on Gurpurb (Birthday), 30th January, 2010

Chaudan saai tetees ki magh sudi pandras
Dukhion ke kalyan hit pargte Guru Ravidas.

As per this couplet Guru Ravidas was born on 15th of Magh Saudi, full-moon day of 1433 at Seer Govardhan-pur (Kanshi-Banaras).

His father’s name was Santokh Das and mother’s name was Kalsa Devi. Mata Loona was the wife of Guru Ravidas, humble and extended her full support to her husband in his mission. At the time of Guru Ravidas, ‘varna vivstha’/caste system, unsociability, untouchability was prevalent, and Dalits/untouchables were suffering the most. Over the course of time it had become strinent and cruel and the socio-religious system of India also crippled. In such an environment, Guru Ravidas emerged as a formidable adversary of socio-religious infirmities and stood for truthfulness. He openly denounced all Brahmanic-scriptures including their Vedas, Puranas, Smritis, and Upanishads etc.

Guru Ravidas said:

Charon ved kiya khandoti, jan Ravidas kare dandoti.

(I Ravidas proclaim all vedas are worthless,)

This was the direct attack on the hegemony of Brahmins who didn’t even allow other upper caste Hindus to read their scriptures. Guru Ravidas defined worship afresh (free from any ritual); he was a socio-religious reformer, a humanist, protagonist of equality, a poet and champion of anti-violence. Guru Ravidas invented ‘Gurumukhi’ script/language against Sanskrit, which was taboo for non-Brahmins. Entire Sikh bani (teachings) are written in Gurumukhi and Guru Ravidas emerged as a prominent leader of Bhakti movement.

Dr B R Ambedkar’s 1st commandment exhorts us to “Educate”, Guru Ravidas had said:

Avidya ahit keen; taatay vivek deep bhava maleen.
(Ignorance, no education has done much damage to Dalits; it has eclipsed their rationale)

Guru’s Guru:

“If you want to destroy a society, destroy its history and the society will get destroyed automatically.” – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Hindu fundamentalists have always taken a keen interest in destroying Dalit-Bahujans’ history so as to make cripple them mentally. Historians as usual played with the truth and misled the people for centuries. As Buddha is projected as the 10th avatar of Vishnu,  Brahminical forces tried their best to project Guru Ravidas as one among their 33 crores fake gods. Many scholars tried to show Swami Ramanand as Guru Ravidas’s Guru. We  need to think logically, how could it have been possible for Swami Ramanand to accept Guru Ravidas as one of his student? Shudra rishi Shambuk was murdered by king Rama just for doing ‘meditation’/worshiping god. Dronacharya forced Eklavaya to chop off his right thumb as ‘Guru Dakshina’. It was a period when caste discrimination was in its heights, when Dalits were murdered, their ears were cut down if they tried to hear hymns in praise of god, or they tried to worship, when their touch or even their shadow could pollute the so called upper caste people. How could it have been possible for Swami Ramanand (who was a follower of king Rama’s ideas) to accept Guru Ravidas?

Some others tried to show Guru Ravidas as a Brahmin or Brahmin in his previous life, because they were not able to digest the humiliation of being thrashed by Guru Ravidas’s open challenge to caste system. They could have tolerated this shame if any Brahmin would have been talking against the caste system or challenging their supremacy as they had tolerated Char-wak. Many pseudo scholars have given false claims that Guru Ravidas was a Brahmin in previous life and he ate meat so couldn’t reach the god (attain truth) and he was born in the lower caste in next life.

In Rigveda its clearly mentioned that cows, horses, goats were killed and eaten not only by non-brahmins but Brahmins too.

“…the food according to Valmiki consisted of all kinds of delicious viands. They included flesh and fruits and liquor. Rama was not a teetotaller. He drank liquor copiously and Valmiki records that Rama saw to it that Sita joined with him in his drinking bouts…” (Uttara Kanda Sarga – 42 Sloka – 8) (Reference: ”Riddles in Hinduism” by Dr B R Ambedkar)

We need to question how many of these Hindu gods were born in lower caste after eating meat, or after not reaching god (attaining truth). In no religious book of Hindus there is any such incident where after eating meat a person would be, been born in lower caste. Why then Guru Ravidas? (Let me make clear that Guru Ravidas never ate meat. To the  contrary, he opposed the killing of goats, cows on Bakrid, and other Hindu religious ceremonies).

Everytime Manuwadi failed miserably as Guru Ravidas claimed himself as “Chamar” (Kutbandhla – a sub-caste in Uttar Pradesh) in many of his saloks and in his bani.

