President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday greeted fellow-citizens on the eve of birthday of Sant Guru Ravidas, a Bhakti Saint and social reformer.
In a message, the President said, “Sant Guru Ravidas worked tirelessly to remove caste and religion based discrimination. He worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden. He also wrote many compositions on different social issues.”
Saint Ravidas, also known as Guru Ravidas, was a medieval Indian mystic, poet, and saint who lived in the 15th century.
While, not much is known about the family of Saint Ravidas, according to tradition, he was born into a family of tanners and leather-workers who were considered untouchables under the Hindu-Brahmanical caste system.
He reportedly faced discrimination and oppression by upper classes especially when he started preaching against caste system.
The caste system, which assigned individuals to specific social classes based on their birth, was deeply entrenched in Indian society at the time, and those in positions of power and influence sought to maintain this status quo.
Ravidas’ teachings, which challenged the caste system and advocated for the equality of all people, were seen as a threat to the established social order and were met with opposition from the upper castes and religious leaders.
Despite these challenges, he rose to become a highly influential spiritual leader and social reformer, spreading a message of equality, love, and devotion to God.
He gained a large following and his teachings continue to be studied and revered by millions of people around the world.
He taught that the path to God is open to all, regardless of religion, caste, or social status, and emphasized the importance of devotion to God, selfless service, and detachment from material desires.
In other words, he taught that all people, regardless of their caste or social status, were equal in the eyes of God and deserving of respect and dignity.
According to some legends, Saint Ravidas had a close relationship with a Muslim Sufi saint, which reflects the syncretic nature of his teachings and his ability to bring people of different religions together.
In this sense, Saint Ravidas’s teachings have a universal appeal and are relevant to people of all religions.
He challenged the oppressive caste system by preaching that one’s worth was determined not by their birth or station in life, but by their devotion to God and good deeds.
This message was particularly resonant among the lower castes and Dalits, who were often oppressed and marginalized in Indian society.
In addition to his teachings, Ravidas also composed numerous devotional songs that expressed his deep love for God and his devotion to spirituality.
These songs, which are known as bhajans, are still widely sung and revered today, and are considered some of the greatest expressions of devotion in Indian devotional music.
Today, Ravidas is considered one of the most important saints in the Bhakti movement, a spiritual movement that emphasized devotion and love for God as the path to spiritual enlightenment.
His teachings continue to inspire and influence millions of people around the world, and his legacy remains an important part of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Famous Quotes of Guru Ravidas
Here are some famous quotes attributed to Saint Ravidas:
- “The Lord resides in all beings, so who is low and who is high?”
- “I am neither Hindu nor Muslim, I worship the Lord alone.”
- “My devotion is my caste, my karma is my only religion.”
- “The Lord cannot be found in palaces, but only in the hearts of the pure.”
- “By forgetting the Lord, one becomes the poorest of the poor.”
- “The Lord cannot be found by book learning or by empty words, but only by loving devotion.”
- “My Lord, you are the friend of all, why then do you make distinctions between high and low?”
- “He who has love has everything, and he who lacks love has nothing.”
- “All beings are equal in the eyes of the Lord, so why make distinctions based on caste or class?”
- “My Lord is not bound by form, so how can I bind Him in a temple or mosque?”
Saint Ravidas’s teachings are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism.
