International Seminar on Life, Time
and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji
I participated in the one day International Seminar on Life, Time and Philosophy of Satguru Ravidass ji held on October 14, 2023 at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. The Seminar was organized jointly by JNU and British Ravidass Heritage Foundation
of the UK. It was a well participated and attended event about which I will write separately. Today I will mention here only about my Paper – Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony which I presented at the Second Technical Session of the Seminar which was Chaired by Prof. Narendar Kumar of JNU.
In my opening remarks while thanking the organizers, I said that I was there not as any intellectual or authority on Guru Ravidass but as
a humble follower of the great Guru to learn and educate myself from the learnered academics and intellectuals in consonance with the thoughts of Guru Ravidass who said in his lofty Vani:
Tum Chandan Hum Rind Bapre Sang Tuhare Wasa;
Neech Rukh Te Unch Bhayo Hai Gandh Sugandh Niwasa
Underlining the need to study and
analysis the philosophy of the Guru in these days of increasing animosity and
strife, I said that the thought of Guru Ravidass is as potent and relevant
today as it was before as:
Shakti Bhi Shanti Bhi Bhakton Ke Geet Mein Hai;
Dharti Ke Wasion Ke Mukti Preet Mein Hai
Here is the Text of my Paper - Guru Ravidass: Harbinger of Social Harmony
Guru Ravidass:
Harbinger of Social Harmony
Guru Ravidass, 16th century mystic saint and social reformer
of the Bhakti Movement was the harbinger of equality, fraternity and harmoy in
the society. The leadership of the main-stream
of the society, these days, calls it ‘Samrasta’. The great Guru’s egalitarian
thoughts stood against the birth based caste-system and pleaded for brotherhood
as stipulated in his lofty Vani -
Keh Ravidass Khalas
Chamara; Jo Ham-Sehri So Meet Hamara
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 on account
of the Varna Vibastha, Guru Ravidass
resolutely stood against all these inhuman and anti social practices. Guru
Ravidass’s teachings and philosophy, obviously, got wide spread acceptance and
recognition throughout India and proved itself revolutionary to reform the
society. His contemporaries like; Guru
Nanak, Sant Kabir among others fully supported Guru Ravidass ji who became
the flag bearer of egalitarian society with the lofty ideals of democratic
socialism as stipulated and propounded in his Vani:
Begumpura Sehar Ka
Naon; Dukh Andoh Nahin Jis Ke Thaon
It was a matter of great satisfaction that the Sikh Gurus,
fully understanding the social philosophy of Guru Ravidass, thoughtfully,
included his Vani in the Guru Granth Sahib. 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 dignified citizens and good human beings.
It is a matter of satisfaction that the very principles of
having a healthy society as followed and preached by Guru Ravidass found place
in the ‘secular, socialist and
democratic’ constitution of India written under the stewardship of Babasaheb Ambedkar who was greatly
impressed by the thoughts and legacy of the great Guru to establish an
inclusive society. Babasaheb Ambedkar dedicated one of his books, The
Untouchables, to Guru Ravidass and rightly so.
Guru Ravidass clearly laid the foundation of democratic
socialism in the present parlance of good governance and said:-
Aaisa Chahun Raj Mein; Yahan Mile Saban Ko Ann;
Chot- Bade Sab Sam Vashen; Ravidass Rahe Prasan
Guru Ravidass’s
message of freedom of thought and expression and also of equitable social order
was candidly conveyed in his Vani. It certainly set the ball rolling to
establish a just order for the mankind. He fought against dominance and
subservience in the society. The revolutionary Guru said –
Pradheenta Paap Hai; Jan Lyo Re Meet,
Ravidass Dass Pradheen Se Kaun Kare Hai Preet.
Guru Ravidass was dead
against the caste based discrimination prevailing in the society. He said –
Ravidass Janam Ke Karne
Hot Na Koi Neech
It is a matter of gratification to note that, in spite of all
odds, our forefathers led by Babasaheb Ambedkar stipulated and codified the
lofty ideals of Guru Ravidass and others in the constitution of India to
abolish caste system and even provided for ‘affirmative’ actions in the form of
Reservations to the weaker sections of the society. One can safely say that
India is on track and has come a long way and perhaps has arrived. But still it
has to go a long way to reach. Guru Ravidass ji’s message of brotherhood,
fraternity and harmony is the only way to go ahead with our ‘Tryst with
Destiny”. The great Guru’s vision is fully conveyed in the poetic assertions of
one of the renowned Hindi poets, Maithli Saran Gupt –
Mein Nahin Sandesh Swarag Ka Laiya;
Iss Bhutal Ko Hi Swarag Banane Aaiya
I referred to the
Samrasta agenda of the main stream of the society in the opening
paragraphs. Let me touch the subject
with a view to say that Guru Ravidass was the harbinger of Samrasta to transfor
the society and bring about a harmonious social order, the first requisite of a
cultured and humane society. I have no hesitation in registering my candid
support to the lofty idea of Samrasta in my own humble way as I am a firm believer
in ‘fraternity, harmony and brotherhood’ as a humble Ravidassia and an
Ambedkarite. We need to come out of the ‘lip
service’ phase and do something concrete to reform the society. The sooner the
better. Guru Ravidass ji’s teachings and philosophy is as relevant and potent
today as it was in the medieval times. India is passing through challenging
times with increasing strife and communal tensions all around. If we really
intend to transform and reform of our society, we should study and practice the
lofty Vani of the great Guru. We are still to do a lot in this regard. I am
reminded of Allama Iqbal –
Iqbal Bada Updeshak Hai; Man Batton Se Moh Leta Hai
Gifftar Ka To Yeh Gazi Bana; Kirdar Ka Gazi Ban Na Saka
With this, I take this
opportunity to pay my hearty tributes to the great social reformer,
revolutionary Guru and harbinger of a just and equitable social order and also
social harmony. Let us transform India that is Bharat into Begumpura – country
and society without sorrow and exploitation as visualized by the Great Guru.
Good sir ji. Pranam. From Jabalpur
ReplyDeletePradheenta paap hei,jaan lyo meet
ReplyDeleteRavidass Pradheen se kaun kare hei Preet
Very true. Not only in ancient days but these days too. The longevity of the subordination destroy our culture and society. But it is pity that after an impressive constitution of India the scheduled castes still live under Pradheenta. Teachings of Guru Ravidass ji and other Gurus teaches us to be human beings and to respect and to be respected.
Nice explanation ji
ReplyDeleteHad we not attempted to register in the JNU, New Delhi seminar on Sant Ravidass, we would not have connected to such illuminated followers and practitioners of the philosophy of the great Guru Ravidass. Thank you for showing us direction to review and reinterprete the philosophical thoughts of this illustrious icon in the Indian history.
ReplyDeleteHad we not attempted to register in the JNU, New Delhi seminar on Sant Ravidass, we would not have connected to such illuminated followers and practitioners of the philosophy of the great Guru Ravidass. Thank you for showing us direction to review and reinterprete the philosophical thoughts of this illustrious icon in the Indian history.
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