Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the
bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
during the 15th to 16th century CE.
[ Venerated as a '']guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
, Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
, Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
and Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
, he was a poet, social reformer and spiritual figure.
The life details of Ravidas are uncertain and contested. Scholars believe he was born in 1450 CE. But some Scholars believe he was born in 1377 CE and dead in 1528 CE. He taught removal of social divisions of caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
and gender, and promoted unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedom.
Ravidas's devotional verses were included in the Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
scriptures known as ''Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
''.[ The ''Panch Vani'' text of the Dadu Panthi tradition within ]Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
also includes numerous poems of Ravidas.[ He is also the central figure within the ]Ravidassia
Ravidassia or the Ravidas Panth is an Indian religion based on the teachings of Ravidass, who is revered as a satguru.
Historically, Ravidassia represented a range of beliefs in the Indian subcontinent, with some devotees of Ravidass counting the ...
religious movement
Various sociological classifications of religious movements have been proposed by scholars. In the sociology of religion, the most widely used classification is the church-sect typology. The typology is differently construed by different sociologi ...
.
Life
The details of Guru Ravidas's life are not well known. Scholars state he was born in 1377 CE and died in 1528 CE in Banaras at the age of 151 years.
Ravidas was also known as Guru Raidas. He was born in the village of Sir Gobardhanpur, near Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
in what is now Uttar Pradesh, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. His birthplace is now known as Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan
Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir, Seer Goverdhanpur, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India is the ultimate place of pilgrimage or religious headquarters for followers of the Ravidasi religion from communities like Ad-Dharmis, Ramdasia Sikhs, C ...
. Mata Kalsi was his mother, and his father was Santokh Dass. His parents belonged to a leather-working Chamar
Chamar is a Dalit community classified as a Scheduled Caste under modern India's system of affirmative action. Historically subject to untouchability, they were traditionally outside the Hindu ritual ranking system of castes known as varna. ...
community making them an untouchable caste. While his original occupation was leather work, he began to spend most of his time in spiritual pursuits at the banks of the Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
. Thereafter he spent most of his life in the company of Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
saints, sadhu
''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. Th ...
s and ascetics. At the age of 12, Ravidas was married of to Lona Devi. They had a son, Vijay Dass.
The text ''Anantadas Parcai'' is one of the earliest surviving biographies
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
of various Bhakti movement poets which talks about the birth of Ravidas.
Medieval era texts, such as the ''Bhaktamal
''Bhaktamal'' ( hi, भक्तमाल, ), written , is a poem in the Braj language that gives short biographies of more than 200 ''bhaktas''. It was written by Nabha Dass, a saint belonging to the tradition of Ramananda. Though considered a h ...
'' suggest that Guru Ravidas was the disciple of the Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
''bhakti''-poet Ramananda
Sri Ramanandacharya (IAST: Rāmānanda) was a 14th-century Vaishnava devotional poet saint, who lived in the Gangetic basin of northern India. The Hindu tradition recognizes him as the founder of the Ramanandi Sampradaya, the largest monastic ...
.David Lorenzen
David N. Lorenzen is a British–American historian, scholar of Religious studies, essayist, and emeritus professor of South Asian history at the Centre for Asian and African studies, El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
He is chiefly notable ...
(1996), Praises to a Formless God: Nirguni Texts from North India, State University of New York Press, , page 268 He is traditionally considered as Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...
's younger contemporary.[James Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z, ]Rosen Publishing
The Rosen Publishing Group is an American publisher for educational books for readers from ages pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. It was founded in 1950 under the name "Richards Rosen Press" and is located in New York City. The company changed i ...
, , page 569
However, the medieval text titled ''Ratnavali'' says Guru Ravidas gained his spiritual knowledge from Ramananda and was a follower of the Ramanandi Sampradaya
The Ramanandi (IAST ), also known as Ramavats (IAST ), are a branch of the Vaishnava Sri Sampradaya of Hinduism. Ramananda sect is the largest sect of Vaishnavas, out of 52 gates of Vaishnavism, 36 are held by Ramanandi's. They mainly emphasi ...
tradition.[
His ideas and fame grew over his lifetime, and texts suggest Brahmins (members of priestly upper caste) used to bow before him.][ He travelled extensively, visiting Hindu pilgrimage sites in ]Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
, Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
and those in the Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
. He abandoned ''saguna'' (with attributes, image) forms of supreme beings, and focussed on the ''nirguna'' (without attributes, abstract) form of supreme beings.[ As his poetic hymns in regional languages inspired others, people from various background sought his teachings and guidance.][
Most scholars believe that Guru Ravidas met ]Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...
