Guru Ravidas

In the 15th to 16th centuries CE, Ravidas, also known as Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint who led the bhakti movement. He was a poet, social reformer, and spiritual figure who was revered as a guru (teacher) in the contemporary regions of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. The specifics of Ravidas’ life are disputed and unknown. He is thought to have been born around 1450 CE. He advocated for the elimination of caste and gender-based social barriers and encouraged cooperation in the quest for individual spiritual freedom. The devotional verses of Ravidas are found in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. There are a lot of poems by Ravidas in the Panch Vani scripture of the Dadu Panthi style of Hinduism. He is also the Ravidassia’s main character.

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About Ravidas

There is little information available about Ravidas’s life. According to scholars, he was born in 1450 CE and passed away in 1520 CE. Guru Raidas was a different name for Guru Ravidas. He was born in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in the village of Sir Gobardhan, which is close to Varanasi. Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan is the current name of his birthplace. His mother was Mata Kalsi, and Santokh Dass was his father. His parents belonged to the untouchable Chamar caste because they worked in the leather industry. Although he initially worked as a leather worker, he soon started to spend most of his time at the Ganges riverbanks engaging in spiritual activities. After that, he spent most of his time with ascetics, sadhus, and Sufi saints. Ravidas married Lona Devi at an early age. Vijay Dass, their son, was born. One of the earliest biographies of numerous Bhakti movement poets still in existence, Anantadas Parcai, discusses the birth of Ravidas. According to literature from the mediaeval age like the Bhaktamal, Guru Ravidas was a student of the Brahmin Bhakti poet Ramananda. He is typically regarded as Kabir’s more recent contemporary.

Nevertheless, the ancient literature Ratnavali claims that Guru Ravidas received his spiritual instruction from Ramananda and belonged to the Ramanandi Sampradaya lineage. Over the course of his life, his views and popularity increased, and writings indicate that Brahmin members of the priestly higher caste once bowed before him. He travelled widely, stopping by Hindu shrines in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and those in the Himalayas. He gave up on the saguna (with characteristics, picture) forms of the supreme beings and concentrated on the nirguna (abstract, without attributes) form. People from all backgrounds sought his lessons and counsel as a result of his creative hymns in regional languages inspiring others. The majority of academics concur that Guru Nanak – Sikhism’s founder met Guru Ravidas. The Adi Granth contains 41 of Guru Ravidas’ poems, and the Sikh canon holds him in high regard. One of the earliest sources of his ideas and literary creations is these poems. The Sikh hagiography known as Premambodha is another important source of lore and tales concerning Ravidas’s life.

He is listed as one of the seventeen saints of Indian religious tradition in his work, which was written more than 170 years after Guru Ravidas’s death, in 1693. Chapters about Guru Ravidas can be found in both the Parcais of Anantadas and the Bhaktamal of Nabhadas from the seventeenth century. Most other written sources about the life of Ravidas, including those by the Ravidasi (followers of Guru Ravidas), were written in the early 20th century, or roughly 400 years after his passing. The exceptions to this rule are the scriptures and texts of the Sikh tradition and the Hindu Dadupanthi traditions. Ravidas was one of the sants whose life and poems were included in this work, which is also known as the Parcas (or Parchais). Over time, fresh copies of Anantadas’ Parcais manuscripts were made, some of them in other regional Indian languages.

About 30 manuscripts of Anantadas’ hagiography on Guru Ravidas have been discovered, according to Winnand Callewaert, in various locations throughout India. These four manuscripts have been dated to 1662, 1665, 1676, and 1687, respectively, and are all complete. The 1687 version systematically inserts verses into the text at various locations with caste-related statements, new allegations that Brahmins are persecuting Guru Ravidas, notes on the untouchability of Ravidas, assertions that Kabir provided ideas to Ravidas, mockery of nirguni and saguni ideas, and other text corruption: The cleaner critical form of Anantadas’s parcais indicates that there is more in common between the ideas of the bhakti movement’s Ravidas, Kabir, and Sen than previously thought, according to Callewaert, who views the 1676 version as the standard version and excludes all these insertions from his critical edition of Ravidas’s hagiography. The textual sources on Ravidas have also been questioned by Khare, who notes that there aren’t many “readily available and reputable textual sources on the Hindu and Untouchable portrayal of Ravidas”.

