Dr. Daljit Kaur Gill, Parshotam Lal
Asst. Prof. Dep. of History, Guru Kashi University Talwandi Sabo
Research Scholar (Ph. D), Dep. of History, Guru Kashi University Talwandi Sabo
ABSTRACT:
Saint Nabha Dass was a great Saint and theologian. He was earlier called Narayan Das as Goswami Nabha Das He was also contemporary Goswami Tulsi Das had written epic the Ramayana. He was a hindi poet saint reformer and phiiosher from Ramandi Samperdaya. In the lineage of Ramanand Acharya renowed from his devotion to the lord Shri Rama. A composer of the several popular work, he is best known as the author of the Bhaktmal which is the history Bhakti Sahitra.
Guru Nabha Das was a Saint, theologian and author of Holy Scripture, The Bhagat Maal, in this sacred Scripture, Nabha Das wrote the life history of almost every saint ranging from satyug to the Kalyug era.
KEYWORDS: Bhakti Sahitra, Bhaktmal, Thzeologian.
1. INTRODUCTION:
He was born in April 8, 1537, at village Bhadrachalam on the bank of the Godavari River in khammam district in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh. His mother was Smt. Janaki Devi and his father was Ramdas, now known as Ramdass. They belonged to the mahasha, Doom, Dumna community now known as Nabha dassia their professional work was to make baskets of cane and they were musicians. They were strong devotees of Lord Rama, because Rama’s temple was situated at Bhadrachalam, now known as Rambhadrachalam. His parents initially had no child, leading the Villagers to taunt them. They prayed to lord Rama to bless them with a son, who would be leavened, intellectual and a theologian. Then a son was Rama.
His parents died when he was five years old. He lived alone in the village and worshipped in the temple. He played on the bank of the river with his friends and also exchanged sand ladoo into the sweet ladoo with blessing from God.
He was a great theologian and author of Holy Scripture of Bhaktamal. In Bhaktamal Nabhadas had been written the Hagiography of Bhakti-Sahitya depicted the characters of Saints from Satyug, Treata, Dwapar and Kalyuga. He was a contemporary of Goswami Tulsidas who met saint Nabhadas and exchange Scripture knowledge before completed his religious epic. (Ramayana).
He was born at a time when the Mughal Empire had firmly taken roots in India and the moulvi (religious person) were at full flow in spreading their mission and was making the form of Indian culture and religion. Ramanand (founder man of the bhakti movement) had established the bhakti movement period 1200 BC to 1700 BC. 1
The Bhaktamal played important role in this period. The Islamic rulers were pressing the public to convert from Hindu to Islam. The Bhakti movement also countered the prevalent caste ideology which was dividing the Hinduism.
There was no grouping of the mystics into the Shaiva and vaishnava devotes as in South. The movement was Spontaneous and the Mystics and their own versions of devotional expressions.
Nabhadas Played an Important role in the Bhakti movement and social life of India for about 1537AD to 1643AD. Nabhadas has a unique place among the spiritual leader’s perception’s reformers and saints of India his teaching have a universal appeal and they hold good for people. The impact of this great saint on India society during last 500 years cannot be easily estimated at the filed spiritual and ethics he has deeply influenced the lives thinking and conduct of Millions of people. The general belief input Bhakti movement is the outcomes of Islams to medieval India it was attempted by Hindu Saints and Save Hinduism in the changed circumstance and a serious threat mainly posed by all evils practice of Hinduism particularly. These are relating to the rigidity of caste and image to worship.
Saint nabhadas is comes from one of the most prominent saints of India. He was a contemporary of Goswami tulsidas and a pillar of bhakti movement towards medieval India. He is the one who vociferously opposed blind following of customs and rituals and reprimanded both the Hindus and Muslims for doing so.
