Guru Ravidass – a Social Revolutionary

 

Guru Ravidass – a Social Revolutionary

The Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass falls on February 5 this year.  The followers of Guru Ravidass celebrate and observe the day throughout the world with all solemnity and gaiety and rightly so as Guru Ravidass’s mission and thought gave them a sense of confidence that they were no less or inferior as the main stream of the society made

them to be. Guru Ravidass was a great Saint of the Bhakti Movement of medieval times in the 16^th century along with his contemporaries; Satguru Kabir, Guru Nanak among others. Guru Ravidass was a widely recognized and revered personality of his times not only spiritually but also as a revolutionary social reformer as a voice of the underdog and discriminated segments of the society who were condemned to inhuman behavior by the so called upper castes on the basis of the then prevailing (sadly this social ill still persists to date) caste system (Varna Vibastha). Guru Ravidass’s teachings and philosophy, obviously, got wide spread acceptance and recognition throughout India and proved itself revolutionary to reform the society of its ills on one hand. He also propounded canons of good governance, on the other hand,  which is called ‘democratic socialism’ propounded on the basis of known principles of ‘Equality, Liberty, Justice and fraternity which later were adopted as the fundamentals of the Indian constitution, and rightly so. It was a matter of great satisfaction that the Sikh Gurus, fully understanding and following, the social philosophy of Guru Ravidass, thoughtfully, included the Vani (poetic teachings) in the Guru Granth Sahib and as such the teachings of the great Guru got further currency and acceptance as a potent voice to reform the society and live a pious life as honourable citizens and good human beings. I thought of sharing some of the thoughts of Guru Ravidass particularly on the casteless society, social harmony and also good governance which are as relevant today as these were before as my humble tribute to the great Guru on his Gurpurab on February 5 and to greet my fellow countrymen in these days of increasing social animosity and eroding moral values.

Like his contemporaries like; Guru Nanak, Satguru Kabir among others, Guru Ravidass following the social dictum of Toil and Share ‘Kirat Kar Te Band Sak’ of Guru Nanak, he remained a commoner and a family man socially throughout his life unlike some of the traditional Godmen shouting from the rooftops to carry forward their vested agenda to keep subjugated a large chunk of the society by terming them as Shurdas (low castes) and Achutas (untouchables).

I am no authority on the Gurvani but, as a follower Guru Ravidass, try to understand and adopt some of the lofty ideals as a humble man; particularly the ones which are relevant in the contemporary times with regard to our day to day living:-

·       Guru Ravidass’s very apt, famous and potent Sabad (poetic message) – Begumpura Shehar Ka Naon (the city of joy) is a treatise on the form and functioning of a state based on the lofty ideals of a modern state which we call ‘Democratic Socialism’ in constitutional and political parlance.  The English rendering of the Sabad done by Prof. Joginder Singh Bedi in the booklet ‘The Hymns of Sri Guru Ravidass ji’, written and complied by Dr. Lekh Raj Parwana, reads as follows:

“The city of joy is the name of the city

Suffering and sorrow abide not there

Neither is there worry of paying taxes

Nor does any hold property

Neither fear of punishment for error of decline

This fine place of habitation have I found

Brother, there weal perpetually reigns

Start of the Shobha Yattra rom Bootan Mandi, 2022

Eternally fixed is the kingship therein

No second or third are there; all are alike

Ever fully populated famous is that city

Those abiding therein are prosperous opulent

There people disport themselves as they please

All are inmates of that mansion; none bars any

Sayeth Ravidass, the cobbler, freed from all bonds

Whosoever is the citizen of that city is our friend”

Guru Ravidass was a social revolutionary of the first order. He said in this vani:

Aisa Chahun Raj Mein;Yahan Mile Saban Ko Ann,

Chot Bade Sab Sum Vasen; Ravidass Rahe Parsan

(I want that form of polity and administration in which no one should remain hungry. All, rich or poor, should be equal before the law; Ravidass will only be happy then)

 

During his life time he suffered the tyrant of suppression and subjugation and stood against any kind of slavery or serfdom in the society. Guru Ravidass candidly said:

 

Pradhinta Paap Hai; Jaan Lyo Re Meet,

Ravidass Pradheen Se Kaun Kare Hai Preet.

(Slavery is sin. You should know this my friends. Nobody loves subjugated people).

 

Opposing the caste based discrimination and openly spoke against the caste system and said, “Ravidass Janam Ke Karne Hot Na Koi Neech” (Nobody is low only because one was born in a low caste family)

Guru Ravidass’s social philosophy is potent and carries considerable weight in these days of strife and animosity in the society. Apart from this, I like and try my best to follow the pragmatic approach of humility and good company in life as thought by the great Guru:-

 

Tum Chandan Hum Rind Bapure; Sang Tumhare Vasa,

Neech Rukh Te Unch Bhaye Hain; Gandh Sugandh Niwasa

At Langar on Gurpurab 2022

(English rendering by Prof. Joginder Singh Bedi) –

You the sandal tree; we the poor castor plants

Nearby you we abide

From a lowly plant have I become a noble tree

 

With this, I take this opportunity to pay my hearty tributes to the great social reformist, Krantikari Guru and harbinger of a just and equitable social order and greet my fellow countrymen on the Gurpurab of Guru Ravidass.

Let us transform India that is Bharat into Begumpura, as visualized by the Great Guru.