Ramananda
Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Hindu leader Template:Hindu philosophy Template:Sikhism sidebar Jagadguru Swami Ramananda (IAST: Rāmānanda) or Ramanandacharya was an Indian 14th-century Hindu Vaishnava devotional poet saint, who lived in the Gangetic basin of northern India.<ref name=william/> The Hindu tradition recognizes him as the founder<ref name=schomer/> of the Ramanandi Sampradaya, the largest monastic Hindu renunciant community in modern times.<ref name=selva>Selva Raj and William Harman (2007), Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, pages 165-166</ref><ref name=lochtefeld>James G Lochtefeld (2002), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z, Rosen Publishing, Template:ISBN, pages 553-554</ref>
Born in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family, Ramananda for the most part of his life lived in the holy city of Varanasi.<ref name=ronald/><ref name=lorenzen>David Lorenzen, Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History, Template:ISBN, pages 104-106</ref> His date of birth is December 30, while his date of death is uncertain, but historical evidence suggests he was one of the earliest saints and a pioneering figure of the Bhakti movement as it rapidly grew in North India, sometime between the 14th and mid-15th century during its Islamic rule period.<ref name=schomer/><ref name=william/> Tradition asserts that Ramananda developed his philosophy and devotional themes inspired by the south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja, however, evidence also suggests that Ramananda was influenced by Nathpanthi ascetics of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy.<ref name=lochtefeld/>
An early social reformer, Ramananda accepted disciples without discriminating against anyone by gender , class or caste. Traditional scholarship holds that his disciples included later Bhakti movement poet-sants such as Kabir, Ravidas, Bhagat Pipa and others,<ref name="lochtefeld" /><ref name="lorenzen" /> however, some postmodern scholars have questioned some of this spiritual lineage while others have supported this lineage with historical evidence.<ref name="McLeod 1987 page 54">Schomer and McLeod (1987), The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India, Motilal Banarsidass, Template:ISBN, page 54</ref><ref name="julia">Julia Leslie (1996), Myth and Mythmaking: Continuous Evolution in Indian Tradition, Routledge, Template:ISBN, pages 117-119</ref> His verse is mentioned in the Sikh holy scripture Guru Granth Sahib.<ref name="lochtefeld" /><ref>Winnand Callewaert (2015), The Hagiographies of Anantadas: The Bhakti Poets of North India, Routledge, Template:ISBN, pages 405-407</ref>
Ramananda was known for composing his works and discussing spiritual themes in vernacular Hindi, stating that this makes knowledge accessible to the masses.<ref name=william>William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press, Template:ISBN, pages 53-89</ref>
BiographyEdit
Little is known with certainty about the life of Ramananda, including year of birth and death<ref name=lochtefeld/><ref name=mcgregor51>Enzo Turbiani (Editor: RS McGregor, 1992), Devotional Literature in South Asia, Cambridge University Press, Template:ISBN, page 51</ref> The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature give dates of 1366–1467 for his lifespan.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref> His biography has been derived from mentions of him in secondary literature and inconsistent hagiographies.<ref name=schomer/><ref name=william/><ref name=julia/>
The most accepted version holds that Ramananda was born in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":6" /> about mid 14th-century, and died about mid 15th-century.<ref>Charlotte Vaudeville (1974), Kabir, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, Template:ISBN, pages 110-117</ref><ref>Selva Raj and William Harman (2007), Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, pages 165-185</ref><ref name=nirmaldass>Nirmal Dass (2000), Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, page 160-164</ref><ref name=":6" /> Although few people hold him to be of southern origin, there's no evidence to support such a claim. In fact, all genuinely Indian sources agree in stating that Ramananda was born at Prayaga (Allahabad).<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>