He pronounced the omnipresence of the God staring him to be residing in the heart of all creatures. He was a great devotee and an exponent of unity and equality of all human beings in the field of spirituality. He was a great historical need of the medieval India. He preceded Goswami Tulsidas and the grace of god lifted him very high in spiritual attainments. Though born in a low-caste, his devotion made him one of the twelve prominent disciples of Swami Ramanand.
He through the Bhaktamal immortalized his devotion to God and gave such an epic to people which is perhaps the most popular and is considered to lay the ideals for them to guide their lives. He brought about a revolution not only in the literary world but also in the arena of the Bhakti.
By Presenting God as Protector, auspicious and ideal person, he laid the limits of the Indian culture through the medium of literature. The entire population of the country by singing in tune with the Bhaktamal exhibited firm faith in the ideals of God.
Saint Nabhadas was not only great theologian and philosopher but was also a great reformer, who preached against blind following of rituals of the Hindu religion such as idol worship, caste system, animal sacrifice and restriction against reading of Vedas by women and low caste of persons. 2
He is the one who inspired people to turn the flow of their spiritual current towards the Vedas. He was an exponent of religious bhakti (India culture). He was saint who exhorted people to come out of the darkness of ignorance. It was the time when the religious messengers from other countries were propagating their own religious beliefs by making fun of the Indian culture, religious and spiritual consciousness many new sects were emerging and people were going away from the Indian religions. In such a difficult time he held high flag of bhakat mal and spent all his life in uprooting the non-Indian elements and bringing glory to the bhakti culture not only in north India but also entire India.
When Narayan Das was only five years old, his parents expired. After the death of parents he lives alone in his home. But he always used to worship in the temple.
In his childhood, often played on the holy river Godavari with his friends and also exchanged sand Ladoo into sweet Ladoo (A kind of sweets) with the blessing of God. Agardass and keeldass were the great holy saints at that time. One day when Narayan Das was sitting under a tree with a group of religious people and was busy in prayer, both saints were passing were by. They stopped there and asked Narayan Das (who is he and why he is sitting there).
It was really a tough question to explain the reasons of sitting Narayan Das there. But he very simply and humbly told them that ‘I am made of five elements blessed from God’ by hearing this, both the saints were happy and even surprised to listen at the spiritual reply of Narayan Das. They advised him to go to their temple where saint keeldass put water on his eyes and blessed him. Then he brought to Ghatla Dham situated in Jaipur, Rajasthan where a lot of people daily comes to hear Satsung. He was asked to operate hand fan on the ‘ Satsangees’ and Narayan Das accepted this duty very happily and he immediately started his duty.
How Narayan Das became Nabha Das is also an interesting story. He was performing his duty of operating hand fan in satsung, Guru Agardass was addressing the satsung. Narayan Das noticed that Guru was not concentrating into the satsung. Actually, a disciple named Haridass who was a business man his ship was sinking into the sea. He was praying to Guru Agardass to save his ship and his Guru was paying attention on the prayer. Narayan Das saw all this with internal enlightenment and started operating hand fan with high speed. Anyway, the ship was saved then he told Agardass that ship has been saved from the cyclone and he (Guru should carry on satsung). After opening eyes Guru asked, Narayan Das how he understand my internal feelings you are not an ordinary disciple you are a great saint and you will not operate fans from today and awarded him with the name of Nabha Das.
He further asked him to write life history of saints came on the earth from Satyug to kalyug. He had written the Bhakatmal.
