Asia 358 Final paper 
Final Paper
ASIA 358
Introduction:
Bhakti poetry is in some ways essentially poetry of subversion. The way that poets lived their lives and expressed themselves in poetry went against societal expectations and norms. This can be seen through the poetry and hagiography of various poets.
Poets like Mirabai, Mahadeviakka, Ravidas and Basavanna have played a significant role in the bhakti movement and are known to have lived a life that may be called
‘troublesome’: all of these poets have challenged society as a part of their devotional practice and beliefs. For example Mirabai and Mahadeviakka are women that have a feminist aspect to their devotion, in the way they love their god wholeheartedly and how they break society’s expectations of them as women. Ravidas and Basavanna are male poets that are also known to have broken society’s rules in terms of caste hierarchy. Thus, both genders have similarities and differences in the expression of poetry and the way they question the society.
Mirabai and Mahadevi Akka:
Mirabai was a Rajput princess born to a maharaja of the Rathore dynasty. She is known to have broken all barriers of caste and expectations of her role as a woman
(Hawley & Juergensmeyer, 1988). Rajputh women had two main practices:
Worshiping the ‘kuldevi’ (goddess of their clan) and ‘sati’ or immolating themselves in their husbands’ funeral (Harlan, 1992). Mirabai often “got in trouble with the
Rajput novelty. As a wife she had to worship the deity of the family of her in-laws, in this case Kali, the Goddess of the warriors. Mirabai, however, decisively refused that obligation and acknowledged only Krishna as her exclusive God” ('Hindu Feminism',
2009). The idea of a woman deciding her religion, her identity and whom she considers her husband was something that Miabhai fought for throughout. She fought
1
for her freedom during a time
ASIA 358
Introduction:
Bhakti poetry is in some ways essentially poetry of subversion. The way that poets lived their lives and expressed themselves in poetry went against societal expectations and norms. This can be seen through the poetry and hagiography of various poets.
Poets like Mirabai, Mahadeviakka, Ravidas and Basavanna have played a significant role in the bhakti movement and are known to have lived a life that may be called
‘troublesome’: all of these poets have challenged society as a part of their devotional practice and beliefs. For example Mirabai and Mahadeviakka are women that have a feminist aspect to their devotion, in the way they love their god wholeheartedly and how they break society’s expectations of them as women. Ravidas and Basavanna are male poets that are also known to have broken society’s rules in terms of caste hierarchy. Thus, both genders have similarities and differences in the expression of poetry and the way they question the society.
Mirabai and Mahadevi Akka:
Mirabai was a Rajput princess born to a maharaja of the Rathore dynasty. She is known to have broken all barriers of caste and expectations of her role as a woman
(Hawley & Juergensmeyer, 1988). Rajputh women had two main practices:
Worshiping the ‘kuldevi’ (goddess of their clan) and ‘sati’ or immolating themselves in their husbands’ funeral (Harlan, 1992). Mirabai often “got in trouble with the
Rajput novelty. As a wife she had to worship the deity of the family of her in-laws, in this case Kali, the Goddess of the warriors. Mirabai, however, decisively refused that obligation and acknowledged only Krishna as her exclusive God” ('Hindu Feminism',
2009). The idea of a woman deciding her religion, her identity and whom she considers her husband was something that Miabhai fought for throughout. She fought
1
for her freedom during a time