Bhagat Ravidas Ji

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“ਮਾਧੋ ਅਬਿਦਿਆ ਹਿਤ ਕੀਨ ।।”

The word ‘Abidya'(without education) is a negative form of ‘Vidya'(education) word. ‘Vid’ word belongs to Sanskrit Language and which means to know. To know something, research about something, to discover the ultimate truth of something is called ‘Vid’. Videya is the observing power of humans and Abidya is without information. The meaning of Gurbani Tuk that discussed above is that everything that is being done is being done without information. The reason why everything is happening is that somewhere we are ignorant.

Twice in Kashi, a strong voice has been raised against Brahmanism.One voice is that which admonishes a Brahmin in very strong words, there is no strong opposition to that voice with the Brahmin.That voice is against Brahmanism because Tulsi is a school of thought of Brahmanical education. Tulsi is saying that,‘ਢੋਲ ਗਵਾਰ ਸ਼ੂਦਰ ਪਸ਼ੂ ਨਾਰੀ ਇਹ ਸੱਭ ਤਾੜਨ ਕੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀ।’ The voice has been raised by those who are opposing that school of thought.

Bhagat Ravidas Ji

Tulsi is saying that these 5 people are not have the authority of education, knowledge, they should be beaten by the authority of discipline.Just as the drum is beaten to play the drum, the animal is beaten to pull the weight, so the guar (illiterate), the shudar (Dalit caste) and the women all three are have no right of education. The more they are beaten, the better.On the other hand, the voice that is raised against that voice is saying that i am ready to obey you, if you prove it that you are different from me.That was the voice of Kabir Sahib. They said

“ਜੌ ਤੂੰ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣੁ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਣੀ ਜਾਇਆ ।।
ਤਉ ਆਨ ਬਾਟ ਕਾਹੇ ਨਹੀ ਆਇਆ ।।”

Answer me one thing if you are a Brahmin,you are high, and only you have the right to education so Why didn’t you choose a different path, from the way I came into the world? Why has God given us the same path to come in the world? It was all about coming into the world. Now Kabir ji says, now that you have come into the world, I would like to cut your body. Let me answer one thing-

“ਤੁਮ ਕਤ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਹਮ ਕਤ ਸੂਦ ।।

ਹਮ ਕਤ ਲੋਹੂ ਤੁਮ ਕਤ ਦੂਧ ।।”

That is, how are you a Brahmin and how am I a Dalit? If God has really created castes then why is there blood in my veins? And why is there no white milk in you? The school of thought caste arrogant of Brahmanism, does not have the answer to this question. The voice is that tell me how I am different from you? How can you say I can’t get an education? Can’t go to a religious place? Can’t be exalted by acquiring knowledge? How do you call a woman bad? There is also an ideological war.

 

The second voice is also raised in Kashi and create another concept that I have humbled the Brahmin with my knowledge who had the ego of caste. That is the voice of Bhagat Ravidas Ji.

 

“ਜਾ ਕੇ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਕੇ ਢੇਢ ਸਭ ਢੋਰ ਢੋਵੰਤ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਜਹੁ ਬੰਨਾਰਸੀ ਆਸ ਪਾਸਾ ।।

ਆਚਾਰ ਸਹਿਤ ਬਿਪ੍ਰ ਕਰਹਿ ਡੰਡਉਤਿ ਤਿਨ ਤਨੈ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਦਾਸਾਨ ਦਾਸਾ ।।“

People of the world, I want to tell you that The people of my tribe, who used to work as skins for dead animals in the vicinity of Kashi, have reached a high spiritual state with the knowledge that even the Brahmins are bowing before me. They can’t answer my question.

ਸਾਚੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਹਮ ਤੁਮ ਸਿਉ ਜੋਰੀ ।।

ਤੁਮ ਸਿਉ ਜੋਰਿ ਅਵਰ ਸੰਗਿ ਤੋਰੀ ।।

Ravidas Ji is saying, O God, I have united my true love with Thee and after connecting with Thee I have broken with the rest. That is, by associating with the one true God and have broken myself apart from other religious hypocrites. Normally a human being tries to connect with one but is not capable of disconnecting oneself from others.For example, a Sikh pays homage to the Granth Sahib in a Gurudwara, but when he comes out of the Gurdwara, many Sikhs also pays homage to grave, idols and hypocrites. We are trying to connect with one God but not have the ability to break with others.

ਜਉ ਤੁਮ ਗਿਰਿਵਰ ਤਉ ਹਮ ਮੋਰਾ ।।

ਜਉ ਤੁਮ ਚੰਦ ਤਉ ਹਮ ਭਏ ਹੈ ਚਕੋਰਾ ।।

Ravidas Ji is telling us what kind of love should be with God. Ravidas Ji is saying that, O God if you are a cloud then I will be happy to see you like a peacock is happy after seeing the clouds.If you are the moon and I am the circle so that we can never be separated.

Bhai Gurdas Ji said,

“ਦੀਪਕ ਪਤੰਗ ਅਲਿ ਕਮਲ ਸਲਿਲ ਮੀਨ ਚਕਈ ਚਕੋਰ ਮ੍ਰਿਗ ਰਵਿ ਸਸਿ ਨਾਦ ਹੈ ।

ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਇਕ ਅੰਗੀ ਬਹੁ ਰੰਗੀ ਨਹੀ ਸੰਗੀ ਕੋਊ ਸਬੈ ਦੁਖਦਾਈ ਨ ਸਹਾਈ ਅੰਤਿ ਆਦਿ ਹੈ ।

 ਜੀਵਤ ਨ ਸਾਧਸੰਗ ਮੂਏ ਨ ਪਰਮਗਤਿ ਗਿਆਨ ਧਿਆਨ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਰਸ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਮ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਹੈ ।”

 

That is to say, there is a lot of love for the chakra with the moon, the beetle with the flower, the deer with the melody, the permit with the shama. But have you ever noticed a fish is suffering, and water come for the fish? Ever had melody go for a deer? Has Shama ever gone to Parwana?

