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Veerashaiva, Pashupata and Kapalika were sects of:
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Answer: Option A — Shaivism
Detailed Solution
The Veerashaiva (Lingayat), Pashupata and Kapalika were sects of Shaivism, the worship of Lord Shiva.
About these Shaiva sects:
"Pashupata": one of the oldest Shaiva sects, founded by Lakulisha (2nd century CE, according to tradition); its followers worshipped Shiva as "Pashupati" (lord of creatures), and practised severe austerities and unusual behaviour (such as pretending to be mad) to attract insult and thus destroy bad karma; the Lakulisha images are found in Gujarat and elsewhere.
"Kapalika": a radical sect whose followers carried skulls (kapala) as begging bowls, smeared themselves with ashes from cremation grounds, and worshipped the fierce form of Shiva (Bhairava); they were often criticised in literature, such as in the play "Mattavilasa Prahasana".
"Kalamukha": a sect related to the Pashupatas, important in Karnataka.
"Veerashaiva" (Lingayat): a reformist movement that arose in Karnataka in the 12th century; its followers wear a small linga (ishtalinga) on their body, and reject caste distinctions and ritual worship.
"Shaiva Siddhanta": a major school of Shaivism in Tamil Nadu, based on the Agamas and the hymns of the Nayanars.
"Kashmir Shaivism" (Pratyabhijna and Trika): a philosophical school in Kashmir, with great thinkers such as Vasugupta and Abhinavagupta.
"Nath" tradition: associated with Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath.
The development of Shaivism:
- Shiva is mentioned in the Vedas as Rudra.
- Shiva worship became popular in the post-Vedic and Gupta periods.
- In south India, the Nayanars spread the worship of Shiva through Tamil hymns.
- Many dynasties, such as the Cholas, Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas, were patrons of Shaivism.
Other religious traditions:
- "Vaishnavism": the worship of Vishnu and his avatars (such as Krishna and Rama).
- "Shaktism": the worship of the Mother Goddess (Shakti, Devi, Durga, Kali).
- "Smartism": the worship of five deities (Panchayatana).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Vaishnavism is the worship of Vishnu.
- ✗Shaktism is the worship of the Goddess.
- ✗Jainism is a separate religion.
Quick tip
Remember: Shaiva sects = Pashupata (Lakulisha), Kapalika, Kalamukha, Veerashaiva/Lingayat (12th century, Karnataka), Shaiva Siddhanta (Tamil Nadu), Kashmir Shaivism (Abhinavagupta).
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Bhakti & Sufi Movements — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Bhakti & Sufi Movements, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
The Bhakti and Sufi movements emphasised personal devotion to God over ritual and caste. This topic covers Bhakti saints such as Ramanuja, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas, Chaitanya, Namdev and Tukaram, and the Sufi orders (silsilas) such as the Chishti and Suhrawardi orders and their saints. Questions usually link a saint to their region, language, teacher or ideas, or ask which Sufi order a saint belonged to. For example, Moinuddin Chishti brought the Chishti order to Ajmer, and Kabir was a disciple of Ramananda. A table of saint, region and key teaching makes these questions easy. Practise the Bhakti and Sufi movements questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.