INTRODUCTION :
Samarth Ramdas (1608-1681) was a saint and a famous poet of Maharashtra. He has written various famous poems. Ramdas was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman. His birth name was Narayan Suryaji Thosar. He was born in a village in Jalna district, Maharashtra in a Brahmin family. It is believed that due to his sincere devotion, Lord Rama has appeared before him and blessed him. From then onwards he was called as “RAMDAS”. At a younger age, he went to the holy city, Nasik, and started worshiping Lord Rama for many years. He traveled throughout India and spread Ram Bhakti, and inculcated the chanting of the holy Rama Mantra “JAI SREE RAM” amongst the people. He has established Hanuman temples all over India. He started the Shree Samarth religious sect for spiritual purpose. It is believed that Ramdas met the Sikh Guru Hargobind at Srinagar. He got the Darshan of Shree Dattatreya in Mahurgad.
SOME OF HIS FAMOUS WRITINGS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. Dasbodha 2. Karunashtakas 3. Sunderkand 4. Poorvarambh 5. Antarbhav 6. Atmaram 7. Chaturthman
His writings were very simple and it was well appreciated by the people.
TEACHINGS :
He has asked the people to be active in their work, and to work hard, and to be honest among others. He asked the people to be strong in their mind and in their body, in order to run their life in a proper manner. He asked the men to treat the women in a good manner, and to give them their own rights in order to live their life independently. According to his saying, women must be considered as holy, and they must be treated with respect, since all the women contains the feature of Mother Parashakthi.
DISCIPLES :
1. Kalyan 2. Udhhav 3. Venna 4. Akka 5. Bheem 6. Divakar 7. Dinkar 8. Anant Buwa 9. Anant Kavi 10. Anant Mauni 11. Gopaldas 12. Dattaray 13. Vasudev 14. Shreedhar 15. Sethuram He died at the age of 73 in Gajawadi district, Maharashtra.
CONCLUSION :
Ramdas was a great saint and a ram devotee who has spent his life towards doing good things to others, and spreading the bhakti spirit amongst the people. He lived a simple and a pious life, and was well educated in all the Hindu subjects and a master in all kinds of art. He was remembered for his good spiritual works, which was read by the people even today. He was a remarkable Rama Bhakta and chanted the names of Lord Rama throughout in his life. Let us worship this great Guru, and be blessed.
“OM SREE SAMARTHA RAMADASARE NAMAHA”
“JAI SREE RAM”
SENT BY
R.HARISHANKAR
