Er. Rajesh Pathak
In his book ‘Sanskrutikechaaraddhyaye’ Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar writes -‘ Disenchanted with ritualism, when the worshipper felt that the self-contentment and peace which ritualists fail to get from yagya and intellectuals from higher meditation, that peace illiterate common man get easily just from dedicating himself upon any one of deities, then even the intellectuals began to turn towards the way of bhakti or devotion ‘( p-374)
The ‘bhakti’ mentioned above first became popular in south India, behind which was great progressive saint Ramanujacharya. And in the northern part of the country it was Ramanand Swami that spread it among the people. Later when the devotees of the cult grew to a sizeable numbers, they formed their own separate sect known as “Rasik- Sampradaya”. Born in 1399 A.D. near Mughalsarai, Ravidas, a cobbler by caste, was one of the great saints belonging to the Rasik-Sampradaya; others were Kabir, Dhanna, Sain, Pipa, Padmavati. These all were those who initially had no knowledge of Sanskrit and were belonging to low class families for whom the source of income was sheer physical labor backed by ancestral skill. Dinkar again says that for the social-equality as far a contemporary Brahmin could go that far Ramananda went. His cult embraced lakhs of socially-economically deprived people to its fold, groomed them with Vaishanavafaith ; and improved their behavior in accordance to Dharma.
Ravidas’s parents were said to be in close proximity of Ramananda Swami and held him on high esteem. Influence of Ramananda Swami on the family manifested in child Ravidas most of all, who began to incline more and more toward Bhakti. Later, he even initiated the reading of Vedas, Upnishads and so on in the divine proximity of Ramananda, doing the ancestral profession of footwear with that either. Whenever he would get the chance he accompanied Swamiji in participating religious polemics then held place to place. And a time came when even the greatest of contemporary sages began to surrender himself before Ravidas in the polemics.
The tales of Ravidasa’s spirituality soon spread all around, and reached to the ears of the king of Kashi as well, and he invited him to his palace. Under the spell of Bhakti of Ravidas the king grew ecstatic, and he soon bestowed upon him the highest honor of royal-priest, one privileged with performing of ceremonial worship of Lord Rama of royal-temple.Ravidas by now had attained that divine state that the people of all the hues began to throng from far flung places to hear his religious discourses. Rejecting the exclusivist approach to Dharma, he preached that Moksha could be attained through either of the paths- ‘Sakara’ or ‘Nirakara'[worshipping personal or impersonal God]. Being spiritual he was though above the worldly bondage, yet he was not detached to the national exigencies of his time. He was deeply hurt to see the plight of the common man, and was critical of Musim sultans for treating Hindus as Kafirs. When the ruler of Delhi ,SikanderLodhi, tried to pressurize him to embrace Islam , his brave reply was-‘Vedvaakyauttam dharma, nirmalwakagyan; yehsachha mat chhodkarkyunpadhun Quran'( Compositions in Vedas are enough for Dharma, and sacred being its wisdom; leaving such a true faith, why should I read Quran). Thereafter, when SikanderLodhi sent Sadnapir [Muslim saint] to spiritually charm him into Islam, it worked otherwise . So captivated grew Sadna in divine proximity of Ravidas that he himself adopted Hinduism and became his disciple, changing his name as Ramdas!
Once RanaSangha, the king of Chittorgarha, came to Kashi to have holy dip in Ganga with his wife, RatnakuwariJhali . When knew about Ravidas from the folk there, they came to join the satsang [religious congregation] held by him. Divine bliss they underwent here inspired them to accept Ravidas as their Guru, and they invited him to Chittorgarha as a royal- guest. And, later on, there came many occasions when Ravidas kept visiting there. It is said that Ravidas was the first to lay the seed of devotion in Mirabai -the daughter-in-law of Rani Jhali. Lastly, Ravidas made Chittoregarh his permanent home on the request of Rani Jhali. And there one day this great soul departed to heavenly abode.It is in his memory that Shyam temple and a pool was built there. And here his chhatri( shrine) stood with the mark of his feet still lying there.