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How many of the following statements about Bhakti poet Namdev is/are correct? 1. He seems to have played a part in transmitting the southern Bhakti to northern India. 2. He was a rigorous monotheist and opposed caste distinctions. 3. He was a devout follower of Kabir. Select the correct answer.
Explanation
Sant Namdev (c. 1270–1350) was a pivotal Varkari saint from Maharashtra who played a significant role in transmitting the southern Bhakti tradition to northern India. He traveled extensively, and his influence reached as far as Punjab, where his hymns were later included in the Guru Granth Sahib [1]. Statement 1 is correct as he connected Maharashtrian Bhakti with North Indian monotheism. Statement 2 is also correct; as a Shudra tailor, he disregarded caste distinctions and emphasized a monotheistic devotion to Vitthal [1]. Statement 3 is incorrect because Namdev lived approximately 130 to 200 years before Kabir and Guru Nanak. While both shared similar radical ideas against rituals and caste, Namdev was a predecessor, not a follower of Kabir. Thus, only two statements are correct.
Sources
- [1] https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/socp12/chapter/bhakti/