Bhakti Movement in South India

Saguna & Nirguna

Saguna - Form (Shiv & Vishnu)
Nirguna - Formless

Bhakti Movement Started

In South India 7th to 12th CE
By poet-saints Nayanars (63 Shivaa)
And Alvars (12 Vishnu)

Bhakti Movement Features

Discarded rituals and sacrifices
Monotheistic by Nature
God has either Saguna or Nirguna form

Bhakti Movement Social Reforms

Disregarded caste system
Opposed Sati and female infanticide

Vishishtadvaita School

Ramanuja

Dvaitadvaita / Bhedabhed School

Nimbarka

Dvaita School

Madhava

Shuddhadvaita School

Vishnu swami

Popularized by Vallabhacharya

Advaita (non-dualism) School

Sankaracharya

The Tevaram

a collection of devotional hymns written by the first three great Nayanmars
Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), Sambandar, and Sundarar (Sundaramurti)

Manikkavasagar

Written Thiruvasagam that mention first 3 Nayanmars

Tirumurais

Collection of works of Nayanars
Called as the fifth Veda

Periya Puranam

By Sekkizhar in the 12th century.
Records lives of all 63 Nayanmars

Andal

She's the only woman Alvar
Famous for her works Tiruppavai and Nachiyar Tirumozhi

Divya Prabandham

The collection of hymns by Alvar