, the founder of Sikhism.[ He is revered in the Sikh scripture, and 41 of Guru Ravidas' poems are included in the ]Adi Granth
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the re ...
. These poems are one of the oldest attested source of his ideas and literary works.[ Another substantial source of legends and stories about the life of Ravidas is the ]hagiography
A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...
in the Sikh tradition, named ''Premambodha''.[ This text, composed over 170 years after Guru Ravidas' death, in 1693, includes him as one of the seventeen saints of Indian religious tradition.][ The 17th-century Nabhadas's ]Bhaktamal
''Bhaktamal'' ( hi, भक्तमाल, ), written , is a poem in the Braj language that gives short biographies of more than 200 ''bhaktas''. It was written by Nabha Dass, a saint belonging to the tradition of Ramananda. Though considered a h ...
, and the ''Parcais'' of Anantadas, both contain chapters on Guru Ravidas. Other than these, the scriptures and texts of Sikh tradition and the Hindu Dadupanthi traditions, most other written sources about the life of Ravidas, including by the Ravidasi (followers of Guru Ravidas), were composed in the early 20th century, or about 400 years after his death.[
][Callewaert, Winand. (2003), Pilgrims, Patrons, and Place: Localizing Sanctity in Asian Religions (Editors: Phyllis Granoff and Koichi Shinohara), ]University of British Columbia Press
The University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press) is a university press that is part of the University of British Columbia. It was established in 1971. The press is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and has editorial offices in Kelo ...
, , pages 203-223 This text, called the ''Parcaīs'' (or ''Parchais''), included Ravidas among the sants whose biography and poems were included. Over time new manuscripts of ''Parcais of Anantadas'' were reproduced, some in different local languages of India. Winnand Callewaert notes that some 30 manuscripts of Anantadas's hagiography on Guru Ravidas have been found in different parts of India.[Winnand Callewaert (2000), The Hagiographies of Anantadas: The Bhakti Poets of North India, Routledge, , pages 303-307] Of these four manuscripts are complete, collated and have been dated to 1662, 1665, 1676 and 1687. The first three are close with some morphological variants without affecting the meaning, but the 1687 version systematically inserts verses into the text, at various locations, with caste-related statements, new claims of Brahmins persecuting Guru Ravidas, notes on the untouchability of Ravidas, claims of Kabir giving Ravidas ideas, ridicules of nirguni and saguni ideas, and such text corruption: Callewaert considers the 1676 version as the standard version, his critical edition of Ravidas's hagiography excludes all these insertions, and he remarks that the cleaner critical version of Anantadas's ''parcais'' suggests that there is more in common in the ideas of bhakti movement's Ravidas, Kabir and Sen than previously thought.[
Khare similarly has questioned the textual sources on Ravidas, and mentions there are few "readily available and reliable textual sources on the Hindu and Untouchable treatment of Ravidas."][Ravindra S Khare (1985), The Untouchable as Himself, Cambridge University Press, , pages 41-47]
Literary works
The ''Adi Granth'' of Sikhs, and ''Panchvani'' of the Hindu warrior-ascetic group ''Dadupanthis'' are the two oldest attested sources of the literary works of Guru Ravidas.[ In the ''Adi Granth'', forty of Ravidas's poems are included, and he is one of thirty six contributors to this foremost canonical scripture of Sikhism.][Pashaura Singh (2012), Fighting Words: Religion, Violence, and the Interpretation of Sacred Texts (Editor: John Renard), University of California Press, , pages 202-207][GS Chauhan (2009), Bani Of Bhagats, Hemkunt Press, , pages 41-55] This compilation of poetry in Adi Granth responds to, among other things, issues of dealing with conflict and tyranny, war and resolution, and willingness to dedicate one's life to the right cause.[ Ravidas's poetry covers topics such as the definition of a just state where there are no second or third class unequal citizens, the need for dispassion, and who is a real ]Yogi
A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297-299, 331 Th ...
