GURU RAVI DASS –A – Par-Excellent Mystic Bhagti Saint

GURU RAVI DASS –A – Par-Excellent Mystic Bhagti Saint . ( Revised and Enlarged (On the Eve of Sant Shromani Shri Guru Ravi Dass Ji’s 644 th Birthday which falls on Saturday the 27th February 2021) By: Er. H. R. Phonsa Among the Saints, Ravi Dass is the true saint, thus sayeth Sat Guru Kabir “So purifying is Guru Ravi Dass, that the dust of his holy feet is worshiped by all.” said Guru Nabha Dass. “Having found Raidas my Guru, I have found God”, so said Meera Guru Sain Ji writes in Sain Sagar “Bhagat Ravidas did a miracle as he caught hold and enslaved Thakur, means Creator”. Guru Ravi Dass was born on Magh Purnima (Sunday)in Samvat 1471 ( 1414 AD ) to Shri Raghu and Shrimati Mata Karma Devi of Chamar caste at Mandiva Thein ,now called Goverdhan Pura ,near Banaras Some scholars give the names of his parents as Sh. Santosh Dass and revered Mata Kalsi Devi Guru Ravi Dass lived an exalted life span of 126 years and left his mortal frame in 1540 AD to join back into the supreme ocean of Bliss or the Creator of Universe. However, some scholars quote his life span of 151 years which too is not impossible for such a pure soul as Guru Ravi Dass, happened to be. But for want of authentic information such things are bound to happen. Now a beautiful memorial 7-storey Mandir (temple )stands erected at Guru Ravi Dass Ji’s birth place at Seer Govardhanpur, near Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi(UP) by the Guru Sangat Also a Sawrna Palki or (Golden Palanquins) has been installed there in honour of the Great emancipator of Dalit. The Birmingham (UK) devotees collectively donated for the Swarn Palki. Swarn Palki was unveiled by Behan Mayawati Ji, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh on 21st February, 2008 – on Paramsant Guru Ravidass Jyanti Day. Guru Ravi Dass was born at a time when the orthodox and superstitious Hindu and Muslim priests were propagating rituals, exterior body decorations, scarifying animals, visiting different places, bathing in different rivers, recitations of their Holy religious books etc. as methods of worship to attain salvation or way to escape from the circle of births and deaths. The Hindus had closed all their places of worships (temples ), schools, entry into Government services or honorable state services for Sudras ,instead the upper caste people assigned them most dirtiest duties for the Brahmans , Khatriyas and Vaishayas, as per Rules framed by Manu All decent means of livelihood, dignity of life and progress were codified as unlawful for them. Many other saints like Guru Nanak Dev, Kabir, and Namdev, Gora ji Maharaj, Trilochan, , Farid, Dadu Sahib etc. denounced this unnatural ways of both Hindu and Muslim priests. These Holy saints tried to liberate souls from religious cage clutches of priesthood. This was also challenged by Shri Guru Ravi Dass Ji and he had to face a very tough opposition from the religious priests and rulers. Sri Guru Ravidas denounced caste system and upheld Virtue by saying; If a Brahmin is virtue less, Offer him no worship ‘O ‘Ravi Dass, Worship instead the feet of a Chandal, If he is Found full of virtue. (Chandal is defined as a person born from the wed locks of a Brahmin Mother and a Chamar father and was considered lowest of the low castes For details see Harijans in Indian Society by Srivastva page 19). Guru Ravidass set in motion great revolutionary democratic thinking so advised the rulers to provide equal and decent means of livelihood to all their subjects and he said:-, I want kingdoms where every one is well-fed, And all should live in harmony, Ravidass is happy only then. Guru Ravidass gave a call to religiously enslaved un-touchable to cut the chains of their slavery and advised them Pradeen Ka Dheen Kaya, PraDheen Bin Dheen, Meaning:-The enslaves have no religion as all take or Ravidass Dass Pradheen Ko Sab Hee Samjey Heen treat him weak and untouchable On the same subject Shri Guru Ravidass advised untouchable to shed away feeling of being weak and cut chains of Enslavement , He said:- Pradheen Pap Hai, Jan Liyo Hey Meet Meaning:- Enslavement is curse and n o body respects or loves to him sayth Ravidasss Ravidass Dass Pradheen Ko Koun Kare Hai Preet. Guru Ravi Dass preached the rule of Almighty, saying Almighty has created everybody equal and there cannot be any difference between persons of different castes or religions . He said, If the world has arisen, From the same Holy SPIRIT (God ) How can any wordly body bring about any distinction ?Between high and low, Brahman or cobbler (Chamar). He further elaborated by saying, Ask not caste “o” Ravi Dass, What is there in clan or caste? Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaish, or Shudra, All belong to the same caste. He also said “If thou are born to Brahmin (Superior by birth) mother, why you have not born through a different body aperture .” The true saints like Ravi Dass come to this world to preach true message of God realization, Love and devotion to Lord, they don’t denounce other religions but dogmas and rituals they oppose with full force. Guru Ravi Dass said, Those who are not dyed internally in love,But merely make an outer display, They will go to the world of death, Truly doth Ravi Dass state. Keeping in view spiritual richness of Guru Ravi Dass’s hymns, 40 of them were incorporated into the Holy Granth Sahib by Shri Guru Arjun Dev ji, the 5th Sikh Guru the compiler of it .Another sacred, Punjabi compilation, by Sant Samaj (Dera Sach Khand Ballan Jalander) “Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji” contains 140 Hymns, 40 pade, painti akhri, bani haftawar, bani pandran tithi, baran maas updesh, dohra, saand bani, anmol vachan (milni de samen), laawaan,suhag ustat,manglachar, besides 231 saloks along with 40 Hymns contained in Guru Granth Sahib. Need of a living Master (Guru).;- Since God is formless, so it is not possible for humans to see or reach Him, without which man incomplete or imperfect. God becomes accessible only when He takes human form and come to the level of human in this world . This human form of pure spirit is called Guru by the saints. So Guru is God’s incarnation to show His form. Sain Bulleh Shah Said “God (Molla ) hath taken the form of man (Guru)” Guru Arjun Dev Ji Said: Nanak Says, this is the rule of Ram (One among numerous names of God), Nobody shall get salvation, With out Guru (Master) Sat Guru Kabir Said “Worship thou the true worshiper of the Lord.” Guru Ravi Dass Said, God, Guru and Saint, Are the same (in supper consciousness state of mind?) This is the metaphysical essential truth of all scriptures, Make no difference between them, Even, if, you have to bear the pain of being cut with a saw. Worship of Nirguna God.:- Guru Ravi Das worshiped supreme Mystical power, conceived as beyond all qualifications. He defied all concepts of Saguna ( qualified) magnifications or incarnations of the Devine. Although God’s name as “Ram” has come 2533 times in Shri Guru Granth Sahib, and 22 times in the 40 hymns of Guru Ravidass, still Guru Ravidass did not recognize Lord Rama the Ramayana Hero as God or creator of this universe and he said: “Ravi Das Hamaro Ram Ji Dasrath Kar Sut ( son) Nahin , Ram Hamyu Mahin Ram Rahiyo,Bisab Katumbh Mahin” Ravidas sayth , his Ram is not the one who was Raja Dasrath’s son , (who killed Shudar Shabuk Rishi) . His “Ram” is present in him along with His whole universal creations ----- (Ravi Das Darshan byAchariya Prithvi Singh Azad) Devotion to Nam:- All saints say, The supreme Lord manifests through Nam and the true Nam dyed saints only are His representatives in the Universe. Sri Guru Granth Sahib proclaims “Every thing was created by Nam, With out Nam None can enter the kingdom of God,” Guru Ravi Dass said: The Nam alone is the Truth,”o,” Ravi Dass It was in the beginning, It shall remain so in the end, It destroys all sins and sufferings, And it is truly the mine of all Bliss. Unity , the Devine boom:- Guru Ravi Dass Ji proclaimed "Satsangat mil rahee-ai maaDha-o jaisay maDhup makheeraa. " "United we stand, Divided we fall". This again points towards the democratic way and is a universal truth still valid as it was in the past for the strength of the weak to crush the tyranny of the powerful minority. Lead a Clean Life. - We come to this world again and again due to our unpaid load of past Karmas (Actions) One, cannot get rid of this easily with out Devotion to Saints and Nam. All true saints guide their disciples to lead a clean life so as not to add tor the load of Kamas and to break the bondages of love and hate for liberation of Soul. Saints follow the example of earning by honest means while continuing their connection with Nam Simran. All Saints like Guru Nanak, Kabir, Nam Dev, Guru Ravi Dass and other Mystics earned their