Q. Consider the following statements with respect to Ramananda:

1. He was a Nirguna bhakti saint.
2. Ravidas and Kabir were among his disciples.
3. He was a bit of a social reformer.

Which of the above is / are correct?
Answer: Only 2 and 3
Notes: Ramananda was a follower of Ramanujacharya. He was born at Prayag. He lived there and at Banaras. He was a worshipper of Rama i.e. he was a Saguna bhakti saint. A Nirguna bhakti saint worships a formless God. Ramananda substituted the worship of Rama in place of Vishnu. So, statement 1 is incorrect. He enrolled disciples from all the castes, including lower castes. Among his disciples were Ravidas, a cobbler; Kabir, a weaver; Sena, a barber; and Sadhana, a butcher. So, statement 2 is correct. Ramananda taught his doctrine of Bhakti to all the four varnas. He disregarded the ban on people of different castes cooking together and sharing the meals. So, statement 3 is correct as well.

This question is part of UPSC Daily 20 MCQ Series Course on GKToday Android app.