.[
Jeffrey Ebbesen notes that, just like other bhakti saint-poets of India and some cases of Western literature authorship, many poems composed by later era Indian poets have been attributed to Ravidas, as an act of reverence, even though Guru Ravidas has had nothing to do with these poems or ideas expressed therein.
]
Guru Ravidas literature on symbolism
Peter Friedlander states that Guru Ravidas' hagiographies, though authored long after he died, depict a struggle within the Indian society, where Ravidas' life gives the means to express a variety of social and spiritual themes.[ At one level, it depicts a struggle between the then prevalent heterodox communities and the orthodox Brahminical tradition. At another level, the legends are an inter-communal, inter-religious struggle with an underlying search and desire for social unity. At yet another level, states Friedlander, the stories describe the spiritual struggle of an individual unto self.][Peter Friedlander (1996), Myth and Mythmaking: Continuous Evolution in Indian Tradition (Editor: Julia Leslie), Routledge, , pages 106-114]
There is no historical evidence to verify the historicity
Historicity is the historical actuality of persons and events, meaning the quality of being part of history instead of being a historical myth, legend, or fiction. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. Historicity denot ...
in these hagiographies, which range from Guru Ravidas's struggle with Hindu Brahmins, to his struggle with Muslim Sultan Sikander Lodi
Sikandar Khan Lodi (died 21 November 1517), born Nizam Khan, was a Pashtun Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate between 1489 and 1517. He became ruler of the Lodi dynasty after the death of his father Bahlul Khan Lodi in July 1489. The second and most s ...
. Friedlander states that the stories reflect the social dynamics that influenced the composers of the hagiographies during the 17th- to 20th-century. These are legends where Ravidas is victorious because God intervened with miracles such as making a stone float in water, or making river Ganges
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international river to which India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China are the riparian states." is ...
to reverse course and flow upstream.[
]David Lorenzen
David N. Lorenzen is a British–American historian, scholar of Religious studies, essayist, and emeritus professor of South Asian history at the Centre for Asian and African studies, El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
He is chiefly notable ...
similarly states that poetry attributed to Guru Ravidas, and championed by ''Ravidasi'' (his followers) from the 17th- through the 20th-century, have a strong anti-Brahminical and anti-communal theme.[ The legends, suggests Lorenzen, cannot be separated from the power and political situation of this era, and they reflect a strong element of social and religious dissent by groups marginalised during a period when Indian society was under the Islamic rule and later the colonial rule.][David Lorenzen (1995), Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, State University of New York Press, , pages 105-116, 292-303][
]
Philosophy
The songs of Guru Ravidas discuss '' Nirguna-Saguna'' themes, as well as ideas that are at the foundation of Nath Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
philosophy of Hinduism.[ He frequently mentions the term ''Sahaj'', a mystical state where there is a union of the truths of the many and the one.][
David Lorenzen states Ravidas's poetry is imbued with themes of boundless loving devotion to God, wherein this divine is envisioned as ''Nirguna''. In the Sikh tradition, the themes of ]Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...
's poetry are very broadly similar to the ''Nirgun bhakti'' ideas of Ravidas and other leading north Indian saint-poets.[Neeti M Sadarangani (2004), Bhakti Poetry in Medieval India: Its Inception, Cultural Encounter and Impact, Swarup & Sons, , pages i-xv, 115, 55-60, 72-76] Most postmodern scholars, states Karen Pechilis, consider Guru Ravidas's ideas to belong to the ''Nirguna'' philosophy within the bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
.