livelihood through honest means. Guru Ravi Dass Preached “Keep your hands engaged in work and your Mind and attention to your Eternal friend GOD).” All Saints have advised their disciples not to kill animals and to abstain from taking Intoxicants, as by doing so , their Karmic load get burnt.This Karmic load alone keeps us bound in this universe. While showing our relationship with all creatures, Guru Nanak Said “He (God) is the creator of all Beings,” Sat Guru Kabir Said,“ A Who eat grains is man, who eat meat is dog, who renders living beings dead is a devil incarnation.” Saint Maluk Dass said, “The pain of all is the same.” Guru Ravi Dass said, “Those who eat meat, they in fact cut their own throat, For whosoever is meat eater, he will have to go to hell Sayeth Ravi Dass.” Intoxicants: Intoxicants degrade a man to the level of a beast, through it they cripple their will power. These are social evils and great hindrance in spiritual progress All saints have forbidden the use of intoxicants. Guru Ravi Dass said, “Even ,if wine is made with Holy water of Ganga ,Saints drink it not.” He advises to drink Nam Nectar, as once intoxicated with it, one remains intoxicated forever. Guru Ravidass spread the message of love for all, devotion to Lord, universal brotherhood, honest earning for livelihood and to discard all that does not help in God realization of human help. By doing so he became one with Lord. He Said, All men laugh at seeing my poverty, Such indeed is my state, But eighteen Divine Treasures and Powers, Are under my hand, This is all thy grace “O” God. To spread his Divine message Guru Ravidass traveled far and wide and held discussions on matters of Divinity with many Holy Men and rulers of his times. They included Sahib Guru Nanak Dev, Sadguru Kabir , Soami Ramanand, Sikander Lodhi, Guru Gorakh Nath , Mashandar Nath and Shankeracharaya . Guru Ji must also have met many Religious Gurus at Kidarnath, Badrinath, Kurukhestra, and Dwarkapuri during his sojourns. As per the Map drawn by Dr L.R. Parwana in his Punjabi language granth “Guru Ravidas Jiwan Ate Kirtan” Shri Guru Ravidass visited Bombay (now Mumbai), Kathiawar, Karachi, Quatta, Peshawar, Multan, Khebar Pass( Now in Pakistn), Srinagar( Kashmir), Jammu, old Punjab(Dalousi Jallandhar, Phagwara, Ambala, Kurukeshtra ) Bhagalpur, Bikaner, Jasalmer,Jodhpur, Alwar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Mathura, Bindraban, Agra, Partapgarh, ShahJahanpur, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Marwar, Chittoor, Bondi, Allahabad, Ahmadabad, Qazipur, Mirzapur, Kota, Jansi, Ujjain, Bhopal, Bikaner, Chunar, Tejpur, Scundrabad, ,Hydrabad and many other places. The means of travelling then were by foot. Meetings with Guru Nanak Dev Ji : Guru Ravidass had three Goshties( Meetings) with Guru Nanak Dev Ji.First meeting at Chhurkhana( Nankana Sahib), when Baba Nanak Ji was very young. Second time at Sultanpur ( Site is said to be Present site of Ber Sahib Gurudwara) and third time at Kanshi in the archard ( Bageechi) of Shri Gopal Dass ( the site of present day Gurudwara Guru Ka Bagh) In short, the philosophy or teaching of Guru Ravidas can be summed up briefly as a) Denouncing Brahmincal varnasharama. b) Promoting equality of mankind including equality among men and women. c) Rejecting authority of Brahmincal Vedasand other scriptures preaching superiority and inferiority among humans. d) Rejecting Rituals, dogmas and bathing in different rivers for seeking salvation e) Stressing on morality and human values in life f) Possibility of Salvation only through a living Master through constant attention to Nam Simran . g) Refraining from intoxicants and immoral ways h) Constant efforts to earn living through honesty means and not to be parasite on society by denouncing family life and resort to begging or charity. Dated:-17-2-2021

AMBEDKAR SMT. MATA RAMA BAI (RAMA)