Works of Ravidas

The two earliest sources of Guru Ravidas’ writings are the Sikh Adi Granth and the Hindu warrior-ascetic organisation Dadupanthis’ Panchvani. The Adi Granth contains forty of Ravidas’ poems, and he is one of the 36 authors who contributed to this important Sikhism text. This collection of poetry from the Adi Granth addresses a variety of topics, including how to deal with oppression and warfare, how to end a war, and whether or not one is willing to give their life to the right cause. In his poetry, Ravidas addresses issues like the definition of a just society, one without second- or third-class citizens, the need for objectivity, and the identity of the true Yogi. Many poems written by later-era Indian poets have been reverently assigned to Ravidas, though Guru Ravidas had nothing to do with these poems or the concepts they contained, just like other Indian bhakti saint-poets and some instances of Western literature authorship.

Guru Ravidas Literature on Symbolism

Although written long after he passed away, Peter Friedlander claims that Guru Ravidas’ hagiographies portray a struggle inside Indian culture, where Ravidas’ life provides the tools to communicate a variety of social and spiritual concerns. On one level, it portrays a conflict between the orthodox Brahminical tradition and the then-dominant heterodox sects. On another level, the legends represent a conflict between communities and religions that is ultimately motivated by a need for social cohesion. Friedlander claims that the stories also depict a person’s internal spiritual battle on a deeper level. These hagiographies, which cover everything from Guru Ravidas’s conflict with Muslim Sultan Sikander Lodi to his conflict with Hindu Brahmins, lack any historical evidence to support their historicity.

According to Friedlander, the hagiography writers from the 17th to the 20th centuries were impacted by social dynamics, which are reflected in the stories. In these myths, Ravidas triumphs thanks to divine intervention in the form of miracles like the river Ganges turning around and flowing upstream or a stone floating on the water. Similar to David Lorenzen, Ravidasi (his followers) have supported poetry with a strong anti-Brahminical and anti-communal tone from the 17th through the 20th centuries. The legends, according to Lorenzen, are inextricably linked to the political climate of the time and show a significant amount of social and religious dissent by people marginalised during a time when Indian civilization was under Islamic domination and then under colonial rule.

Philosophy of Ravidas

Themes from the Nirguna-Saguna cycle as well as concepts underlying the Nath Yoga school of Hinduism are covered in Guru Ravidas’ songs. He frequently uses the term “Sahaj,” which refers to a mystical condition in which the truths of the many and the one are united. The poetry of Ravidas is filled with themes of unending love and devotion to God, who is depicted as Nirguna. The subjects of Nanak’s poetry are largely comparable to the Nirgun bhakti concepts of Ravidas and other notable north Indian saint poets in the Sikh tradition. According to Karen Pechilis, the majority of postmodern scholars believe that Guru Ravidas’ teachings are a part of the bhakti movement’s Nirguna philosophy.

Monistic Brahman or Anthropomorphic God

There is a theosophical debate between Kabir and Ravidas on the character of the Absolute, specifically if the Brahman (Ultimate Reality, Eternal Truth) is a distinct anthropomorphic incarnate or a monistic Oneness, in a number of manuscripts that have been discovered in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and are dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. Kabir supports the first position. In contrast, Ravidas makes the case that both are based on the second assumption. In these texts, Kabir initially wins and Ravidas acknowledges that Brahman is monistic, but Kabir refused to accept the worship of a heavenly avatar until the very end (Sagun conception).

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Legacy of Ravidas

Ravidassia

According to a post from the Shri Guru Ravidass Temple in Ontario, there are several differences between the Ravidassia and Sikhism:

“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.”

