Teachings and Achievements of the Bhakti saints of the medieval period Rajasthan:
1. Folk gods:
Rajasthan has developed the tradition of worshipping those folks who served their country through their self-sacrifices and devotion, and have led the life of spirituality. Popular among such folk gods are Gogaji, Pabuji, Tejaji, Devji and Mallinathji. They have become immortal by virtue of their selfsacrifices, simple and moral living. These folk gods are being blindly followed, though many of the intellectuals have a little faith in them.
2. Dhanna:
He was born in 1415 in the at family. He held mystical and rigid views. He left his abode for Benaras and there he became Ramanand’s disciple. He believed that God could be reached through faith, devotion and contemplation. He glorified the presence and existence of guru.
3. Jambhoji:
He was bom in Peepasar and came from the Rajput Panwar dynasty.
Some of his teachings are enumerated as:
1. He was opposed to the communal rigidities, vices and evil practices and customs. As a social reformer he upheld the widow remarriage.
2. All his principles and teachings are known as ‘29 teachings’ and followers are known as the Vishnois.
3. Many of the followers of the Vishnoi sect sacrificed themselves for the sake of welfare of creation and preservation of environment.
4. Raidas:
He was bom in Benaras and had come to Chittor. Raidas’ and Kabir’s principles and teachings were almost similar. Raidas’ vanis are known as the ‘Raidas Parchi’.
5. Meera Bai:
She was a princess, a female saint and a devotee of Lord Krishna from Rajasthan. She was the prominent saint of the Vaishnava Bhakti movement. She was the only daughter of Ratan Singh and was bom in Kudki around 1498-1499. She was married to Bhoj Raj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chittor. Bhoj Raj breathed his last at the early age. The Mewar Royal family could not tolerate Meera Bai’s independent views and her following of Krishna and the saints. She was tortured in many ways by her brother-in-law so as to waive her faith in Krishna, e.g. he mixed poison in Cherna-Amritam of Krishna, gifted her a basket of flowers with a snake amidst them, pinned iron nails on her bed, and so on.
Her principles or teaching are:
1. She had no concern for the worldly sorrows or pleasures. Physical tortures or pleasures were all myths for her.
2. She was all for her Girdhar Gopal. To quote her words: ‘Mahro To Girdhar Gopal Dhujo Na Koi’.
3. She cared a fig for worldly comforts, pleasures, prosperity, high offices, etc.
4. She was fully dedicated to Lord Krishna and that was the only truth of life for her.
5. Her Krishna Bhakti was based on spontaneous and inspired love and self realisation, rather than knowledge or lçarning.
6. She was, in fact, a Satyagrahi women who fought against injustice, as per Gandhiji’s views.
6. Dadu Saint:
He was the propounder of the Dadu panth (sect). He was one of the prominent saints. He breathed his last in Naraina (Jaipur) in 1605. Naraina seat is believed to be the main peeth of the Dadu panth. He was born in Ahmedabad. He was Mansingh ruler’s contemporary.
His teachings and Achievements:
1. He was, like Kabir, opposed to rigidities, diverse ways’ of worship.
2. He was a monotheist. He did not distinguish between the Hindus and the Muslims in his court.
3. He pinned his faith in the faultless and absolute eternal soul.
4. He propagated or preached through the local language. He adopted Dundari language, but used some of the words of even Gujarati, Westernised Hindi and Punjabi. Hence Dadu Vaani holds it specific significance in Hindi Saint literature.
5. Dadu was a reformist like Kabir but his teachings carry the message of humility unlike Kabir’s message of intensity.
6. Dadu Panth propagated that love binds the rich and the commoner in a thread of unity and this paves the way for universal welfare.
7. Saint Lai Das:
He founded the Laldas sect. He conveyed through his preachings the ideals of both the Hindus and the Muslims and thus set an example of Communal harmony. The Mev Muslims treat him as a ‘Pir’. He was a social reformer and was a staunch believer in the eternal soul.
8. Ramdeoji:
He was the founder of the Kaamariya panth. He opposed untouchability and discrimination between high and low. He tried to bring harmony between the Hindus and the Muslims. His samadhi sthal is in Ramdevra (Jaisalmer district). The Hindus worship Ramdeoji as the incarnation of the Vishnu and the Muslims consider him as the ‘Pir’ of‘Pirs’.
9. Jasnathji:
He is the founder of the Jasnaathi sect and was bom in Katariyasar (Bikaner). This panth believes in the tradition of ‘Ratri Jagran’ and ‘Agni Nrilaya’.
10. Saint Ramcharan:
He was born in the Vijayvargey Vaishya family of Soda village in Tonk district. He was born in the 18th century when there was a great political and religious upheaval. In order to enforce his views he created Anabhaivaani and started Ramsnehi sect which has its main peeth in Shahpura (Bhilwara). He preached his followers the Ramnaam mantra and he spread far off the message of humanity. He was a ‘Nirgun’ devotee.
Hence the followers of Ramsnehi panth do not believe in idol worship. Main emphasis of this sect is on the principles of moral code, Guru glory, true devotion and religious discipline/order.
11. Sufi Saints:
The famous Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hassan Chisti had come to India during Muhammad ôauri’s invasions in Prithviraj Chauhan Ill’s times. They made Ajmer their centre and from there they were spread over Jalore, Nagaur, Mandai, Chittor, etc. Nagaur has the Dargah of Sufi saint Hamiduddin Nagauri which is next to the Ajmer Dargah in name and fame. The Sufi saints succeeded in cooling down the intensity of religion of the medieval period. Ajit Singh and Jagat Singh donated their villages to Dargah. Consequently, till the 18th century, there was hardly any sign of HinduMuslim enmity or ill-will.