"Not one word is said as to his southern origin, and the fact that he was stated to be a Kanyakubja Brahmin is decisively against such a theory" –George A. Greirson (1920).<ref name=":0" />
According to the medieval era Bhaktamala text by Nabhadas, Ramananda studied under Raghavananda, a guru (teacher) in Vedanta-based Vatakalai (northern, Rama-avatar) school of Vaishnavism.<ref name="karen">Karen Pechelis (2014), The Embodiment of Bhakti, Oxford University Press, Template:ISBN, page 36</ref>
"It was Ramananda's teacher, Raghavananda, who came from the South, and after much wandering had settled at Benares. There, and not in the South, he had Ramananda as his disciple." –George A. Greirson (1920).<ref name=":0" />
Other scholars state that Ramananda's education started in Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta school, before he met Raghavananda and began his studies in Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita Vedanta school.<ref>Edmour J Babineau (2008), Love of God and Social Duty in the Rāmcaritmānas, Motilal Banarsidass, Template:ISBN, pages 65-66</ref>
Literary worksEdit
Ramananda is credited as the author of many devotional poems, but like most Bhakti movement poets, whether he actually was the author of these poems is unclear. Two treatises in Hindi, Gyan-lila and Yog-cintamani are also attributed to Ramananda, as are the Sanskrit works Vaishnava Matabja Bhaskara and the Ramarchana Paddhati.<ref name=mcgregor51/> His three other literatures: Brahm Sutra Anandbhashya, Upanishad Anandbhashya, and Shrimad Bhagwadgita Anandbhshya are also famous. However, poems found in the original and well-preserved manuscripts of Sikhism and handwritten Nagari-pracarini Sabha are considered authentic and highlight the Nirguna (attributeless god) stream of thought in Ramananda.<ref name=mcgregor51/>
PhilosophyEdit
Ramananda developed his philosophy and devotional themes inspired by the south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja, however, evidence also suggests that Ramananda was influenced by Nathpanthi ascetics of the Yoga school of Hindu philosophy.<ref name=lochtefeld/>
Antonio Rigopoulos states Ramananda's teachings were "an attempt towards a synthesis between Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnava bhakti".<ref name=antonio264>Antonio Rigopoulos (1993), The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, page 264</ref> He adds that the same link can be found in the 15th-century text of Adhyatma Ramayana, but there is no historical proof that Ramananda's teachings inspired that text.<ref name=antonio264/>
Shastri has proposed the theory that Ramananda's complex theological schooling in two distinct Hindu philosophies explains why he accepted both Saguna Brahman and Nirguna Brahman, or god with attributes and god without attributes, respectively. Shastri suggests his theory offers an explanation why Ramananda's disciples co-developed saguna and nirguna as the two parallel currents in the Bhakti movement.<ref name=edmour67>Edmour J Babineau (2008), Love of God and Social Duty in the Rāmcaritmānas, Motilal Banarsidass, Template:ISBN, pages 66-67</ref> However, this theory lacks historical evidence and has not gained wide acceptance by scholars.<ref name=edmour67/>
The Ramananda literature that is considered authentic, states Enzo Turbiani, suggest a milestone development in metaphysical principles of the Bhakti movement.<ref name=enzo52>Enzo Turbiani (Editor: RS McGregor, 1992), Devotional Literature in South Asia, Cambridge University Press, Template:ISBN, pages 52-54</ref> Ramananda asserts that austerity and penances through asceticism are meaningless, if an individual does not realize Hari (Vishnu) as their inner self. He criticizes fasting and rituals, stating that the mechanics are not important, and that these are useless if the individual does not take the opportunity to reflect and introspect on the nature of Brahman (supreme being).<ref name=enzo52/> Ramananda states that rote reading of a sacred text is of no benefit, if the person fails to understand what the text is trying to communicate.<ref name=enzo52/>