Kahi Ravidas khalaas chamaaa,

(Says Ravidas, the emancipated shoe maker)

In another hymn Guru Ravidas writes:

Meri jaat(i) Kutbandhla dhor dhowanta nith(i) baanaarsi aas paasaa,
(My caste is Kutbandhla; I deal with leather and live near Banaras)

In one another hymn Guru Ravidas says:

Meri Sangat poch soch din (u) raati
Mera karamu kutilta janam kubanti,

(It keeps him in anxiety that his associates are low; my actions are considered evil and birth is lowly)

All this is just another game-plan/conspiracy of Brahmins to keep Dalit-Bahujans away from Guru Ravidas’s philosophy. Guru Ravidas’s teachings can lead Dalit-Bahujans break the caste barrier and emancipate them because Guru Ravidas was among the first people who talked about equality, ‘raaj’ (own rule) and Begumpura – City without sorrow. (It seems like Dr B R Ambedkar wrote the constitution of India keeping Begumpura in his mind.)

Guru Ravidas also said:

Aisa chahu raaj main, jahan mile saban ko ann
Chhot baade sam basse, Ravidas rahe prasan.

As far as the question of who’s disciple was Guru Ravidas is concerned, Guru Ravidas never worshiped any of the 33 crore fake gods, but he meditated/worshiped on the one and only one almighty God.

Guru Ravidas said:

Tohi, mohi, mohi tohi, antar kaisa: kanak katik jal tarang jaisa.

(There is no difference between you (god) and me as there is no difference between the gold and its ornaments, between water and its waves.)

Bhagat or Guru Ravidas:

Last year on the gurpurb of Guru Ravidas, Rozana Spokesman newspaper published an article that (Bhagat – as stated by newspaper) Guru Ravidas was not familiar with Sikh Gurus’ teachings & teaching/sakhis (birth tales) of Guru Ravidas were misquoted by the author in a ridiculing manner. The article erroneously stated that no historical facts are present about the life of Guru Ravidas. Its madness/ridiculous to give such statements as Bani (shaloks, teachings) of Guru Ravidas are in Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs) itself and 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh had asked to follow Guru Granth Saheb as ‘Guru’ after him. If so, the bani of all the ‘Gurus’ (including Guru Ravidas) which is included in the Guru Granth Saheb should be treated equal. Why then give someone names like ‘Bhagats’ and others ‘Gurus’? This time mischief is played by some Sikhs scholars under the effect of Brahminical forces, by those who have forgotten that Sikhism is a separate religion which came into the social arena fighting for equality, to counter the evils of casteism in Hinduism.

Who is ‘Bhagat’ and who is ‘Guru’? As long as a person is worshipping/meditating/trying to achieve the state of perfect-ness, is in search of the truth of life, as long as the person hasn’t attained ‘gyan’, up-to that time you can say a person as ‘Bhagat’. But when that person have achieved truth, attained ‘gyan’ and starts giving sermons, starts preaching, he becomes ‘Guru’ and he don’t remain as Bhagat then. Numerous kings and queens became Guru Ravidas’s disciples and they accepted him as a Guru, not only Guru but Raj-Guru also. Prominent among them were Raja Pipa, Raja Nagar Mal, Rewa Naresh, Rani Jhalan Bai, and Meera Bai (it’s wrongly projected by people that she was a fan of king Krishna, but in reality she was a follower of Guru Ravidas).

Meera ne gobind milya ji
Gur milya Radas.

(Meera Padawali – 4)

Kings had built many temples dedicated to Guru Ravidas and they were later either demolished or converted to Hindu worship places.

As recorded by Dr. Lekh Raj Parwana in page 116-117, in his book “Shri Guru Ravidas- Life and Writing”, Guru Ravidas visited northern India twice. Firstly, he was accompanied by Kabir Ji, Tarlochan Ji, Sain Ji and Dhanna Ji and met Guru Nanak Dev at ‘Chuharkana’, now known as ‘Nankana Sahib’ where Guru Nanak Dev served them food with Rs.20/- which had been given to him by his revered father Mehta Kalu for some profitable business. At his second visit to Punjab, Guru Ravidas met Guru Nanak Dev at Sant Ghat of Kali Bein in ‘Sultanpur Lodhi’. Third time he met Guru Nanak at ‘Guru Ka Bagh’, Banaras and exchanged their views on several topics pertaining to religion, social system and liberty of human beings. Guru Ravidas gave gift of his bani of 40 hymns and one couplet to Guru Nanak Dev as desired by him.

