Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
‘Bijak’ is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal.
The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is incorrect. The Bijak is associated with the compositions of Kabir, not Dadu Dayal. Kabir was a major saint of the Nirguna Bhakti tradition of the fifteenth–sixteenth centuries. His compositions circulated mainly in the form of sakhis and pads, and different collections of his verses and ideas were subsequently compiled. NCERT explicitly records that some of Kabir's compositions were later collected and preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, Panch Vani and Bijak.
Statement 2 is also incorrect. Pushti Marg was propounded by Vallabhacharya, not Madhvacharya. Vallabhacharya (1479–1531 CE) was an important Vaishnava teacher of Krishna Bhakti. The Pushtimarg founded by him means the ‘Way of Grace’, and it places particular emphasis on loving devotion and service to Krishna, especially child Krishna.
In contrast, Madhvacharya is associated with Dvaita Vedanta. His philosophy maintains a real distinction between God and the individual soul and recognises Vishnu as the supreme deity. Thus, Pushti Marg—Vallabhacharya and Dvaita Vedanta—Madhvacharya should be remembered as separate associations.