Samarth Ramdas
Encyclopedia
Ramdas (1606–1682) was a prominent Marathi
saint and religious poet in the Hindu
tradition in Maharashtra
, India
. Samarth Ramdas was a devotee of Lord Hanuman
and Lord Rama
. His birth name was Narayan Suryajipant Kulkarni
Thosar.
was born in a Deshastha Rugvedi Bramhan family to Suryāji and Rānu-Bāi Thosar in Jāmb in Jalna District
of Maharashtra on Ram Navami (the birth festival of Lord Ram
), 1530 according to "Shāliwāhan Shak" calendar. His given name was Nārāyan.
As a child, Ramdas showed an inclination toward metaphysical contemplation and religion. One recorded incident tells how he was walking in the dark and bumped into something under a tree. Fetching a light, he saw a local villager who had been arbitrarily hanged by the Mughal
s, foreign rulers of India. This incident fired in him a desire to be free in all aspects of the world: free from foreign rule and also free from Maya
, the illusion that prevents individual souls from realizing their unity with the greater Self, Ultimate Spirit.
When Ramdas was eight, his father died; and when he was 18, his mother arranged his marriage. However, he wanted to pursue a monastic life. He ran away in the middle of the wedding ceremony, before the marriage vows were exchanged.
During the Hindu marriage ceremony, the last word which seals the marriage is "Saavdhan" meaning, 'be careful'. Swami Ramdas interpreted that word to mean that he had to be careful not to get entangled in the bonds of Maya, and must seek Self realization.
Ramdas moved around quite a lot, and in the process, used several Ghal , which are small caves used for meditation. The famous ones include:
. At age 24 he took the name "Ramdas", meaning "servant of Lord Ram
," an incarnation
of God.
Ramdas practised physical yoga exercises
as well as meditation. The Surya Namaskara
or Sun Salutation was his favourite as it involves every part of the body. It is said that he would do 1,200 Sun Salutations every day, believing that no spirituality could be attained if the physical body was not strong.
In addition to his veneration of Ram, Ramdas worshipped Ram's divinely strong servant Lord Hanuman
. He established 11 temples of Hanuman
in Maharashtra and promoted physical exercise to develop a healthy society.
. Among his works, two compositions particularly stand out: A small book of meditations, Shri Manāche Shlok, advises ethical behaviour and love for God, and a large volume, Dasbodh
, provides advice on both spiritual and practical topics. Ramdas also wrote the Shri Māruti Stotra, a poem in praise of Hanuman, the AatmaaRaam, 11-Laghu Kavita and Raamayan (Marathi-Teeka).
His most popular composition is the Marathi song/prayer to Lord Ganesh Sukhkartā Dukhhartā Vārtā Vighnāchi. He also composed several other prayers such as Satrane Uddane Hunkaar Vadani to Lord Hanuman and Panchanan haivahan surabhushan lila to Lord Khandoba
.
Chhatrapati Shivaji considered Samarth Ramdas his spiritual Guru and sought his advice many times. Shivaji requested Ramdas swami to move his residence to a fort named Parali & establish his permanent monastery there. The fort was subsequently renamed Sajjangad
(सज्जनगड) - Fort of the sacred.
In the 20th century, Nana Dharmadhikari
undertook to spread the philosophy of Samarth Ramdas.
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
saint and religious poet in the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
tradition in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Samarth Ramdas was a devotee of Lord Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
and Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. His birth name was Narayan Suryajipant Kulkarni
Kulkarni
Kulkarni Marathi- Kannada- is a common family name in the Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India.The name Kulkarni is believed to be a combination of two words . Kula means the root of the family, and Karanika means one who maintains records or accounts...
Thosar.
Early life
Ramdas SwamiSwami
A swami sometimes abbreviated "Sw." is an ascetic or yogi who has been initiated into the religious monastic order founded by Adi Sankara, or to a religious teacher.The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology as...
was born in a Deshastha Rugvedi Bramhan family to Suryāji and Rānu-Bāi Thosar in Jāmb in Jalna District
Jalna district
Jalna district is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in western India. Jalna town is the district headquarters. The district is part of Aurangabad division. The district occupies an area of 7718 km²...
of Maharashtra on Ram Navami (the birth festival of Lord Ram
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
), 1530 according to "Shāliwāhan Shak" calendar. His given name was Nārāyan.
