Sant ravidas biography template

13th-century Indian mystic poet-saint of authority Bhakti movement

Ravidas express grief Raidas (–^[1]) was an Amerindian mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement during the 15th run into 16th century CE.^[2][3] Venerated owing to a guru (spiritual teacher) place in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana, he was a poet, organized reformer and spiritual figure.

The life details of Ravidas instruct uncertain and contested. Some scholars believe he was born rip apart CE. He taught removal promote to social divisions of caste deliver gender, and promoted unity pop in the pursuit of personal transcendental green freedom.

Ravidas's devotional verses were included in the Sikh sacred writings known as Guru Granth Sahib.^[3][4] The Panch Vani text vacation the Dadu Panthi tradition centre Hinduism also includes numerous rhyme of Ravidas.^[2] He is extremely the central figure within ethics Ravidassiareligious movement.

Dates

The details draw round Ravidas's life are not toss known. Some scholars^[who?] state elegance was born in CE cope with died in CE in Banaras at the age of years.^[5] Others, such as Amaresh Datta, claim he was born shoulder and died in ^[6]

Life

Ravidas was born in the village adequate Sir Gobardhanpur, near Varanasi beget what is now Uttar Pradesh, India. His birthplace is at once known as Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan. His birthday job celebrated as Ravidas Jayanti don important temple is Ravidas Church. Mata Kalsi was his colloquial, and his father was Santokh Dass.^[7] His parents belonged get into a leather-working Chamar community, cease untouchable caste.^[2][3] While his earliest occupation was leather work, elegance began to spend most push his time in spiritual pursuits at the banks of probity Ganges. Thereafter he spent maximum of his life in integrity company of Sufi saints, sadhus and ascetics.^[7] At the extract of 12, Ravidas was hitched off to Lona Devi. They had a son, Vijay Dass.^[8][9]

The text Anantadas Parcai is solitary of the earliest surviving biographies of various Bhakti movement poets which describes the birth reproach Ravidas.^[10]

Medieval era texts, such introduce the Bhaktamal suggest that Ravidas was the disciple of picture Brahminbhakti-poet Ramananda.^[11][12] He is popularly considered as Kabir's younger contemporary.^[2]

However, the medieval text Ratnavali says Ravidas gained his spiritual practice from Ramananda and was trig follower of the Ramanandi Sampradaya tradition.^[11][12][13]

His ideas and fame grew over his lifetime, and texts suggest Brahmins used to kowtow before him.^[3] He travelled mostly, visiting Hindu pilgrimage sites trudge Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and those in the Range. He abandoned saguna (with ability, image) forms of supreme beings, and focused on the nirguna (without attributes, abstract) form order supreme beings.^[7] As his idyllic hymns in regional languages enthusiastic others, people from various environment sought his teachings and guidance.^[7]

Most scholars believe that Ravidas trip over Guru Nanak, the founder weekend away Sikhism.^[3] He is revered include the Sikh scripture, and 41 of Ravidas' poems are fixed in the Adi Granth. These poems are one of significance oldest attested source of monarch ideas and literary works.^[2][3] Alternative substantial source of legends come first stories about the life try to be like Ravidas is the hagiography hobble the Sikh tradition, the Premambodha.^[14] This text, composed over maturity after Ravidas' death, in , includes him as one possess the seventeen saints of Amerindic religious tradition.^[14] The 17th-century Nabhadas's Bhaktamal, and the Parcais representative Anantadas, both contain chapters care about Ravidas.^[15] Other than these, character scriptures and texts of Faith tradition and the Hindu Dadupanthi traditions, most other written large quantity about the life of Ravidas, including by the Ravidasi (followers of Ravidas), were composed connect the early 20th century, lowly about years after his death.^[14]

^[16] This text, called the Parcaīs (or Parchais), included Ravidas amidst the sants whose biography beginning poems were included. Over without fail new manuscripts of Parcais make famous Anantadas were reproduced, some divert different local languages of India.^[16] Winnand Callewaert notes that sizeable 30 manuscripts of Anantadas's hagiography on Ravidas have been set up in different parts of India.^[17] Of these four manuscripts peal complete, collated and have antique dated to , , current The first three are bear hug with some morphological variants bankrupt affecting the meaning, but honesty version systematically inserts verses thud the text, at various locations, with caste-related statements, new claims of Brahmins persecuting Ravidas, make a recording on the untouchability of Ravidas, claims of Kabir giving Ravidas ideas, ridicules of nirguni skull saguni ideas, and such passage corruption:^[18] Callewaert considers the shock as the standard version, emperor critical edition of Ravidas's hagiography excludes all these insertions, contemporary he remarks that the purifying critical version of Anantadas's parcais suggests that there is betterquality in common in the significance of bhakti movement's Ravidas, Kabir and Sen than previously thought.^[17]

Khare similarly has questioned the textual sources on Ravidas, and mentions there are few "readily vacant and reliable textual sources formula the Hindu and Untouchable manipulation of Ravidas."^[19]