Both Guru Agardass and keeldass were very happy on this achievement of Nabha Dass they declared him great writer. They further advised him to get a degree of doctorate of Literature and for this purpose a function was organized. He was further advised to going to Varanasi for the holy dip in the Ganga. In the way came to city Ayodhya, where temple of Rama was situated, he stayed in the temple where religious programme was going on. Nabha Das was asked by temple clergy to preach any hymn. But at the same time some sage persons objected that Nabha Das is not belonging to sage community so he should not be allowed.3 In response to that the priest told them that there should be no objective in it if a person not belonging to sage community and wants to sing a hymn. Before starting hymn Nabha Das said,
“Jaatpuchhie sadh ki
pooch leegie gyan, mat karo kirpan ka, pari rahne do main”
All sage persons present there were surprised to hear the religious preaching. Nabha Das told them that after visiting varansi he will be going to Ghaltadham and also inherited them to came Ghaltadham. His imitation was accepted by all the saints on his way back to Varanasi he visited Mathura, Varindavan and worship. There he met to Tulsi Dass (“Writer of the Ramayan”). He (Tulsi Dass) was also surprised to hear about Nabha Dass because due to his sage community. Tulsi Das and other saints were against getting uppadhi of Dr. of Literature by Nabha Das because it will affect their sageship. Then a conspiracy was planned against Nabha Das they will accept the imitation of Nabha Das if their food will be cooked from sandal woods (sandal wood is a king of precious and costly wood which was not available in any forest) and in case Nabha Dass will go near the sandalwood tree in nearby forest, snakes sitting on the tress will bite him and he will die. Nabha Das accepted the challenge and went in the forest with bullock cart where sandalwood available. On reaching there he prayed and snakes leave the sandalwood tree. His disciples cut sandalwood needed for cooking the food and loaded that wood on bullock cart. At the same time, a lion came there and killed the bull. Nabha Dass who was looking all this caught his cart and put the cart before the lion and brought Nabha Das at Ghaltadham. When religions ceremony started Tulsi Dass also came there. Nabha Dass saw him and rushed to him, welcomed him and requested him and other Saints including Guru Agardass and keeldass to release sacred scripture written by him.
The same released in the year of 1585 at Ghaltadham, Jaipur and its name called Bhagat maal (Bhakat-mal) and give degree doctorate of literature to vasha was like Goswami, Tulsi Dass, Rishi Balmiki who had written scared scripture. Actually in the Bhakat-mal history of many holy saints has been written of kalyug and satyug era.
As the mission of getting the doctorate of Literature was completed, Nabha Dass left for religious Journey started from his home village Rambhadracalam, Dhinapurdam, pandoridham and Damtal dham.
After the visit, he went to kullu manali. (Himachal Pardash) where his grand Guru krishna Pyahai Dass was living. In their location king Jagat Singh’s wife was suffering from skin disease after a long checkup of her she was not cured then the Raja Jagat Singh with his wife came to Krishna and Nabha Das advised her to take dips in sacred spring and the disease was cured.
Raja Jagat singh was very happy Both king and queen were very happy and fell down to the feet of both saints. They said them, “you are great holy saints, and we want to a present gift as you like krishana Pyahari Dass said them you may have to celebrate ten days festival to the remark of the Lord Rama4. Nabhdass came at Punjab through way of pathankot, Gurdaspur and Jammu. One day he conveyed the message to people for taking his blessings at their place but people ignored it. No person had come to hear his religious hymns. He felt upset and then he went back at Ghaltadham near Jaipur and to serve in the Galtadham. He and his Guru Agardass went to Revasha forest and stayed there. One day a king Raja Maan singh went to the Revasha Forest for prey along with his there thousands saints.
They were very exhausted. They saw a saint lodge to march there. King go to take blessing from saints. Agardass said to Nabhadass you give him s parsad of banana. When Nabhadass give him a banana. raja maan singh said first parsad should be given to my sainiks and their after to me. Nabhadass called the sainiks and gave them ten-ten bananas to all. That king was surprised that how he would able to give ten-ten bananas to all the soldiers that were more than 10,000 in numbers while there was only 10 bananas in the basket king was again very surprised to see this miracle. They are miraculous holy saints. He fell down to their feet for seeking the blessings. He gave 1600 acres of land in donation to Dham and also made a gate of name Agardass, Nabhdass and himself when they proved miracle before him. The gate is still situated at Ravasa Dham.