Many a times, Mardana (he used to live with Guru Nanak Dev) used to sing hymns of Guru Ravidas in-front of Guru Nanak Dev, as asked by Guru Nanak Dev. It was Guru Ravidas who gave the right direction to the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev. So, today’s Sikh scholars don’t have any right to raise any question over who was the real Guru or whom they want to call Guru or Bhagat.

Until 1920, Dalits/Untouchable’s ‘Prasad’/’religious offering’ wasn’t accepted at the Darbar Saheb/Golden Temple and no ‘ardas’ was done on the name of Dalits/untouchables. (Reference: “The Heritage of Amritsar” by S S Johar). This all shows how much these Sikh scholars were/are following Sikhism’s teachings. The religion was considered by Dr Ambedkar for conversion, but the Sikh leaders were full of hatred/hostility towards Dalits.

Jathedars (Sikh leaders/scholars) are becoming puppets in the hands of Manuwadi people will lead to the end of Sikhism and if such things continue, the day won’t be far away when idols of Hindu deities will be seen in the “Darbar Saheb” (Golden Temple). Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) created its offshoots like PRERNA, Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, and Guru Granth Sahib Vichar Sanstha, as it was difficult for them to meet Sikh leaders & misguide them, carrying the banner of RSS. And now everyone can see Sikh scholars visiting their activities and supporting them full heartedly.

Jathedars & many others are forgetting that

1. Sikh Gurus believed in one and only one god, whereas Hindus worship quite a number of gods, goddesses, and deities.

2. The Hindu Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – is altogether rejected by Sikh Gurus.

3. The worship of any carved statues, images or idols is completely forbidden in Sikhism although it is allowed in Hinduism.

4. Cow is not considered as a sacred animal by Sikhs; hence it is not worshiped at all.

5. The supremacy of the Vedas, Gita and other Hindu scriptures is not recognized or accepted in Sikhism. Sikhs have their own holy book – the Guru Granth Sahib – compiled by the fifth Guru himself and completed by the tenth Guru.

6. Sikh Gurus, Guru Ravidas had rejected the caste system and all men/women are reckoned equal irrespective of their caste, colour or creed. Does Hinduism do all this?

7. Sikh traditions, customs, and ceremonies of death and marriage are completely different from that of the Hindus.

Many Sikh scholars claim that in Guru Granth Saheb it is written “Bhagata di bani”. But then you need to take note of the fact that, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, there is nothing written as ‘Guru’ word for them, but ‘Mahala – I, ‘Mahala –II’ etc is written, not “bani of Guru Nanak Dev” or “bani of Guru Gobind Singh”. (‘Mahala’ means ‘Aam Admi’/‘common person’.) Will those Sikh scholars accept Guru Nanak Dev as common person? At many instances in the ‘Janam Sakhis’/’Birth tales’ of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Nanak Dev is recorded as ‘Baba’, ‘Tapa’, and ‘Pir’ etc. Guru Nanak Dev himself claimed at many places as Mahala/‘common person’, ‘Shayar’, ‘Nieech’. Are Sikh scholars ready to accept Guru Nanak Dev as ‘Shayar’, ‘Nieech’ and ‘Baba’?

People those don’t want to accept Guru Ravidas as ‘Guru’ and don’t want to write ‘Guru’ in-front of Guru Ravidas’s name are only those who don’t want to take any lessons from the teachings of Guru Ravidas. Those people are full of hatred, are not supporters of equality and practice discrimination.

Murder of Guru Ravidas:

Torture of Dalit-Bahujans is not new. Manuwadi people have always tried to suppress, torture, tried to kill, murder, and loot Dalit-Bahujans. Who so ever had/have tried to raise his voice against the cruelty and evils of Hinduism were either murdered or burnt alive. Guru Namdev was tortured and was forced to leave Maharashtra, Guru (Sant) Tukaram, Sant Chokha Mal were murdered, Sant Naat Naar was burnt alive, same way Guru Ravidas was murdered at Chittorgarh by people who were opposing Guru Ravidas forever.

Guru Ravidas lived for about 151 years (Reference: “Guru Ravidas Ki Hatya Ke Parmanik Dastawez” by Satnam Singh). In his entire life, Guru Ravidas kept fighting for equality, against social, political, economical bullying and composed many hymns and Shaloks, which were burnt down, destroyed by the so called upper caste people of that time. 40 hymns and one couplet composed by Guru Ravidas are inscribed in Guru Granth Saheb. Guru Ravidas was  the among first who used “Ek-Onkar” – god is one. His teachings are relevant even today as it were in 15th century and may everyone take inspiration from Guru Ravidas’s teachings, and come out of darkness.

Be ‘deaf’ when people tell you that you can’t fulfil your dreams!

Tags: Bhagat, Dalit, Guru Ravidas, Sikh Religion