Monistic Brahman or Anthropomorphic God
Multiple manuscripts found in Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
and Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, dated to be from the 18th and 19th centuries, contain a theosophical
Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...
debate between Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...
and Ravidas on the nature of the Absolute, more specifically whether the Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
(Ultimate Reality, Eternal Truth) is monistic Oneness or a separate anthropomorphic incarnate.[ Kabir argues for the former. Ravidas, in contrast, argues from the latter premise to the effect that both are one.][ In these manuscripts, Kabir initially prevails, Ravidas accepts that Brahman is monistic, but till the end Kabir didn't accept worshipping a divine ]avatar
Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...
(''sagun'' conception).David Lorenzen
David N. Lorenzen is a British–American historian, scholar of Religious studies, essayist, and emeritus professor of South Asian history at the Centre for Asian and African studies, El Colegio de México in Mexico City.
He is chiefly notable ...
(1996), Praises to a Formless God: Nirguni Texts from North India, State University of New York Press, , pages 169-170
One man: two divergent claims on his views and philosophy
Ravindra Khare states that there are two divergent versions that emerge from the study of texts relating to Ravidas's philosophy. The 17th century Bhaktamal
''Bhaktamal'' ( hi, भक्तमाल, ), written , is a poem in the Braj language that gives short biographies of more than 200 ''bhaktas''. It was written by Nabha Dass, a saint belonging to the tradition of Ramananda. Though considered a h ...
text by Nabhadas provides one version, while the 20th-century texts by Dalit
Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold Varna (Hinduism), varna syste ...
s (the modern term for those previously called "untouchables") provide another.[
According to ''Bhaktamal'' text, Ravidas was of pure speech, capable of resolving spiritual doubts of those who held discussions with him, was unafraid to state his humble origins and real caste.][ Further, the ''Bhaktamal'' text states that Ravidas's teachings agreed with ]Vedic
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
and ancient scriptures, he subscribed to nondualism
Nondualism, also called nonduality and nondual awareness, is a fuzzy concept originating in Indian philosophy and religion for which many definitions can be found, including: nondual awareness, the nonduality of seer and seen or nondiffer ...
, discussed spiritual ideas and philosophy with everyone including Brahmins without gender or caste discrimination, and his abilities reflected an individual who had reached the inner content state of the highest ascetic
Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...
.[Ravindra S Khare (1985), The Untouchable as Himself, Cambridge University Press, , pages 41-45]
The 20th-century version, prevalent in the texts of Dalit community, concurs with the parts about pure speech and resolving spiritual doubts.[ However, they differ in the rest. The texts and the prevalent beliefs of the Dalit community hold that Ravidas rejected the Hindu Vedas, he was opposed by the Brahmins and resisted by the caste Hindus as well as Hindu ascetics throughout his life, and that some members of the Dalit community have believed Ravidas was an idol worshipper (saguni bhakti saint) while other 20th century texts assert that Ravidas rejected idolatry.][Ravindra S Khare (1985), The Untouchable as Himself, Cambridge University Press, , pages 46-53, 163-164] For example, the following hymn of Ravidas, present in Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, support such claims where he rejects Vedas and the belief that taking a ritualistic bath can make someone pure.
It has to be noted however, that his spiritual teacher Guru Ramananda was a Brahmin and his disciple Mirabai was a Rajput princess
Legacy
Ravidassia
The difference between the Ravidassia
Ravidassia or the Ravidas Panth is an Indian religion based on the teachings of Ravidass, who is revered as a satguru.
Historically, Ravidassia represented a range of beliefs in the Indian subcontinent, with some devotees of Ravidass counting the ...
and Sikhism, as described by a post made by Shri Guru Ravidass Temple in Ontario is as follows:
We, as Ravidassias have different traditions. We are not Sikhs. Even though, we give utmost respect to 10 gurus and Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Ravidass Ji is our supreme. There is no command for us to follow the declaration that there is no Guru after Guru Granth Sahib. We respect Guru Granth Sahib because it has our guru Ji's teachings and teachings of other religious figures who have spoken against caste system, spread the message of NAAM and equality. As per our traditions, we give utmost respect to contemporary gurus also who are carrying forward the message of Guru Ravidass Ji.
Ravidassia religion
Ravidassia or the Ravidas Panth is an Indian religion based on the teachings of Ravidass, who is revered as a satguru.
