Bhagat Ravidas Ji
Bhagat Ravidas Ji was pious and
religious
minded right from the beginning
and thus came in contact with many
spiritual
men and adopted Swami Ramanand
Ji as his Guru. Bhagat Ravidas Ji
made his
living as a cobbler. He
distributed
a major part of his income among
the poor and
needly. Once Queen Jallibai
presented him with costly clothes
and
ornaments as depicted above. He
enlightened her by saying that the
name of God
was more precious than
the ornaments. By
the turn of the fourteenth
century, the Muslim
rule had been comfortably
established in India. When Bhagat
Ramanand
(1366 - 1467 A.D.) came to
Northern India and made
Kashi/Benares as his
home, he noted that the Muslim
religion had penetrated: a
considerable number
of Hindus had 'been converted,
and they had adopted Islam as
their religion.
Ramanand was an orthodox
devotee of Shiva. He was, no
doubt, impressed
with the Islamic theory
of Oneness of God and Feeling of
Equality in
social set up, except Ruling
Feudal Elite, the Muslims of all
classes
mingled indistinctivety in every
aspect of life - living, eating,
religious
ceremonies, marriages, etc.
But he was very much distressed to
observe
that these criteria were enhancing
the conversion of Hindus,
particularly of
low-caste, into Islam. He forsook
the Shivaite austere practices
endowed to him
by his Guru, Ramanuj, and
initiated the veneration of the
Unjversal
Brotherhood. He accepted Hindus
of low-caste and Muslims to join
him in
worship, and become his followers.
Among his most noted disciples
were Kabir - a
Muslim weaver, Sam - a barber,
Dhanna - a cultivator, and
Ravidas, a cobbler.
There is consensus that Bhagat Ravidas was born on Maghushudhi 14 Pooranmashi in Smt. 1456, i.e. February 1399 in Kashi. His parents were in the leather trade, and were very well off. He was barely five days old when Bhagat Ramanand visited his house and blessed the child. When he reached the age of discretion, his father inspired him to join the family business. But Ravidas was imbued with with celestial and humane values. The money he received from his father for business, he spent in the welfare of the Saints and needy. His father was extremely perturbed and banished him from the house. By thAs time, Ravidas was already married. He did not resent, quietly left the house, started living in a make-shift hut with his wife, and set up a small wayside shop of menthng shoes.
He did not abandon his love for the God and built a Temple of clay walls and thatched roof. He installed an idol made out of hide in the Temple. His extreme devotion and universal love induced hundreds of people of all castes to join him in worship. This resulted in enviousness among the Brahmin priests who raised the matter in the Court of Muslim Nawab of Kashi. The Nawab was a man of righteousness, and put the matter to a miraculous test. Bhagat Ravidas went into meditation and recited one of his hymns (Gauri Purbi P.346) and requested the Almighty "Take pity on me that my. doubts may be dispelled." His prayer was answered, and his adoration acclaimed the triumph in the miraculous test. To express his gratitude he sang his hymn (Asa P. 1606), "Thou art sandal and I am the poor castor-plant, dwelling close to thee. From a mean tree I have become sublime and Thine fragrance, exquisite fragrance, now, abides in me."
A rich man tried to allure him with the charm of wealth. He gave the Bhagat a philosopher's stone by the touch of which one could change any article into gold. In spite of Bhagat's refusal the rich man left the stone hung under the ceiling. When he came back after one year, the stone was still hanging there. The rich man announced to the world the indisputable godliness of Bhagat Ravidas. This episode is considered to be an ecclesiastic test to judge Bhagat Ravida's endurance towards the worldly love. But some accounts associate this to the devious manipulation of the Brahmin priests to discredit Ravidas, which, rather, ended in the triumph of the Bhagat.
Ravidas's selfless
devotion and casteless
love for humanity spread far and
wide.
Maharani Jhally of Chitaur was
a noble woman of benevolence and
piety. Her
ardency brought her to Benares
on a pilgrimage. In spite of the
disapproval
of the Brahmin priests, she
straight-away went to the Temple
of Bhagat
Ravidas. Ravidas was in h:s
ecclesiastic benediction at the
time, and was
reciting his hymns (Rag
Sorath P.658-59). Maharani was
captivated.
Eventually she became his disciple
and abandoned all her luxurious
set up. Her
husband, the Maharana, had
been instigated against her
adopting a cobble
as her Guru. He was full
of rage when she returned. H~ was
pacified by
listening to some of the
hymns of Bhagat Ravidas but still
wanted to
put the Bhagat through a test
to invalidate the allegations of
the Brahmins.
The Bhagat was invited
to Chitaur and and requested to
participate in
an oblation. The Brahmin
priests refused to eat while a
cobbler was
seated in the same column of
rows. Bhagat Ravidas voluntarily
moved away.
But, miraculously every person
distributing food looked like
Bhagat Ravidas
to the Brahmins (Another
account states when the Brahmins
sat down to
eat, they saw Ravidas seated
between every two of them). They
complained to
Maharana. Maharana comprehended
the hidden meaning of this marvel,
and himself
became an ardent devotee.
Bhagat Ravidas remained in Chitaur
for a long
time. It is said that Mira
Bai became his disciple as well
during that
period. As per some accounts
he died at a ripe old age of
nearly 120 years,
in Benaras.
There are 41 verses of Bhagat Ravidas in the Sikh holy book, Guru Granth Sahib. Most of them are in very clear Hindi. His poetry is brimming with ardent love for God, Universe, Nature, GurU, and the Name. His sarcasm and pique shows his closeness with God.
Bhagat Ravidas neither ever laments nor complains to God on his low-caste lineage:
O people of the city, everyone knows
I am, a cobbler by trade and tanner by caste
One of the low-caste, and yet within my heart
I meditate upon God.
The only grievance he expresses to God is his mistreatment by the high-caste priests:
I am haunted day and night by the thought of my low birth, society and deeds. But all he want is:
O God! the Lord of the Universe! O Life of me! Forget me not. I am ever thy slave.
Through his simplicity, piety, and worship he seeks celestial amalgamation with God:
Thou art me, I am thou What is the difference.
The same as between gold and its bracelet, And between water and its ripple. And his hymn, Beghumpura, in the Rag Gauri is the most visionary, romantic and eternal:
Griefness' is the name of my town, Where abide not either pain or care:
No anguish there of tax on goods, Neither fear, nor error, nor dread, nor decline.
Oh! how wondrous is my fatherland, Where there is always peace, and CaIrn, 0 Friend!
And there is not a second nor a third there, by my only Lord.
Populous as ever, its repute is eternal, Yea, there abide only the Rich and Content, And there men go about as and where they wish.
They know the Mansion of their Lord, so no one preventeth (them).
Ravidas, a mere tanner, hath been emancipated in this land, and he who's his fellow citizen is also his friend.
by: Pritpal Singh Bindra