AMBEDKAR SMT. MATA RAMA BAI (RAMA) Updated and enlarged (Bowing our heads in her memory, folded hands, on her 123rd Birth Anniversary today the 7th Feb,2021) By:- Er.H.R.Phonsa It is said rightly, "Behind every successful man there is a woman". It was so in the case of Goswami Tulsidass, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Tilak, Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, and Dr. B R Ambedkar and may other personalities who made history of sorts. The success of Dr. Ambedkar had incalculable contribution of his noble wife Smt.Ramabai Ambedkar. She was intelligent, kind, poise, obedient, chaste, religious, and possessed with high character besides having simplicity of style and taste. This saintly woman although lived in extreme poverty but without a whisper of complaint on her, face always turning her eyes towards God for the safety and prosperity of her husband. She was gentle by temperament, sober in manners, weak in constitution but modest in speech. Revered Ramabai a sober and an intelligent girl came from a good but poor family. She was the second daughter of Shri Bhiku Walandkar, a resident of Walang village near Dapoli, Konkan in central India. Shri Bhiku Walandkar worked as a porter at Dopli. He used to carry fish loads on his head from seaside to the bazaar. His earning was so meager that he could hardly make both ends meet. Dapoli is a place where child Bhim was admitted in his first school when he was 5 years old, as his father Subedar Ramji Sakpal had migrated there after his retirement. Ramabai was born on February 7, 1898. Her childhood name was Ramibhai and she had two sisters Gorabhai, Meerabhai, and one brother named Shanker Dhutrey. Shanker Dhutrey also called Shanker Walangkar worked in a press. These unfortunate children lost first their mother and after some time their father too in childhood and were brought up by their maternal and parental uncles in Bombay (now Mumbai). Bhima later called Bhimrao Ram ji Dass Ambedkar and Ramibai (later Ramabai) were married when they were 16 years and 9 years old respectively: The marriage ceremony was performed shortly after Bhim passed his matriculation examination. The marriage pandal ( Platefarm) was an open shed of the Byculla Fish market in Bombay, after the day market was closed. At night, the bridegroom and his relatives were lodged in one spacious corner of the open shed, with Ramibai's relatives in another corner. The small stone platforms in the market served as benches where a small gutter of dirty water flowed underneath their feet. The marriage place was vacated in the early morning before sunrise to enable the merchants to carry their daily business. Ramibai was renamed Ramabai after marriage and later earned the distinction of being called Mata Ramabai Ambedkar. Ramabai Ambedkar was illiterate at the time of her marriage but her husband later taught her simple reading and writing. Educationally there was world of difference between the two but they loved and respected each other from the core of their heats. Love, faith, sincerity, sacrifice and understanding between the two persons formed unbreakable chain to live happily despite both being educationally poles a parts. Bhim used to call his wife affectionately as "Ramu" and she called him "Saheb". She was deeply proud of her husband and Bhim respected her immensely. Dr. Ambedkar was always busy in reading and could devote very little time for household affairs. At times she used to press her Saheb's feet in the evening, when he was reading and she slept on the floor under his feet. Ramabai ensured that nobody disturbed him during his study or working. She abundantly cared for the health and welfare of her husband. When Ambedkar was in America, she lived a life of destitute but without any regret. It is rare historical example of courage and conviction of a wife who used to make cow dung cakes and carry them on her head, to use them as cheap household fuel. She sold in market some of these cakes, to supplement her income. This she did despite taunts from neighboring women. Her husband was also in acute financial crisis who was struggling to obtain world's highest academic degrees (including Doctorate of Science) in foreign lands. Despite financial crisis for studies and at home Ambedkar became Barrister reinforced by a London Doctorate of Science, an American Doctorate in Philosophy and Studied in Bonn University, which reflected immense sacrifices of his wife. When Ambedkar was preparing to go America for higher studies, the neighboring women advised Ramabai to stop her husband from going abroad, as he may marry a Mem (English woman) and would desert her. But Ramabai had unflinching faith in her Saheb and replied to those ladies that she knew her husband well , he cannot do so". Despite Ramabai's little education she was an expert housewife and knew well how to run her house hold affairs. On getting money for monthly household expenses