism humankind hymnists hymns Ibid images of Śiva imperial temple inscription interpretation Jainism Jains kāma karma king knowledge lingam Lord Lord's Madras mantra māyā medieval müvar müvar's hymns Nampi nature nayanmar Nilai nirguna orientalists Pallava participation pati performed Periya Purāṇam perspective Peterson philosophical pilgrimage Poems to Śiva poetry praise priests pūjā Rājarāja recitation regional languages religion represented ritual sacred saints Saiva Śaiva Siddhanta Śaivism salvation sannyasin Sanskrit scholars Sembiyan sense servant Śiva Śiva's soul south India story suggests Tamil lands Tamil Śaiva Siddhanta Tamil Śiva-bhakti term Tēvāram Tillai tion Tirumantiram Tirumurai tradition translation Umapati understanding Vedas Vedic verses Vṛndāvana worship of Śiva