Devotional Paths to the Divine

Q1. True/False

                            i.        Tribal societies had rich oral traditions. True

                           ii.        Pulaiyar and the Panars were the caste of barahamans. False

                          iii.        Abhang is a Marathi devotional hymn. True

                          iv.        Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Hindu. False

                           v.        All of Nanak’s compositions were compiled by Guru Arjan in 1604.True

                          vi.        By the word "MAYA" Shankara meant illusion. True

          vii.        The doctrine of vishishtadvaita was propounded by sankracharya. False

Q2. Fill in the blanks

                            i.        Shankara was an advocate of Advaita.

                           ii.        Ramanuja was influenced by the Alvars.

                          iii.        Basavanna, Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi were advocates of Virashaivism.

                          iv.        Pandharpur was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.

                           v.        In the process, local myths and legends became a part of the Puranic stories.

                          vi.        Alvars’ songs were compiled in the Divya Prabandham.

          vii.        Nayanars saints were devoted to Shiva and Alvars saints were devoted to Vishnu.

          viii.        Bhakti and Sufi movements have evolved since the eighth century.

Q3. Who translated the bible into german language?

Ans. Martin Luther

Q4. What is the new name of dharmsal?

Ans. Gurdwara

Q5. How many Alvars were there?

Ans. There were 12 Alvars.

Q6. How many Nayanars were there?

Ans. There were 63 Nayanars.

Q7. What is Abhang?

Ans.  Abhang is a Marathi devotional hymn.

Q8. What is Langar?

Ans. Langar means common kitchen.

Q9. Where is the Vitthala temple located?

Ans. Vitthala is a form of Vishnu temple located in Pandharpur.

Q10. What is Guru Granth Sahib?

Ans. Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

Q11. Who were Sufis?

Ans. Sufis were Muslim mystics.

Q12. Name any two great Sufis of Central Asia.

Ans. Ghazzali and Rumi

Q13. What was known as dharmsal?

Ans. The sacred space created by Guru Nanak was known as dharmsal.

Q14. Who composed Ramcharitmanas?

Ans.  Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi.

Q15. Name the holy law developed by Muslim scholars.

Ans. Muslim scholars developed a holy law called Shariat.

Q16. What is Hagiographies?

Ans. Hagiographies are religious biographies of the Alvars and Nayanars.

Q17. What are namghars?

Ans. Namghars are houses of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues to date.

Q18. Which is the earliest example of Tamil literature, composed during the early centuries of the Common Era?

Ans. Sangam literature

Q19. Name the two sets of compilations of Nayanar’s songs.

Ans. There are two sets of compilations of their songs – Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.

Q20. What does khanqah or hospice mean?

Ans.  Khanqah or hospice means house of rest for travellers, especially one kept by a religious order.