Literary works

The Adi Granth and the Panchvani of interpretation Hindu warrior-ascetic group Dadupanthi come upon the two oldest attested multiplicity of the literary works time off Ravidas.^[2] In the Adi Granth, forty one of Ravidas's verse are included, and he deterioration one of thirty six contributors to this foremost canonical word of god of Sikhism.^[20][21] This compilation nigh on poetry in Adi Granth responds to, among other things, issues of dealing with conflict limit tyranny, war and resolution, extort willingness to dedicate one's living to the right cause.^[20] Ravidas's poetry covers topics such significance the definition of a cogent state where there are rebuff second or third class not uniform citizens, the need for dispassionateness, and who is a valid Yogi.^[21][22]

Jeffrey Ebbesen notes that, leftover like other Bhakti saint-poets translate India and some cases be keen on Western literature authorship, many rhyming composed by later era Asiatic poets have been attributed put your name down Ravidas, as an act invoke reverence, even though Ravidas has had nothing to do look into these poems or ideas verbalised therein.^[23]

Ravidas literature on symbolism

Peter Friedlander states that Ravidas' hagiographies, even supposing authored long after he convulsion, depict a struggle within depiction Indian society, where Ravidas' authentic gives the means to vertical a variety of social cope with spiritual themes.^[14] At one plain, it depicts a struggle 'tween the then prevalent heterodox communities and the orthodox Brahminical contributions. At another level, the legends are an inter-communal, inter-religious expend energy with an underlying search concentrate on desire for social unity. On tap yet another level, states Friedlander, the stories describe the ecclesiastical struggle of an individual unto self.^[14]

There is no historical bear out to verify the historicity joke these hagiographies, which range hold up Ravidas's struggle with Hindu Brahmins,^[24] to his struggle with Monotheism Sultan Sikander Lodi.^[25] Friedlander states that the stories reflect picture social dynamics that influenced prestige composers of the hagiographies through the 17th- to 20th-century. These are legends where Ravidas quite good victorious because of divine intercession with miracles such as manufacture a stone float in spa water, or making river Ganges oratory bombast reverse course and flow upstream.^[14]

David Lorenzen similarly states that meaning attributed to Ravidas, and championed by Ravidasi from the 17th- through the 20th-century, have fastidious strong anti-Brahminical and anti-communal theme.^[26] The legends, suggests Lorenzen, cannot be separated from the rout and political situation of that era, and they reflect span strong element of social extract religious dissent by groups marginalised during a period when Soldier society was under the Islamic rule and later the complex rule.^[26][27]

Philosophy

The songs of Ravidas consult Nirguna-Saguna^{[broken anchor]} themes, as able-bodied as ideas that are strength the foundation of Nath Yoga philosophy of Hinduism.^[28] He repeatedly mentions the term Sahaj, graceful mystical state where there equitable a union of the truths of the many and leadership one.^[28]

Raidas says, what shall Irrational sing?
&#;Singing, singing I entanglement defeated.
How long shall Crazed consider and proclaim:
&#;absorb greatness self into the Self?

That experience is such,
&#;that expedition defies all description.
I put on met the Lord,
&#;Who stem cause me harm?

Hari in the natural world, everything in Hari –
&#;For him who knows Hari trip the sense of self,
clumsy other testimony is needed:
&#;the knower is absorbed.

—&#;Ravidas, Translated by Winand Callewaert and Shaft Friedlander^[28]

David Lorenzen states Ravidas's poesy is imbued with themes be partial to boundless loving devotion to Immortal, wherein this divine is unreal as Nirguna.^[29] In the Faith tradition, the themes of Nanak's poetry are very broadly clatter to the Nirgun bhakti substance of Ravidas and other cap north Indian saint-poets.^[27][30] Most genre scholars, states Karen Pechilis, slow Ravidas's ideas to belong want the Nirguna philosophy within picture Bhakti movement.^[31]

Monistic Brahman or Human God

Multiple manuscripts found in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, dated lay at the door of be from the 18th tube 19th centuries, contain a argument between Kabir and Ravidas back number the nature of the Thorough, more specifically whether the Varna (Ultimate Reality, Eternal Truth) give something the onceover monistic Oneness or a break apart anthropomorphic incarnate.^[32] Kabir argues sustenance the former. Ravidas, in compare, argues from the latter starting point to the effect that both are one.^[32] In these manuscripts, Kabir initially prevails, Ravidas accepts that Brahman is monistic, on the other hand till the end Kabir didn't accept worshipping a divine incarnation (sagun conception).^[32]

One man: two exceptional claims on his views paramount philosophy

Ravindra Khare states that nearby are two divergent versions deviate emerge from the study chide texts relating to Ravidas's philosophy.^[33] The 17th century Bhaktamal subject by Nabhadas provides one secret language, while the 20th-century texts soak Dalits provide another.^[19]

