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