As a child, Ramdas showed an inclination toward metaphysical contemplation and religion. One recorded incident tells how he was walking in the dark and bumped into something under a tree. Fetching a light, he saw a local villager who had been arbitrarily hanged by the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
s, foreign rulers of India. This incident fired in him a desire to be free in all aspects of the world: free from foreign rule and also free from Maya
Maya (illusion)
Maya , in Indian religions, has multiple meanings, usually quoted as "illusion", centered on the fact that we do not experience the environment itself but rather a projection of it, created by us. Maya is the principal deity that manifests, perpetuates and governs the illusion and dream of duality...
, the illusion that prevents individual souls from realizing their unity with the greater Self, Ultimate Spirit.
When Ramdas was eight, his father died; and when he was 18, his mother arranged his marriage. However, he wanted to pursue a monastic life. He ran away in the middle of the wedding ceremony, before the marriage vows were exchanged.
During the Hindu marriage ceremony, the last word which seals the marriage is "Saavdhan" meaning, 'be careful'. Swami Ramdas interpreted that word to mean that he had to be careful not to get entangled in the bonds of Maya, and must seek Self realization.
Residences
- Ramghal, on SajjangadSajjangadSajjangad meaning Fort of Good People, is located near the city of Satara, India. It is the final resting place of Sant Ramdas, a saint and social reformer in 17th century India...
- Morghal, at Morbag village near SajjangadSajjangadSajjangad meaning Fort of Good People, is located near the city of Satara, India. It is the final resting place of Sant Ramdas, a saint and social reformer in 17th century India...
- Tondoshi Ghal, North of Chaphal
- TaakLi, near Nashik
- Chandragiri, opposite Vasantgad, near KaradKaradKarad is a town and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies at the confluence of Koyna River and the Krishna River. The two rivers originate at Mahabaleshwar which is around 100 km from Karad. They diverge at their origin and then meet again in...
- Helwak, near HelwakHelwakHelwak is a town on the Chiplun–Karad highway in the state of Maharashtra, India just off the Kumbharli Ghat. It is located near the Koyna Dam in Satara at an elevation of ....
village - Shinganwadi, near Chandragiri
- Shivthar GhalShivthar GhalShivthar Ghal , also known as Sundarmath , is a cave, about 34 km from Mahad, near Barasgaon. Samarth Ramdas dictated Dasbodh to Kalyanswami. Samarth Ramdas lived here for about 22 years. It is believed that this is where the first meeting between Shivaji and Samarth Ramdas took place.The...
, near MahadMahadMahad is a city and a municipal council in Raigad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is situated about 175 km to the south of Mumbai . It has become the center of attraction because of its beautiful surroundings and pleasant climate. Mahad has a personality of its own due to its...
Spiritual Development
For the next twelve years, Ramdas devoted himself to studying Hindu religious books, to meditation, and to prayers in a place named Panchavati, near Nashik on the banks of the Godavari RiverGodavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
. At age 24 he took the name "Ramdas", meaning "servant of Lord Ram
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
," an incarnation
Avatar
In Hinduism, an avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity to earth, or a descent of the Supreme Being and is mostly translated into English as "incarnation," but more accurately as "appearance" or "manifestation"....
of God.
Ramdas practised physical yoga exercises
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
as well as meditation. The Surya Namaskara
Surya Namaskara
Surya Namaskara , known in English as Sun Salutation , is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. Its origins lie in a worship of Surya, the Hindu solar deity...
or Sun Salutation was his favourite as it involves every part of the body. It is said that he would do 1,200 Sun Salutations every day, believing that no spirituality could be attained if the physical body was not strong.
In addition to his veneration of Ram, Ramdas worshipped Ram's divinely strong servant Lord Hanuman
Hanuman
Hanuman , is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic Ramayana and one of the dearest devotees of lord Rama. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine and a disciple of Lord Rama in the...
. He established 11 temples of Hanuman
Maruti Temples, Maharashtra
11 Maruti or God Hanuman temples were established by Samarth Ramdas in Maharashtra, India in the 17th century,. The objective behind establishing these temples was to create awareness of fitness among the youth of Maharashtra so that they could participate in establishing the Maratha Empire started...
in Maharashtra and promoted physical exercise to develop a healthy society.
