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Hinduism as distinct fi-om Brahmanism of the earlier period has never been monolithic and indivisible. It could be described more as a union than a unity. Even in the earlier period, especially towards the close of the age of Upanishads, there appeared three different approaches to the realization of moksha, viz., the Gnana, Karma and Bhakti margas. The last two were designed for the ordinary masses, while the first was set apart for a chosen few. The Gnana marga led to practices of meditation and contemplation associated with tapas. The Karma marga led to a proliferation of religious observances and rituals. The third and the last inculcated the ideas of Bhakti or intense attachment to a personal God.