Sant Ravidas and His Contemporaries: A Rich Tradition of Shudra Saint-Poets of Bhakti Cult

The scriptures and other religious literature were for the rich and the elite class. The path of Bhakti and the hymns and verses of nirguna bhakti saint poets were meant for the lower classes, the shudras. This publication on Sant Ravidas and other Shudra saint-poets traces the origin and growth of the ‘nirguna bhakti cult’, which became a movement of universal brotherhood, love to humanity, social unity and emotional integration in a transitional period of history, mainly a caste ridden orthodox society. The ‘nirguna bhakti cult’ was undoubtedly a powerful voice of revolt against cast barriers, untouchability, orthodoxy priest craft, idolatry and human degradation. The cult got momentum with the emergence of saint poets like Ravidas, Kabir, Dadu, Satnamies, Paltu, Charan Das and many others in northern India and Chokhamala, Eknath and Namdev in Maharashtra. Their hymns addressed to all powerful, formless God attacked the oppressive features of the Hindu social order and turned into a movement for social transformation and equality. They all have a large following in the country, specially, Sant Ravidas, Kabir and Guru Nanak. Sant Ravidas and other saint-poets restored the right to worship by the lower classes, Shudras, artisans and peasants, which impressed Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh tradition in a big way. To pay back Sikh sect has enriched the nirguna bhakti cult by including their hymns, for recitation, prayers, in the Adi Granth.