India has been a home of saints, Bhagats, and sages.
Whenever the moral or social life of people shows signs of decay, some saint or
prophet appears on the scene. Ravidas Ji was one such saint who infused new
life and vitality into the Hindu social order. Ravidas Ji was born in the year
1377 in Banaras, the holy city of the Hindus. He was the son of a cobbler. His
parents wanted him to be educated. They sent him to school. Unluckily, he was
unhappy at school very soon he was out of it. School life made him
understand the ills of society. Ravidas Ji realized that a child born in the
low caste was not treated well in society. In such an unfriendly atmosphere,
little Ravidas Ji could not put his heart into studying. Often, he would sit
alone and think deeply. It would then appear as if he were in deep Samadhi.
Ravidas ji had no interest in
material things. He was only interested in matters related to the spirits. He
wanted to gain spiritual knowledge. He was in search of some spiritual teacher
who could show him the right path. Soon, he became a disciple of Swami
Ramanand. Ravidas Ji stayed with the swami for some time. There was a complete
change in his life. Swami Ramanand’s lectures left a great impression on his
young mind. Through these sermons, he came to understand the true meaning of
life. He came to know of the ancient Indian wisdom and culture. The field was
ready, the seed was sown, and the crop did not take long to ripen. When the
guru was satisfied that the spiritual flame had been kindled permanently, he
asked Ravidas Ji to return home and live he wanted to live. The enlightened
disciple now felt that he had a divine mission to live for. He chose Banaras to
be the place of his future activities. Ravidas Ji felt that his training in
spiritual life was not yet complete. He had a desire to have more and more
spiritual knowledge. For this, he decided to beautify an area of the forest
where he could meditate in peace. One day, while meditating, he felt disturbed
by a sudden movement in the bushes.
Ravidas Ji got up and looked
around. A she-deer had been caught in a net laid by a hunter. The poor animal
was struggling to get free. As the hunter approached her, she looked at him
with pleading eyes. It was as if she was begging for mercy. It was her time to feed
her young ones. The three fawns came jumping to her joyfully, but they were
shocked when they saw their mother in a miserable plight. The mother and her
young ones were a painful picture of misery and helplessness. Their silent
prayers and their sad eyes could have melted even a heart of stone. But the
cruel hunter remained unmoved. His eyes showed no trace of pity or kindness. He
stepped forward to capture the animal and her young ones. As Ravidas Ji looked
at them, his heart melted in pity. He felt it his duty to save the poor
helpless animal from death. He went up to the hunter and spoke like these;
“We all are the children of the
same god. God is our loving father. It is the divine essence that runs in the
human heart as love. It is the divine essence that fills the rose with
fragrance. Again, it is the divine essence that fills the rainbow with beauty.
It is the divine essence that fills the birds with joy, the apples with juice,
and the voice with sweetness. Therefore, we should love every creature living
on this earth. All forms of life are sacred. It is man’s most sacred duty to
bring peace to a troubled heart. We should never cause pain, suffering, or
death to any living being. We should love all things-great or small. Even a
tiny insect in the grass is as sacred as a human child.”
The hunter listened to the kind
words of Bhagat Ravidas Ji and felt a deep respect for the saint. The charm of
the saint’s personality and his words of wisdom washed away all evil thoughts
from the hunter’s mind. It was a miracle for the hunter. A short meeting with
the great saint had changed him completely. The killer’s heart was filled with
love for God and all His creation. The hunter promised to lead a compassionate
life and never to cause harm to anyone. Saint Ravidas Ji was always very
humble. He was different from most of the scholars and religious men of his
time. He never boasted of his knowledge and wisdom. Hid divine knowledge came
from within. His spiritual message appealed to every heart. People listened to him
spellbound. He spoke in a simple and clear manner. He told people that all are
equal in the eyes of God. The distinction of caste, color, and creed is
meaningless. They are all man-made.
Saint Ravidas Ji brought great
hope for those who were poor, weak, and backward. He filled them with hope,
courage, and confidence. He inspired them not to bow to the unjust demands of
the high-caste people. He inspired them to recognize the strength of the spirit
within them. He asked them to stay away from all weak thoughts. He always
said.’’ Untouchability is a sin against humanity.’’
Saint Ravidas Ji continued to
guide and reform the society of his time all his life. Even in his old age, he
had a divine glow on his face. All his mental faculties remained as strong as
ever. His spirit remained untouched by the stresses of the material world. He
led a spiritual life. His end was peaceful. A great soul on this earth became
one with the Eternals soul.
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