from Ambedkar, she used to divide the money into 30 parts keeping each part separately. Daily she opened one part and used it, so as not to run penniless on last dates of the month. Her economical habits and faith on her husband enabled the couple to construct their palatial house namely, Rajgriha in Bombay. However, even after moving into Rajgrih, it did not affect her simple habits. The wedlock of this ideal couple was blessed with four sons and one daughter, Out of their four sons namely, Ramesh, Gangadhar, Yashwant and Rajratna and one daughter Indu, only one son Yashwant Ambedkar (Father of Sh Parkash Ambedkar, MP) survived others died mostly in fancy. This gave the couple great pains and sorrows. On the death of his youngest son Rajratana on Ist July 1926, Dr Ambedkar wrote on 16th August to one of his friends, "There is no use pretending that I and my wife have recovered from the shock of our son's death and I don't think that we ever shall with the loss of our kids ,the salt of our life is gone". After a long period of mourning and on the insistence of his well-wishers, Dr Ambedkar settled down on the work for emancipation of downtrodden but Ramabai Continued in grief. This acted upon her health badly and she fell gravely ill. She being highly religious even during illness continued observing fasts. On Saturdays she took only water and black grams, worshipped God for showering blessing on her husband. Her thoughts, mind and eyes were devoted to the service of her Saheb. At this she would say, 'Saheb what is there in having so many Degrees, can't we live happily with lesser education?' Perhaps she did not know that the emancipation of millions of untouchables was possible only with knowledge of Dr Ambedkar which he acquired before plunging into the war to break the age-old slavery chains of his brethren. His opponents claimed to be the only qualified and intelligent persons being off springs of those who had debarred untouchables from acquiring any academic qualifications for ages. But in Ambedkar they found a person who counted one among the six world's top qualified persons of his times. He earned world’s highest academic qualification,knew ten languages and could seven fluently. On Ramabai's insistence Dr Ambedkar took Ramabai to Pandharpur for pilgrimage of Vithal Ji Maharaj, in whom she had great faith. However, being untouchables they were not allowed to go near the temple, so they had to stand at a distance from the temple idol to offer prayers. This irritated the self-respecting Dr Ambedkar and he said, "What of that Pandharpur, which prevents its devotees from seeing the image of God, by our own virtuous life, spotless Character and sacrifices for the cause of downtrodden humanity, we shall create another Pandharpur. By saying another Pandharpur he meant leaving Hinduism which was immune to reforms. He kept his promise by leaving Hindu religion and embracing Buddhism and re-establishing Buddha in His land of birth after centuries. But alas, happened long time after the passing away his loving wife. Illness at last over powered the weak body physique of Ramabai Ambedkar. She was even taken to Dharwal by Dr. Ambedkar for change, but this too did not help in improving her health. No medicine could give her relief and at last on 27 May 1935 unfortunate happened. She passed away at her residence. Thus came the end of nobility of mind and purity of heart. Fortunately Dr Ambedkar was by the side of her deathbed. About 10,000 people rich and poor, educated and illiterate, important and common attended her funeral procession. Her son Yashwantrao Ambedkar preformed all last rites at the bidding of a Maha priest Sambhoo More, who was Baba Saheb's colleague since their school days. After the death of Ramabai, Dr. Ambedkar was a completely broken person. Over a week, he kept weeping like a child and it was difficult to console him. He put on a dress of a hermit and got his head tonsured. The saintly saffron robe indicated a hermit with world negating attitude. On repeated requests and advice of his trusted friend and well-wishers he again took in his hand the oar to sail across his suffering fellowmen to cut their age old chains of slavery. Revered Mata Ramabai Ambedkar shall be remembered for ages to come for her services to the emancipator of millions suppressed, oppressed Dalits. Source of information:- Dr. Ambedkar and His Associates by Er.H.R.Phonsa