LegacyEdit
Ramananda is often honored as the founder of Sant-parampara (literally, the tradition of bhakti sants) in north India.<ref>Antonio Rigopoulos (1993), The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, page 37</ref> His efforts, in a time when Ganges river plains of north India was under Islamic rule, helped revive and refocus Hindus to a personalized, direct devotional form of Rama worship, his liberalism and focus on the devotee's commitment rather than birth or gender set a precedent that attracted people to spirituality from various walks of life, and his use of vernacular language instead of Sanskrit for spiritual ideas made sharing and reflection easier for the masses.<ref>Edmour J Babineau (2008), Love of God and Social Duty in the Rāmcaritmānas, Motilal Banarsidass, Template:ISBN, pages 65-68</ref>
Fourteen disciples of RamanandaEdit
Fourteen influential disciples of Ramananda included 12 men and 2 women poet-sants. According to Bhaktamal, these were:<ref>Rekha Pande (2014), Divine Sounds from the Heart—Singing Unfettered in their Own Voices, Cambridge Scholars, Template:ISBN, page 77</ref>
Men scholars:
- Anantananda
- Sursurananda
- Sukhanand
- Naraharidāsa
- Bhavanand
- Vitthalpant Kulkarni
- Bhagat Pipa
- Kabir
- Ravidas
- Sen
- Dhanna
- Sadhana
Women scholars:
- Sursuri
- Padyawati
Postmodern scholars have questioned some of the above guru-disciple lineage while others have supported this lineage with historical evidence.<ref name="McLeod 1987 page 54"/><ref name=julia/>
Largest ascetic community in India: Ramanandi SampradayEdit
Ramananda is the founder of the eponymous Ramanandi Sampraday (Shri Ramavat or Shri Sampraday or Vairagi Sampradaya). This is the largest ascetic community in India, and their members are known as Ramanandis, Vairagis or Bairagis.<ref name=larsonvair>Gerald James Larson (1995), India's Agony Over Religion, State University of New York Press, Template:ISBN, page 116</ref><ref>Ramdas Lamb (2008), Theory and Practice of Yoga (Editor: Knut A Jacobsen), Motilal Banarsidass, Template:ISBN, pages 317-330</ref> They are known for their self-imposed highly disciplined, austere, structured and simple lifestyle.<ref name=selva/> Richard Burghart acknowledges that Ramananda is revered as the founder in the Ramanandi Sampraday's tradition, but adds that historical evidence about its origin is meager and India's largest monastic community may have gathered strength a few centuries after Ramananda's death.<ref>Richard Burghart (1978), The Founding of the Ramanandi Sect, Ethnohistory, Vol. 25, No. 2, pages 121-139</ref>
Social reformsEdit
Ramananda was an influential social reformer of Northern India. He championed the pursuit of knowledge and direct devotional spirituality, and did not discriminate based on birth family, gender or religion.<ref name=larsonvair/>
According to legend, 5-year-old Kabir Saheb claimed Ramanand as his guru, despite being from a low-caste weaver family. This encounter led to Ramanand abandoning his practice of untouchability.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Swami Ramanand poemEdit
One poem of Ramananda, originally written in Hindi, is a response to an invitation to go to a temple,<ref name=maxqna/> and the answer states there is no need to visit a temple because God is within a person, all pervasive in everything and everyone.<ref name=nirmaldass/>
See alsoEdit
- Bhakti movement
- Ramanandi Sampradaya
- Goswami Nabha Das
- Bhaktamala
- Galtaji dham peeth
- Thakurdwara Bhagwan Narainji
Further readingEdit
- JS Hawley (2015), A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement, Harvard University Press, Chapter 3
- William Pinch (1996), Peasants and Monks in British India, University of California Press
- David Lorenzen (1995), Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, State University of New York Press
- Richard Burghard (1978), The Founding of the Ramanandi Sect, London: London School of Economics and Political Science
External linksEdit
- Saint Ramananda Jyotsna Kamat (2008)
- Kanakadasa: The Golden Servant, Basavaraj Naikar (2007), Indian Literature, Vol. 51, No. 5, pages 88–100
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