Bhagat Ramanand

Bhagat Pipa and Bhagat Ramanand

Bhagat Ramanand(Adi Granth: ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਜੀ) was a Gurmukh, Poet, Saint, Devotee, whose hymn is present in Adi Granth Sahib, Holy book of Sikhs.Cite error Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many; $2 He is popularly known as Vaishnav Saint and considered as reviver of Bairagi Sect(popularly Ramanandi Sect). He was born to an upper-caste Brahmin family, around Mid 14th Century, and preached against an important concept of Manu Smriti i.e Casteism, which was prevalent during his times. He, later, left vaishnavism and adopted Gurmat after having guidance from Bhagat Kabir.

Gurmat and Ramanand Ji

In Adi Granth Sahib, a poem of Satgur Ramanand is recorded by Satgur Arjun Dev, in Raga Basant, describes Ramananda’s profound philosophy. This Hymn also contradicts present viewpoints existed about Bhagat Ramanand that he remained a Vaisnav saint, as per hymn and it's mention in Adi Granth, itself states that he adoped Gurmat later on. He was guided by Satgur Kabir, who was his disciple but later took spiritual wisdom from Maghar Town(as per Kabir Hymns), and explained Gurmat to Ramanand.

In hymn, Bhagat ramanand tells his spiritual state.

Shabad of Ramanand in Guru Granth Sahib

Key Points in Shabad:

1. Complete wisdom of himself (ਮੇਰਾ ਚਿਤ੝ ਨ ਚਲੈ ਮਨ੝ ਭਇਓ ਪੰਗ੝)
2. Clear with concept of Brahm (ਪੂਜਨ ਚਾਲੀ ਬ੝ਰਹਮ ਠਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਬ੝ਰਹਮ੝ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗ੝ਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥/ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸ੝ਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੝ਰਹਮ ॥)
3. Unwill to go to temples, Complaining about waters and stones in temples (ਜਹਾ ਜਾਈਝ ਤਹ ਜਲ ਪਖਾਨ ॥)
4. Function of Gur Shabad (ਗ੝ਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦ੝ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥੩॥੧॥) - It cut whole actions (Past or present, Good or Bad), Gurmukh have nothing to do with Karma (Once attained)

The above shabad is against some facts which are here under:

1. Ramanand was worshipper of King Ramchandra of Ayodhya. (ਸੋ ਬ੝ਰਹਮ੝ ਬਤਾਇਓ ਗ੝ਰ ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥੧॥/ਰਾਮਾਨੰਦ ਸ੝ਆਮੀ ਰਮਤ ਬ੝ਰਹਮ ॥)

Vaishnavism and Ramanand Ji

He is considered a pioneer of the Bhakti movement in the Indian subcontinent. He is also regarded as the bridge between the Bhakti movement of the South and North. Though a Brahmin by birth, he did not entertain any sense of pride in his caste. Bhagat Ramanand was a follower of Bhagat Raghavacharya of the Ramanuj Movement. In the later part of his life, Ramanand commanded more respect than even his own Guru and came to be known as an exponent of Bhakti (God worship).

Saint Ramananda is generally considered to have been born around AD 1400, some say that he was born in 1366 CE. although there is disagreement on the exact date and place of birth, due to the few texts regarding his early life. He was born to an upper-caste Brahmin family, and his parents were probably named Sushila and Punyasadan Sharma.

He was spiritually inclined from his early childhood. He was a Tamilian by birth. Acharya Raghavnand, showed him the path of Yog sadhna. Ramanand also visited places of pilgrimage such as Kashi, where, as a mark of respect, people built a memorial that stands there to this day. After his pilgrimage, Ramanand realised that God can be worshipped by everyone where as his Guru Archarya Raghavnand, who came from the Sadhu Varna Ashrama believed that not everyone was entitled to perform Puja Bhagati.

Hence, he started preaching his gospel in Kashi and imbued many devotees with the spirit of Bhagati. Kabir is the most renowned amongst his disciples. Ravidas, Sain, Dhanna and Pipa are also believed to be his followers even though all of them were not his contemporaries.

Consequently, the spiritual life of those so-called low people got elevated. In the society, which was then bound in the shackles of the caste-system, such utterances had revolutionary effects. As it was, Brahmins were the only community which had the birth right to perform various rituals and observances connected with religion. But the liberal attitude adopted on the part of Ramanand led the Vairagi (a renouncer) tradition to accept him as their prominent Acharya (Hindu religious teacher). In this way, a new sect among the Vairagis under the name of Ramadatt came into being. This sect stressed celibacy, physical prowess and intense devotion to God. Gradually, Ramanand drifted from Vaishnavism to the worship of One Formless Lord.

Ramanand had several disciples who guided mankind on the way to bhagati (worshipping). Bhagat Pipa was one of his prominent disciples. Pipa was a king who gave up his ego and came under Ramanand's patronage to seek spiritual guidance. As a king, he served his subject to their utmost welfare. Bhagat Ramanand also wandered about in Pipa's kingdom for some time. On the basis of his first-hand knowledge, he testified that Pipa was as good a saint as he was a ruler. In his realm all his subjects enjoyed peace, justice and material comforts irrespective of caste or class.

Ramanand was a learned man. Many of the books which are supposed to have been written by him such as Sri Vaishnava, Matanbuj Bhaskar, Sri Ramarachan Padhti are still available. One of his hymns has been included in Guru Granth Sahib under Rag Basant.

