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 |
Um257pati Civ257c257ry257rs Tev257ra Arulmuraittirattu | 157 |
Um257pati Civ257c257ry257rs Tiruvarutpayan | 189 |
Notes | 211 |
| 249 | |
| 259 | |
Common terms and phrases
actions āgamas anava Appar Bhagavad Gītā Bhagavata bhakti hymns 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 Māhātmya mala mantra māyā medieval müvar müvar's hymns Nampi nature nāyanmar Nilai nirguna orientalists Pallava participation performed Periya Purāṇam perspective Peterson philosophical pilgrimage Poems to Śiva poetry praise priests pūjā Purāņa Rājarāja Rāmānuja recitation regional languages religion represented ritual sacred saguna saints Śaivism śakti salvation sannyāsin Sanskrit scholars Sembiyan sense servant Siddhānta philosophy Śiva Śiva's soul south India story suggests Tamil lands Tamil Śaiva Siddhānta Tamil Śiva-bhakti term Tēvāram Tillai tion Tirumantiram Tirumurai Tiruttontattokai tontar tradition translation Umāpati understanding Vedas Vedic verses worship of Śiva