D.R.Bhagat
India is a land of great saints. The period from 1200-1700AD was a period of Bhakti movement in India when many great saints appeared on this land especially in Northern and Central India who devoted their life for the cause of humanity and preaching the oneness of God. During the medieval period in India, the Hindu religion had become the property of a few orthodox Brahmins who used it to misguide the simple and illiterate people for maintaining their hegemony. The social and religious order was in distress as they were preaching caste and dogmas. The saints worked as a messenger of God and made the people to understand the true meaning of religion and spread the message of God. Among these saints, Guru Ravidas occupied a special place. Being born in a caste which was treated as a low caste, he had to face humiliation in the hands of so called religious preachers of high castes at that time. Guru Ravidas was born 640 years back in a village Seer Goverdhan Pur near Varanasi on the day of Magh Purnima in 1377 AD as a son of Baba Santokh Das and Mata Kalsa Devi.
Ravidas as a child used to listen sermons from holy people in the company of his mother. He had therefore developed spiritual thoughts at a very little age of 7. He always kept himself busy in the company of saints and did not have a time to attend any household work. His parents became worried to see their son being detached from the worldly affairs. To keep him busy in the family affairs, they got him married with Mata Lona at very young age. But there was no change in his behavior. He kept himself busy in the company of holy persons. His spiritual Guru was Ramanand. As per Bhagata Mal written by Nabha Das, he was one among the 12 famous disciples of Ramanand including Kabir.
Guru Ravidas had no lust for material wealth. Once a Sadhu came to his hut. He had a Paras in his hands. He told Ravidas Ji that if you touch any of your tools with this Paras, it will become gold and offered him the same. Guru Ravidas refused to take it but on his insistence, Guru Ravidas asked the Sadhu to keep it anywhere in the hut. The Sadhu placed the Paras at a point in the hut. After about one year, the same Sadhu again came to Ravidas thinking that the Guru might have become rich by using the Paras but he was surprised to see him in the same condition. He asked Guru Ravidas about the Paras and the reason why he has not used it. He replied that you can have it from where you kept it. About not using the same Ravidas said, “Paras mani mohe ratu na bhave, jag janjar na thora, keh Ravidas taj sabh trishna,Ram naam chit jora”
He said that the name of God is the only truth which can transform even a sinner to a saint. He remained busy in Bhakti and always served the poor and holy people. He started giving discourses to the people and the crowd of people to listen him increased day by day. His fame spread in every corner of Varanasi and around. The ruler of the state Raja Peepa also came to know about this great saint and he decided to see Guru Ravidas. One day when he went there, Guru Ravidas was busy in repairing the shoes. He asked for the blessings of the Guru who gave some water from his leather wetting kund and asked him to drink this nectar. Raja was not willing to drink this water which was taken from the leather wetting kund in front of him. So pretending that he has drunk this water he secretly threw it inside his shirt. When the king went home, he sent his clothes to washer man for washing. When the daughter of the washer man was washing the clothes, she saw a spot on the shirt of the king which was developed by the kund water thrown by the king inside his shirt. In order to remove the spot, the girl sucked that spot by her mouth. It is said that immediately after that the washer man’s daughter started talking saintly. The word spread in the town and everybody was eager to see this girl. The king also visited the girl and was surprised to see her talking like a saint. He asked her about this saintly knowledge. She told the king that while washing his clothes, she sucked the spot on his shirt and immediately after that her thoughts were purified. The king understood his folly and once again came to Ravidas. He prayed him to give that nectar again. Guru Ravidas told him that the nectar could only be given once. Now I will give you the Naam and by reciting it and performing Bhagti, you can also become a saint. This king became a staunch disciple of Guru Ravidas and is remembered as a saint.
The orthodox Brahmans of Kashi were jealous of increasing popularity of Ravidas. They complained the king that Ravidas being born in a low caste is giving discourses to people which is not allowed in Shastras. The king called Ravidas in his court. The complainant Brahmins also came there to keep their case. After some discussion, the king decided to examine the truth of both the sides. For this, he called for a deity and placed it between Ravidas and Brahmins. He said that whosoever from you brings this deity towards their/his side without touching it shall be treated as having a true faith. The Brahmins first tried to attract the deity by reciting mantras but they failed to move it. Then Guru Ravidas looking at the deity uttered these words. ” Aisi jin karyo maharaj, door mahin tum baithe dekho bigrat hai yun kaaj”. At this the deity started moving from its place and came in the lap of Guru Ravidas. Everybody present there was surprised.The king begged pardon from the Guru and arranged a big procession in his honuor. It is said that Guru Ravidas was blessed with the spiritual powers by birth. He once gave life to one of his friends who was the son of his teacher Shardanand who died suddenly. Mirabai, the queen of Mewar was impressed by the teachings of Guru Ravidas and became his disciple which is evident from her writing,”Meera ne Govind milya ji Guru milya Ravidas .”Another queen of Mewar Rani Jhali was also her disciple. The spiritual philosophy of Guru Ravidas was as simple as his life.He believed in Nirgun Bhagti like Nanak and Kabir. He said that we cannot find God by false rituals like having a bath in Ganga, going to the jungles for bhakti, performing puja by various rituals. He said, “Man change, kathoti mein Ganga” He said that God is inside our body and it is omnipresent. Our soul is a part of God. We can find Him by purifying our heart. It cannot be found by visiting temples, visiting Kailash Parbat or Kaba. In one of his Shlokas he said, “Kaba aur Kailash mein, jo ku dhundhan jahi Ravidas pyara Ram to baithe man mahin”. He vehemently opposed the caste system in the society. He said that man is known by his Karma and not by his caste. In one of his couplets he writes, “Janam jaat na puchhiye, ka jaat aur paat Ravidas poot sabh prabh ke, kou nahin jaat kujaat”
His devotional songs and verses made a lasting impact on the Bhakti movement. Recognizing him as a great saint, Guru Arjun Dev Ji while compiling the holy Guru Granth Sahib has incorporated 41 hymns from the Bani of Guru Ravidas. He is one among the 15 Indian saints other than the Sikh Gurus whose literary work has been included in the holy Sikh scripture. His contemporary and the saints after him like Kabir, Mirabai, Tukka Ram, Paltu and Dadu were impressed by Ravidas Ji and they have referred it in their own Banis. Kabir in praise of Ravidas said,
” SANTAN MEIN RAVI DAS SANT HAIN ”
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