Swami Ramanand the Ramadatt Acharya

Gurbani De Racheta

Extracted from Gurbani De Racheta by S Abnashi Singh and Gurvinder Singh.

Published by: Gaganmai Thaal International,Jandiala Guru,Amritsar

Bhagat Ramanand is considered a pioneer of the Bhakti movement in the Indian subcontinent. He is also regarded as the bridge between the Bhakti movement of the South and North. Though a Brahmin by birth, he did not entertain any sense of pride in his caste. The scene above depicts Bhagat Ramanand and Bhagat Pipa who received divine enlightenment by the grace of Bhagat Ramanand.

Bhagat Ramanand was a follower of Bhagat Raghavacharya of the Ramanuj Movement. In the later part of his life, Ramanand commanded more respect than even his own Guru and came to be known as an exponent of Bhakti (God worship).

Born in 1366 CE, Ramanand was the son of Bhoor Karma and Sushila. He was spiritually inclined from his early childhood. He was a Tamilian by birth. Acharya Raghavnand, showed him the path of Yog sadhna. Ramanand also visited places of pilgrimage such as Kashi, where, as a mark of respect, people built a memorial that stands there to this day. After his pilgrimage, Ramanand realised that God can be worshipped by everyone whereas his Guru Archarya Raghavnand, who came from the Sadhu Varna Ashrama believed that not everyone was entitled to perform Puja Bhagati.

Hence, he started preaching his gospel in Kashi and imbued many devotees with the spirit of Bhagati. Kabir is the most renowned amongst his disciples. Ravidas, Sain, Dhanna and Pipa are also believed to be his followers even though all of them were not his contemporaries.

Consequently, the spiritual life of those so-called low people got elevated. In the society, which was then bound in the shackles of the caste-system, such utterances had revolutionary effects. As it was, Brahmins were the only community which had the birth right to perform various rituals & observances connected with religion. But the liberal attitude adopted on the part of Ramanand led the Vairagi (a renouncer) tradition to accept him as their prominent Acharya (Hindu religious teacher). In this way, a new sect among the Vairagis under the name of Ramadatt came into being. This sect stressed celibacy, physical prowess & intense devotion to God. Gradually, Ramanand drifted from Vaishnavism to the worship of One Formless Lord. Ramanand had several disciples who guided mankind on the way to bhagati (worshipping). Bhagat Pipa was one of his prominent disciples. Pipa was a king who gave up his ego & came under the patronage to seek spiritual guidance. As a king, he served his subject to their utmost welfare. Bhagat Ramanand also wandered about in Pipa's kingdom for some time. On the basis of his first-hand knowledge, he testified that was as a good a saint as he was a ruler. In his regime, all subjects enjoyed peace, justice and material comforts irrespective of caste or class.

Ramanand was a learned man. Many of the books which are supposed to have been written by him such as Sri Vaishnava, Matanbuj Bhaskar, Sri Ramarachan Padhti are still available. One of his hymns has been included in Guru Granth Sahib under Rag Basant.

Bhagat Ramanand was the Guru, or spiritual teacher, of Bhagat Kabir and a disciple of Raghavanada, a known preacher of the Ramanuja tradition started by Ramanuja, a Tamilian by birth & the founder of the Rama bhagati or devotion to Lord Rama. Ramanand was born in AD1366 under a tree. The followers of Ramanand hold this tree in as much reverence as they do his real mother, Sushil by name. He spent all the 101 years of his life at his birth-place Kashi, (Allahbad-Prayag, a holy city of Hindus, according to researchers) devoting every moment to the remembrance of Divine Name. He provided a new tone & tenor to the Bhagati movement. He saw that the contemporary society was drifting towards a particular direction under the influence of Lord Krishna's life as it was enacted in every village and town. Therefore he made successful endeavours to divert this mass tendency of the people, towards Rama-worship. Ramanand was above caste consideration, and therefore he initiated to his idealogy, people even from the so-called low castes. He also started several new trends in Vaishnava bhagati, the most important of which is that everybody has the right to worship God.

As a result of this altruistic gesture on his part, the stream of Rama-Name flowed even up to the cottages of the poorest of the poor and the lowliest of the low. Consequently, the spiritual life of those so-called low people got elevated. In the society, which was then bound in the shackles of the caste-system, such utterances had revolutionary effects. As it was, Brahmins were the only community which had the birth right to perform various rituals & observances connected with religion. But the liberal attitude adopted on the part of Ramanand led the Vairagi (a renouncer) tradition to accept him as their prominent Acharya (Hindu religious teacher). In this way, a new sect among the Vairagis under the name of Ramadatt came into being. This sect stressed celibacy, physical prowess & intense devotion to God. Gradually, Ramanand drifted from Vaishnavism to the worship of One Formless Lord.

Ramanand had several disciples who guided mankind on the way to bhagati (worshipping). Bhagat Pipa was one of his prominent disciples. Pipa was a king who gave up his ego & came under the patronage to seek spiritual guidance. As a king, he served his subject to their utmost welfare. Bhagat Ramanand also wandered about in Pipa's kingdom for some time. On the basis of his first-hand knowledge, he testified that was as a good a saint as he was a ruler. In his regime, all subjects enjoyed peace, justice and material comforts irrespective of caste or class. Ramanand has only one hymn included in SGGS ji under Basant measure. Outside the Sikh Scripture, two more compositions of Ramanand are extant. These works are said to be of high literary value. These are: Sri Vaisnav Matanbuj Bhaskar & Sri Ramacharan Padhati.

References