Writings
Ramdas Swami was a gifted composer. He produced considerable literature in verse form in MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
. Among his works, two compositions particularly stand out: A small book of meditations, Shri Manāche Shlok, advises ethical behaviour and love for God, and a large volume, Dasbodh
Dasbodh
Dāsbodh , loosely meaning advise to the disciple, is a classical 17th Century Hindu Advaita Vedanta spiritual text. It was orally narrated by saint Samarth Ramdas, spiritual advisor of the famous King Shivaji, to his disciple Kalyan Swami. The narration is believed to have taken place in a cave...
, provides advice on both spiritual and practical topics. Ramdas also wrote the Shri Māruti Stotra, a poem in praise of Hanuman, the AatmaaRaam, 11-Laghu Kavita and Raamayan (Marathi-Teeka).
His most popular composition is the Marathi song/prayer to Lord Ganesh Sukhkartā Dukhhartā Vārtā Vighnāchi. He also composed several other prayers such as Satrane Uddane Hunkaar Vadani to Lord Hanuman and Panchanan haivahan surabhushan lila to Lord Khandoba
Khandoba
Khandoba, also known as Khanderao, Khanderaya, Malhari Martand and Mallu Khan is a regional Hindu deity, worshipped as Mārtanda Bhairava, a form of Shiva, mainly in the Deccan plateau of India, especially in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. He is the most popular family deity in Maharashtra...
.
Disciples
Samarth Ramdas had many disciples. Kalyan Swami worked as a writer for Ramdas, recording his songs and prayers. Ramdas tested him in many ways before giving him this responsible position. Other noteworthy disciples included Udhhw Swami, Vena Swami, Akka Bai, Bhim Swami, Dayanand Prabhu, and Diwakar Swami.Chhatrapati Shivaji considered Samarth Ramdas his spiritual Guru and sought his advice many times. Shivaji requested Ramdas swami to move his residence to a fort named Parali & establish his permanent monastery there. The fort was subsequently renamed Sajjangad
Sajjangad
Sajjangad meaning Fort of Good People, is located near the city of Satara, India. It is the final resting place of Sant Ramdas, a saint and social reformer in 17th century India...
(सज्जनगड) - Fort of the sacred.
In the 20th century, Nana Dharmadhikari
Nana Dharmadhikari
Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari , the spiritual guru had a Sanstha at Revdanda town of the Raigad district....
undertook to spread the philosophy of Samarth Ramdas.
Sources
- "Shakti Saushthava शक्ती सौष्ठव" by D. G. Godse
- "Vinoba Saraswat" by Vinoba BhaveVinoba BhaveVinoba Bhave , born Vinayak Narahari Bhave often called Acharya , was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. He is best known for the Bhoodan Andolan...
(edited by Ram ShewalkarRam ShewalkarRam Balkrushna Shewalkar was a Marathi orator, writer, and literary critic from Maharashtra, India.He was born on March 2, 1931 in Achalpur in Amravati district of Maharashtra.-Career:...
) - "Rajwade Lekhsangrah" by Vishwanath Kashinath RajwadeVishwanath Kashinath RajwadeVishwanath Kashinath Rajwade , popularly known as Itihasacharya Rajwade, was an eminent historian, scholar, writer, commentator and orator from Maharashtra...
(edited by Tarkatirth Laxmanshastri Joshi) - "Tryambak Shankar Shejwalkar Nivadak Lekhsangrah" by T S Shejwalkar (collection- H V Mote, Introduction- G D Khanolkar)
External links
- dasbodh.com - Site dedicated to Dasbodh and Samarth Ramdas Swami (contains Dasbodh in various languages plus all the literature of Samarth Ramdas Swami)
- Dasbodh.org - Provides information in English about Dasbodh and Samartha Ramdas
- Samartha Ramdas Swami and his teachings. Includes the Dasbodh in Marathi.
- Shree Samarth Ramdas, has free Dasbodh e-course in MarathiMarathi languageMarathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and original Marathi works translated in HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, SindhiSindhi languageSindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
, SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
, and GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union.... - Hindupedia: Samarth Ramdas
- Speech given by Dr. Shivajirao Bhosale on Samartha Ramdas in Marathi
- Letter of Ramdas Swami to Shivaji Maharaj
- Ramdas.org
- Swami Samarth
- Shri Samarth Seva Mandal
- Manāche Shlok (मनाचे श्लोक) on Marathi Wikipedia
- Dasbodh Audio
- Speech by Prof Ram Shewalkar on Samartha Ramdas swami in Marathi