The Ravidassia religion is a Sikhism-related sect that was developed in the twenty-first century by devotees of Ravidass. It was established in the wake of a 2009 attack by Sikh radicals on a Ravidassia temple in Vienna, which resulted in the murder of deputy’s head Ramanand Dass and the injury of 16 others. The organisation then announced itself to be a religion wholly distinct from Sikhism. Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, a new holy text for the Ravidassia faith, was created. It has 240 hymns and is fully based on Ravidas’ writings and teachings. Dera Sachkhand Ballan is led by Niranjan Dass. The following is a summary provided by Kathryn Lum of the factors that led to the separation of the Ravidassia religion and Sikhism and its emphasis on Ravidas:

“Ravidasia believe that the best way forward for Chamars is to claim and assert their own identity. For this more independent camp, Sikhism is viewed as obstructing the full development of the Chamar community as a quam (separate religion and nation), as envisioned by the Ad Dharm (original people) movement. According to these separatist Ravidasias, the only way for Chamars to progress is to pursue an independent religious path focused exclusively on the figure of Guru Ravidas.”

An Indian religion known as Ravidassia or the Ravidas Panth is founded on the teachings of the legendary satguru Ravidass. Ravidassia, which some Ravidass devotees identify with historically, was initially established in colonial British India and represented a variety of religious perspectives on the Indian subcontinent. With the creation of a prosperous Ravidassia tradition in the diaspora starting in 1947, the Ravidassia legacy started to become more cohesive. There are thought to be between two and five million Ravidassias in existence. The Sikhs have historically regarded Ravidas as one of several bhagats (holy people), a position inferior to that of Guru in Sikhism, while Ravidassias consider him to be their Guru (saint). Additionally, Ravidassias acknowledge Ravidass Deras’ living sants as their Guru. After Sikh rebels assassinated their visiting living Guru Niranjan Dass and his deputy Ramanand Dass in Vienna in 2009, a new Ravidassia religion was established. Over a dozen temple visitors were also hurt in the incident, which left Ramanand Dass dead and Niranjan Dass alive but injured. The Ravidassia faction abruptly broke away from the traditional Sikh framework as a result of this. The Dera Bhallan revered and recited the Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism at Dera Bhallan before abandoning the faith. However, after separating from mainstream Sikhism, the Dera Bhallan created their own holy book, the Amritbani Guru Ravidass Ji, which is currently used in place of the Guru Granth Sahib at various Dera Bhallan Ravidassia temples.

Places of Worship

The followers of Ravidas hold him in high regard and consider him to be a saint. His followers view him as a person who was the living embodiment of religious protest rather than as the spiritual embodiment of any overarching cultural principle.

Guru Ravidass Jayanti

The birthday of Guru Ravidas is known as Guru Ravidass Jayanti, and it is observed on Magh Purnima, the full moon day in the month of Magh. It serves as the religion of Ravidassia’s yearly focal point. This unique anniversary is celebrated in India by people from all over the world. Additionally, believers execute rituals by taking a sacred bath in the river. The Jayanti was held on February 9, 2020, and it will take place on February 16, 2021. Because of his efforts to combat caste, he is regarded as both a spiritual figure and a social reformer. He lived during the time of saint Kabir.

Bhakti Movement

A prominent religious movement in mediaeval Hinduism known as Bhakti sought to reform religion by adopting the devotional path to salvation for all social classes. Originating in Tamilakam in the sixth century CE, it moved northward thanks to the songs and teachings of the Shaiva Nayanars and Vaishnava Alvars. From the 15th century onward, it raced across east and north India, peaking during the 15th and 17th centuries CE. Regional variations of the Bhakti movement included Vaishnavism (Vishnu), Shaivism (Shiva), Shaktism (Shakti goddesses), and Smartism sub-sects. In order to reach the greatest number of people, the Bhakti movement preached in the regional tongues. Many poet-saints who supported a variety of philosophical stances, from the theistic dualism of Dvaita to the absolute monism of Advaita Vedanta, served as the movement’s inspiration. Due to the fact that it offered a gender- and birth-neutral alternative path to spirituality, the movement has historically been regarded as a significant social reformation in Hinduism. Modern academics debate whether the Bhakti movement actually represented any kind of change or uprising. They contend that the Vedic traditions of the old were revived, reworked, and recontextualized during the Bhakti movement. Bhakti is a term for intense devotion (to a deity). The Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavata Purana, and the Padma Purana are among the Bhakti movement’s sacred texts.

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