Saint Nabhadass was a great theologian and author of Holy Scripture the Bhaktamal. In the Bhaktamal Nabhadas had been written the hagiography of Bhakti-sahitya (devotional-literature), depicted the characters of saints of satyuga, Treata, Dwapar and kaliyuga. He was a contemporary of Goswami Tulsidas. Who met saint Nabhadas and exchange Scripture knowledge before completed his religious epic (Ramayana).
He was born at the time when the Mughal expire had firmly taken roots in India and the Moulvi (religious person) was at full flow in spreading their mission and was making fan of Indian culture and religion. Ramanand (Name of the founder of the Bhakti movement) has established the Bhakti movement period 1200 BC to 1700 BC. The Bhakti Movement played important role in this period. The Islamic rulers were pressing the public to convert from Hindu to Islam.
The Bhakti Movement also countered the prevalent caste ideology which was dividing Hindiusm. There was no grouping of the Mystics into Shaiva and vaishnava devotees as in South. The movement was spontaneous and the mystics, and their own versions of devotional expression.
Nabhadas played an important role in the Bhakti movement and social life of India for about 1537 to 1643 A.D. Nabhadas has a unique place among the spiritual leader’s preceptor’s reformers and saints of India. His teachings have a undersell appeal and they hold good for people. The impact on this great saint on Indian society during last 500 years cannot be estimated at the field of spiritual and ethics he has deeply influenced the lives thinking and conducts of millions of people.
The General belief input Bhakti movement is the outcomes of Islam to medieval India it was attempted by Hindu saints to save Hinduism in the changed circumstance and a serious threat mainly posed by all evil practice of Hinduism particularly. Those relating to the rigidity of caste and image worship. Saint Nabhadas is one of the most prominent saints of India. He was a contemporary of Gosawami Tulsidas and a pillar of Bhakti movement of the medieval India. He is the one, who vociferously opposed blind following of customs and rituals and reprimanded both the Hindus and Muslims for doing so. He pronounced the omnipresence of the God stating him to be residing in the heart of all creatures.
He was a great devotee and an exponent of unity and equality of all human beings in the field of spirituality. He was a great historical need of the medieval India. He has Preceded Goswami Tulsidas and the grace of god lifted him very high in spiritual attainments. Though born in a low-caste, his devotion made him one of the most revered saints. He is considered as one of the twelve prominent disciples of Swami Ramanand.
He through the Bhaktamal immortalized his devotion to god and gave such an epic to people, which is perhaps the most popular and is considered to by the ideals for them to guide their lives. He brought about a revolution not only in the literary world but also in the arena of Bhakti. By Presenting god as a protector, auspicious and ideal person, he laid limits for the Indian culture thought the medium of literature. The entire population of the country by singing in tune with Bhaktamal exhibited firm faith in the ideal of God. Bhaktamal is a great temple of love with God, the more one visits it, the more it attracts and makes one addict to drink the rector flowing from it.
Saint Nabha das was not only a great theologian philosopher but was also a great reformer, who preached against blind following of rituals of the Hindu religion such as idol-worship, caste-system, animal sacrifice and restriction against reading Vedas by ladies and low caste of persons. He was the one who that inspired people to turn flow of their spiritual current towards the Vedas.
He was an exponent of ‘religious-bhakti (Indian-culture). He was a saint who exhorted people to come out of the darkness of ignorance. It was the time when the religious-messengers from other countries were propagating their own religious beliefs by making fern of the Indian culture, religious and spiritual consciousness. Many new sects were emerging and people were going away from the Indian religion. In such a difficult time he held high the flag of bhakatmal spent all his life in uprooting the non- Indian elements and bringing glory of bhakti culture not only in north India but also in entire Indian.
Once at Galta Dham Guru Agardass while he was engaged in mortal-Pooja saw that the ship of one of his disciples, who was a trader and on sea voyage was about to sink.