 

That is the only glory of the Sikhs

“ਚਰਨ ਸਰਨਿ ਗੁਰ ਏਕ ਪੈਡਾ ਜਾਇ ਚਲ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੋਟਿ ਪੈਡਾ ਆਗੇ ਹੋਇ ਲੇਤ ਹੈ।”

Satguru can only take us millions of step further if we have faith like “ਤੁਮ ਸਿਉ ਜੋਰਿ ਅਵਰ ਸੰਗਿ ਤੋਰੀ“. Guru Ji call those who know education that  “ਤੁਧਨੋ ਨਿਵਣੁ ਮੰਨਣੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ” It means that those people have come to know the reality and have started obeying God’s Hukam.

 

There was an incident in history, where the Brahmins complained to the king of Banaras against Ravidas Ji. Moreover, this was the very first a complaint had registered against him. (Satnam Singh, Dr. Dharamvir, Shanti Swaroop Baudh have researched thoroughly on this topic).

 

According to their research, The king of Banaras was a hindu by religion. But, he was also capable of facing the truth and providing justice according to it. Somehow, Brahmins complained that Ravidas Ji was teaching about knowledge and religion to people. However, he was from low cast so he has no right to do provide any kind of education. After this the King organized a rigorous interchange of dialogues between Ravidas Ji and the Brahmins. Ravidas Ji had given a Gurbani extract,

 

“ਹਮ ਤਉ ਏਕ ਰਾਮ ਕਹਿ ਛੂਟਿਆ ||”

 

Brahmins tend to worship the statue of Ram and Ravidas Ji used to believe in the ‘Akal Murat of Ram’. Additionally, Ravidas Ji said that I am free from this artificial world. The name of Ram had enlightened him. But, Brahmins complained that Ravidas Ji was against the worshiping of the statues. Ravidas Ji said,

‘ਹਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਮੂਰਤੀ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਮੰਨਦਾ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਮੈਂ ਉਸਨੂੰ ਮੰਨਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਜਿਸਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਲੈਣ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ਼ ਇਸ ਜਮ ਜੰਜਾਲ ਦੇ ਵਿੱਚੋ ਛੁਟਿਆ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ।‘(Yes, I don’t believe in idols because I believe in the one whose name can be used to get out of this artificial world).

 

However, Contrary to this ideology, some witnesses said that in order to bring Ravidas Ji into the rituals, an idol was placed in the court of the king and was asked to Ravidas Ji to call the sclpure. The idol was placed and asked to call and the idol walked. And, came in the lap of Ravidas ji. But this incident is completely contrary to the ideology of Ravidas Ji.

 

In addition to this, this ideology is completely contrary to the ideology of Ravidas Ji. Ravidas Ji has nothing to do with the idol. The light, Ravidas Ji speak of cannot be enlightened in front of an idol,’ਨਾਮ ਤੇਰੇ ਕੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਲਗਾਇ ਭਇਓ ਉਜਿਆਰੋ ਭਵਨ ਸਗਲਾਰੇ।।‘. Bhagat Ravidas Ji talks about the Jyot of Naam which refutes the idol worship in itself. 

 

Moreover, according to all the researches that have been done, the king set a prize for the winner. The person who will win, will have to carry his opponent on his shoulders in Paalki and drop him to his house. Ravidas Ji with his Knowledge and Spirituality left the Brahmins speechless. Ravidas Ji said to the Brahmins that, your statue has no consciousness but my Ram is the source of the ultimate consciousness.

 

In addition to this, Bhagat Navdev Ji also had the similar opinion regarding the serving of the statues of God. He said, Oh! Statue worshipers give me an answer, if your statue is a God then its maker is making that statue under his feet. 

 

ਪਾਖਾਨ ਗਢਿ ਕੈ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਕੀਨੀ੍ ਦੇ ਕੈ ਛਾਤੀ ਪਾਉ ।।
ਜੇ ਏਹ ਸਾਚੀ ਹੈ ਤਉ ਗੜ੍ਹਣਹਾਰੇ ਖਾਉ ।।

ਏਕੈ ਪਾਥਰ ਕੀਜੈ ਭਾਉ ।।
ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਥਰ ਧਰੀਐ ਪਾਉ ।।
ਜੇ ਓਹੁ ਦੇਉ ਤਾ ਓਹੁ ਭੀ ਦੇਵਾ ।।
ਕਹਿ ਨਾਮਦੇਉ ਹਮ ਹਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ।।

 

Then the King said, now I understood the reality of the real Ram (God), you Brahmins are making a fool out of people via Ritualism. Now, you Brahmins must take Ravidas Ji and drop him at his home. 

 

ਐਸੀ ਲਾਲ ਤੁਝ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਉਨੁ ਕਰੈ ।।
ਗਰੀਬ ਨਿਵਾਜੁ ਗੁਸਈਆ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਾਥੈ ਛਤ੍ਰੁ ਧਰੈ ।।

 

God is Incredible, but Brahmins said we won’t have the food which is touched by Ravidas, those were the same Brahmins that are now taking Bhagat Ravidas Ji to his home on their shoulders. 

 

 

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