Historically, Ravidassia represented a range of beliefs in the Indian subcontinent, with some devotees of Ravidass counting the ...
is a spin-off religion from Sikhism, formed in the 21st century, by the followers of Ravidass's teachings. It was formed following a 2009 attack on a Ravidassia temple in Vienna by Sikh radicals leading to the death of deputy head Ramanand Dass
, Title = Sant Of Ravidassia Religion
, Period = 1973-74 to 2009
, ordination =
, post = Sant
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Alawalpur
, death_date =
, death_place ...
and 16 others injured, where after the movement declared itself to be a religion fully separated from Sikhism. The Ravidassia religion compiled a new holy book, ''Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji
''Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji'' is the holy book of the Ravidassia religion.
History
''Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji'' was compiled and edited by Ramanand Dass of Dera Sach Khand. The holy book's completion was announced by the Sant Samaj and by Der ...
''. Based entirely on the writings and teaching of Ravidas, it contains 240 hymns. Niranjan Dass is the head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan.
Kathryn Lum summarises the dynamics behind the separation of Ravidassia religion and Sikhism, and its focus on Ravidas, as follows:
Places of worship
Ravidas is revered as a saint and well respected by his believers. He is considered by his devotees as someone who was the living symbol of religious protest, and not as the spiritual symbol of any ultimate unifying cultural principle.
Politics
A political party was founded in India in 2012 by the followers of Ravidass, with the word Begumpura (''Be-gam-pura'', or "land without sorrow"), a term coined in a poem by Ravidas. The term means the city where there is no suffering or fear, and all are equal.
Guru Ravidas and Bhagtani Meera Bai
There is a small ''chhatri
''Chhatri'' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they serve as decorative elements. The earliest example of chhatri being used in the ...
'' (umbrella) in front of Meera's temple in Chittorgarh district
Chittorgarh district is one of the 33 districts of Rajasthan state in western India. The historic city of Chittaurgarh is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district was established on 1 August 1948 by integrating portions of ...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
which bears Ravidas' engraved foot print.''Chittauragarh Fort: An Enigma with a Thin Line between History and Mythology''
24 August 2009, Ghumakkar.com Legends link him as the ''guru'' of Meera
Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition.
Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...
, another major Bhakti movement
The Bhakti movement was a significant religious movement in medieval Hinduism that sought to bring religious reforms to all strata of society by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation. Originating in Tamilakam during 6th centur ...
poet.[Peter Heehs (2002), Indian Religions: A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience, New York University Press, , pages 368-370]
See also
* ''Sant Ravidas Ki Amar Kahani
''Sant Ravidas Ki Amar Kahani'' is a 1983 Indian devotional movie based on renowned saint Ravidas, directed by Babubhai Mistri, with music by Chitragupt. Ravidas (also Raidas, Rohidas and Ruhidas in eastern India) was a North Indian Sant mystic o ...
''
* Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
* Dalit Buddhist movement
* Ramdasia Sikhs
* Kabir
Kabir Das (1398–1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das, ...
* Kabir Jayanti
Kabir Praakat Diwas, is celebrated to commemorate the manifestation of Kabir saheb ji, a famous poet and mystic saint in India. It is celebrated once in a year on the full moon day in the Hindu month Jyeshtha, which is the month of May or June acc ...
* Ravidas Jayanti
* Shri Guru Ravidas Gurughar
Shri Guru Ravidas Gurughar, Tughlakabad (or Ravidas Temple Tughlakabad or Guru Ravidas Temple) is one of the important religious places of Ravidasi communities like Ad-Dharmis, Ramdasia Sikhs, Chamars, Jatavs, and Mochis. It is situated at T ...
References
External links
Shri Guru Ravidas Ji
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guru Ravidas
Vaishnava saints
Ravidassia
Indian Hindu spiritual teachers
Indian male poets
Sant Mat gurus
Year of birth unknown
Medieval Hindu religious leaders
Sikh Bhagats
15th-century Hindus
16th-century Hindus
15th-century Indian poets
16th-century Indian poets
Dalit saints
Scholars from Varanasi
Poets from Uttar Pradesh
Dalit Hindu saints