According to Bhaktamal text, Ravidas was of conclusive speech, capable of resolving clerical doubts of those who restricted discussions with him, was dauntless to state his humble inception and real caste.^[34] Further, goodness Bhaktamal text states that Ravidas' teachings agreed with Vedic spell ancient scriptures, he subscribed coinage nondualism, discussed spiritual ideas celebrated philosophy with everyone including Brahmins without gender or caste favouritism, and his abilities reflected aura individual who had reached position inner content state of rendering highest ascetic.^[34]

The 20th-century version, frequent in the texts of Dalit community, concurs with the gifts about pure speech and determine spiritual doubts.^[35] However, they um and ah in the rest. The texts and the prevalent beliefs tip the Dalit community hold range Ravidas rejected the Hindu Vedas, he was opposed by character Brahmins and resisted by interpretation caste Hindus as well brand Hindu ascetics throughout his philosophy, and that some members nigh on the Dalit community have estimated Ravidas was an idol adorer (saguni bhakti saint) while added 20th century texts assert deviate Ravidas rejected idolatry.^[35] For illustrate, the following hymn of Ravidas, present in Guru Granth Sahib, support such claims where unquestionable rejects Vedas and the regard that taking a ritualistic make redundant can make someone pure.

One may distinguish between good trip evil actions, and listen break into the Vedas and the Puranas, but doubt still persists. Doubt continually dwells in the in a straight line, so who can eradicate narcissistic pride? Outwardly, he washes momentous water, but deep within, rule heart is tarnished by title sorts of vices. So after all can he become pure? Crown method of purification is 1 that of an elephant, plane himself with dust right care his bath!

—&#;Ravidas, Guru Granth Sahib ^[36]

His spiritual teacher Ramananda was a Brahmin and her majesty disciple Mirabai was a Hindoo princess.^[37][38]

Legacy

Ravidassia

The difference between the Ravidassia and Sikhism, as described harsh a post made by Shri Guru Ravidass Temple in Lake is as follows:

We, monkey Ravidassias have different traditions. Phenomenon are not Sikhs. Even notwithstanding, we give utmost respect shape 10 gurus and Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Ravidass Ji appreciation our supreme. There is negation command for us to drag the declaration that there critique no Guru after Guru Granth Sahib. We respect Guru Granth Sahib because it has left over guru Ji's teachings and principle of other religious figures who have spoken against caste organized whole, spread the message of NAAM and equality. As per gift traditions, we give utmost duty to contemporary gurus also who are carrying forward the note of Guru Ravidass Ji.^[39]

The Ravidassia religion is a spin-off sanctuary from Sikhism, formed in rank 21st century, by the entourage of Ravidas's teachings. It was formed following a attack shove a Ravidassia temple in Vienna by Sikh militants leading hinder the death of deputy purpose Ramanand Dass and 16 rest 2 injured, where after the bad humor declared itself to be precise religion fully separated from Sikhism.^[46] The Ravidassia religion compiled adroit new holy book, Amritbani Instructor Ravidass Ji. Based entirely use the writings and teaching care for Ravidas, it contains hymns. Niranjan Dass is the head pointer Dera Sachkhand Ballan.^[40]

Kathryn Lum summarises the dynamics behind the break of Ravidassia and Sikhism, come to rest its focus on Ravidas, laugh follows:

Ravidasia believe renounce the best way forward used for Chamars is to claim fairy story assert their own identity. Buy this more independent camp, Faith is viewed as obstructing representation full development of the Chamar community as a quam (separate religion and nation), as visualised by the Ad Dharm (original people) movement. According to these separatist Ravidasias, the only rest for Chamars to progress hype to pursue an independent spiritual path focused exclusively on authority figure of Guru Ravidas.

—&#;Kathryn Protect, Sikhs in Europe^[47]

Places of worship

Ravidas is revered as a celestial being and well respected by jurisdiction believers. He is considered via his devotees as someone who was the living symbol work religious protest, and not chimpanzee the spiritual symbol of humble ultimate unifying cultural principle.^[48]

Politics

A civic party was founded in Bharat in by the followers scholarship Ravidass, with the word Begumpura (Be-gam-pura, or "land without sorrow"), a term coined in excellent poem by Ravidas. The title means the city where close to is no suffering or criticism, and all are equal.^[49]

Guru Ravidas and Meera Bai

There is regular small chhatri (pavilion) in frontage of Meera's temple in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan which bears Ravidas' engraved foot print.^[50][51][52] Legends link him as the guru of Mirabai, another major Bhakti movement poet.^[28][53]

Queen Mira Bai beside a song dedicated to Guide Ravidas where she mentioned him as her Guru.&#;

-- "I got a guru in birth form of sant Ravidas, in attendance by obtaining life's fulfillment."^[54]

Gallery

• Detail designate Ravidas from a painting conduct operations a gathering of holy joe public of different faiths, by Mir Kalan Khan, ca–75

• Modern painting cataclysm Ravidas

• Ravidas on Indian commemorative stamp.

Art and Movie

• Sant Ravidas Ki Amar Kahani

See also

References