SHREYA BOSE
Lalon Fakir : The most
prominent among those
ascribing to the Baul tradition,
Lalon was a man whose
philosophy chose not to battle
with questions of rebirth and
the afterlife, but rather with
divisions of community, castle,
class and gender. His songs,
which inspired the likes of
Rabindranath Tagore, mock the
reasons for disunity that human
society seems to hold so dear.
His beliefs are exemplified in words such as :
“Everyone asks, "What religion does Lalon belong to in th is
world?"
Lalon answers, "What does religion look like?"
I've never laid eyes upon it.
Some use Malas (Hindu rosaries),
others Tasbis (Muslim rosaries), and so people say
they belong to different religion.
But do you bear the sign of your religion
when you come (to this world) or when you leave
(this world)?”
Ravidas : A poet-sant whose
devotional songs are
included in the Guru Granth
Sahib, Ravidas’ work deals
with the theme of
dismantling boundaries
fabricated by humans in the
pursuit of union with greater
truths.
For instance,
Surdas : The beauty of
Surdas’ melody can almost
be sensed through a mere
reading of his words. Much
like Meerabai, he offered his
heart and mind in tribute to
Murlimanohar through the
composition of verses. His
compositions extol the godly
aspects and doings of Krishna,
and in the plebeian words of
the Braj Bhasha, he explored
the celestial love of Radha-
Krishna. He advocated for complete surrender and pure love
for God manifested through the form of Krishna. It believed
that he penned thousands of songs in his magnum opus ‘The
Sur Sagar’ (Ocean of Melody) of which only about 8000 are
extant.
Ramananda : As central
to the Bhakti tradition as
Sant Kabir is to the heart
of the Sufis, Ramananda
is believed to have been
born of a Brahmin family
sometime in the 14th
century. He became one of
the pioneering figures of the
Bhakti movement, and defied
social norms by accepting
disciples irrespective of caste,
religion or gender (including
Muslims). Traditional scholarship insists that his spiritual
lineage passes through preachers of great merit such as
Kabir, Ravidas and Bhagat Pipa (though this has been
questioned later).
Ramananda’s philosophy, drawn from the teachings of
south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja looks towards
a synthesis of Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnava bhakti.
His message, however, has never compromised on its
accessibility, as exemplified when he sings :
“Wherever I go, I find only water and stones,
This experience is such,
that it defies all description.
I have met the Lord,
Who can cause me harm?
Hari in everything, everything in Hari –
But Brahman is in everything.”
-Ramananda in Raag Basant, Adi Granth
Throughout his life, he championed a direct connection with
God, untainted by false knowledge (like belief in external,
material or physical differences) and self proclaimed
middlemen (priests). He decried the utility of any penance if
the inner self did not acknowledge itself as one with Hari.
For him who knows Hari and the sense of self,
no other testimony is needed:
the knower is absorbed.
Ravidas, Translated by Winand Callewaert and Peter
Friedlander
The object of his worship often seems to be an entity
similar to that venerated in the tradition of Nirguna bhakti,
depicting a certain organic nature to the ideas binding the
mystic mythologies of India.
Consider the above list a drop in an ocean, but as goes the
saying ‘little drops of water the mighty ocean make’. The
historical and contemporary figures listed offer a glimpse
into the richness of sentiment that motivated some of
the greatest cults of compassion in human history. The
noticeable similarity – of the oneness of all existence and the
futility of worldly distractions, is striking and is reflected
in almost every ascetic heritage in the sub-continent. Be
assured, if you venture down this path, you might find
yourself a whole lot happier with a whole lot less.
The
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