Hemant Dharmat
Sant Shri Samarth Ramdas was a multifaceted religious personality, who helped Shivaji shape the history of Maharashtra. He was an accomplished Siddha Yogi and had a slim, well-muscled athletic physique. The thoughts and ideas contained in his famous book ‘Dasbodh’ have been inspiring monks, warriors, administrators, political leaders, householders and the common folk all alike. His sermons find relevance in day today challenges in the modern world as well. His composition ‘Manache Shlok’ is extremely popular in Maharashtra. He enunciated the ideal of establishing a harmonious, spiritually conscious Hindu society adhering to high moral standards through religious reforms with sociopolitical content.
Born in April 1608 AD on Ramnavmi, in a Brahmin family of village Jamb in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, Shri Samarath was named as Narayan, one of the most common names of Vishnu. Whereas his elder brother Gangadhar was a quiet and obedient child, Narayan had quite opposite traits in that he was very naughty, inquisitive and enthusiastic. Besides, he was adventurous, fond of swimming and often vanished into dense forests. At the time of Gangadhar’s initiation into spiritual path, Narayana also insisted for initiation. On being refused, he was taken aback, became introspective and started meditating for several hours at a stretch. His father Suryaji Pant passed away when he was barley 8 years old. His mother, Ranubhai decided to marry him as he attained 12 years of age. Child marriage was the norm during the period. He fled from the wedding podium in the middle of the wedding ceremony, when ‘Purohit’ uttered the word ‘Savdhan’ implying “Beware or be alert”. He immediately left the village, proceeded to Nasik and began penance standing waist deep in river Godavari, at a relatively serene place called Takli. He used to murmur Gayatri Mantra and ‘Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’ endlessly. He didn’t have a Guru in physical form and was directly led to the spiritual path by Lord Rama. Once he fasted for twenty-one days continuously at Ram Mandir in Nasik. The temple doors burst open, Lord Rama appeared before Shri Samarth and blessed him. Thereafter people started calling him Ramdas. He stayed at Nasik for 12 years. During the next 12 years, he traversed the length and breadth of India paying obeisance at places of pilgrimage and apprising himself with the condition of oppressed Hindus. He was greatly moved by the deplorable state of Hindu society and penned two books ‘Sultani’ and ‘Parachakraniroopan’ detailing the conditions of those times. While the Brahmins and the warrior Hindu clan had to willy-nilly hobnob with the rulers, the trading class had no option but to follow the administrators’ diktats. Shri Samarth influenced Hindus to stick to spiritual and moral values in the face of all odds. He singlehandedly devoted himself to rejuvenate oppressed Hindu society. He established numerous Hanuman temples and monasteries in Maharashtra besides a temple dedicated to Lord Ram. During his visit to a place of pilgrimage in north India, he is believed to have met Sikh Guru Hargobind in early 1630 at Srinagar located in district Pouri Garhwal of Uttarakhand State during latter’s journey to Gurudwara Nanakmata Sahib. At her mother’s request, Samarth Ramdas briefly visited his native village Jamb and cured her of blindness just by a touch of his hands on her eyelids.
He met Shivaji soon after the latter conquered Torna. Swayed by his eloquence and sagacity, Shivaji became his disciple. The saint asked Shivaji to establish secular Hindu kingdom under a ‘bhagwa’ flag. With renewed vigor, Shri Ramdas began meeting influential persons and the able-bodied youth exhorting them to support Shivaji. He continued his mission of inspiring Hindus to uphold spiritual and moral values, to shed worldly ways and imbibe the spirit of the warrior clan so as to confront Moghul chieftains. During his sojourn in the countryside he met Shivaji’s brother Vyankoji, who also agreed to become his ‘shishya’. Shivaji succeeded in overthrowing Moghuls from large swathes of lands in Maharashtra. Having realized his cherished goal, Chatarpati Shivaji was formally crowned in 1674. Samarth Ramdas blessed the King on the occasion. According to a story Shivaji is believed to have offered his kingdom to Shri Samarth Ramdas as ‘dakshina’. Both Guru and his disciple went around Satara town begging for food. On return Shivaji sought further instructions from his Guru. Shri Samarth Ramdas directed him to rule the kingdom never forgetting that he was not its owner but that it was entrusted to him by the Almighty to govern with righteousness.
The King gave Sajjangadh fort to the saint for setting up a permanent monastery. Shivaji died in 1980 at Raigarh fort after ruling the kingdom for barely 6 years. He was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. Samarth Ramdas wrote a letter to Samhaji incorporating Do’s and Don’ts to be followed for ruling the kingdom, which is treasured as a historical document. Shri Samarth Ramdas attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ in 1781 at Sajjangarh monastery. His disciple Kalyan, who compiled Dasbodh as dictated by Shri Samarth, died when his ‘Asthis’ were being immersed in the holy waters of the Ganges. Later King Sambhaji built Samadhi temple of Samarth Ramdas at Sajjangarh fort, which has over the years become a place of pilgrimage.
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