Guru Agardas got worried. Just then nabhadass due to his devotion to his Guru Mahatma Agardass got an inspiration and in order that his Guru Agardas may not be distracted while doing Pooja, he prayed to lord Rama to save that disciple. Nabha dass could see that the trader had been saved and the sea had become quiet. He informed to Guru Agardass, he was extremely pleased with the devotion of nabhadas. Guru Agardass thought that a person, who could save a ship from sinking, would surely be able to help millions of people in crossing the ocean of life. Guru Agardass asked to write about the Saints. Guru Agardas’s believed on the Saint Nabha Das. He knows the potential of the Nabha Dass.
Nabhadas at one place has mentioned:
Agradev Agya Dai, Bhaktan Ko Jas Gau, Bhavsagar Ke Taran Ko, Nahin Aur Upau5
He complied with the order of Agradas and wrote Bhaktamal. His fame started reaching far and wide. The Places like Ayodhya, kashi, Jaggannath-puri and 193 Vrindavan people started taking about him. Nabhadass had natural love for saints he used to go on pilgrimages in order to meet with saints. Once Nabhadas went to kashi to meet Goswami Tulsidas but he could not meet him Nabhadas, therefore, returned to brij where he was living on hat time. When Tulsidas went to meet him in Brij, Nabhadas was busy in a Bhandara (offering food to devotees) for Saints.
Nabhadas deliberately did not pay attention to Tulsidas, as he wanted to test him. There was no vessel for serving kheer (a desert made by cooking rice in milk) to Tulsidas . Tulsidas Picked up a stiffer of one of the Saints and Said what could be a better vessel then-it- Nabhadass was overwhelmed by the humility of Tulsidas Nabhadas embrasced him and said – ‘I had spotted the sumeru (the mythological mountain which was used to stir the ocean) of my Bhaktmal today. I am fortunate to see you.” In Bhaktmal Nabhadas has written about various saints and has thrown light on various methods of Sadhana that were prevalent those days. He laid stress on Mahatma Agradas’s words that those who keep the Lord in their hearts are worth worship and they alone are praise worthy Nabhadas in the conclusive part of Bhaktmal has stated that he has presented Bhaktmal as the remenant from the works of people who have written in praise of saints and Mahatmas. He spent all his life in contemplating about the Lord and in praising his Devotees. Nabha dass has been recognized as something of a Revolutionary for a raising the status of the Bhaktas-the devotees- and equating them with God6
Nabha Das had gone to heaven in 1643. He always remembers in our heartsand on this earth because his contribution and sacrifice not for us Rather for whole people. Especially our community people should have respect and also grateful before his idol.7
If Guru Nabha Dass would not have taken birth in our Mahasha Caste, we could not tell others whether our guru is a Nabhadass others peoples are respect and they fell down his feet for his contribution sacrifice to save Indian culture, so we should celebrate his birth anniversary on Dated 8, April.
REFERENCE:
1 Radhakrishan, S., Indian philosophy, 2 vol. mahant, Sant Das, Jalandhar, 1994, p122-125.
2 Anantadas, The Hagiographies of Anantadas: The Bhakti poets of North Indi (Richmond, surrey: Curzon, 2000) p100-113.
3 R.S. Mcgregor,’The Dhyan- Manjari of Agardas,’in Bhakti in current Research, 1979-1982, ed. Monika thielhorstman (Berlin; dietrich reamer verlag,1 983), p.250-254.
4 William pinch, ‘History, devotion and the search for Nabhadas of Galta’. In invoking the past: The uses of History in south Asia, ed. Daud Ali, new Delhi: oxford university press, 1999, p 369-372.
5 Rupkala, Sri Bhaktamal, Sri Ramakrishan, math, 2009, 19-23.
6 Bhunipati dasa, sri Bhaktamala, Ras bihari and purnaprajna dasa,2017, 180-182.
7 K.C Varadachari, Ramanuja’s theory of knowledge, new Delhi, oxford University, 1961, 300-331.
Received on 11.02.2021 Modified on 15.03.2021
Accepted on 01.04.2021 ©AandV Publications All right reserved
Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2021; 12(2):123-127.
DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2021.00019