Dalit Guru Sain A Rebel Against Brahminism

In November, the birth anniversaries of our two great dalit Gurus, Vishkarma ji & Sain Dev ji were celebrated. On behalf of the Valmik Sabha, we send our greetings. What is the religion & philosophy of these great saints of India? To assess their real contrition we have to read the Bhakti movement. started in the 11th century. Indian history says this movement was led by Brahmin Saints, Rama Nauj and Rama Nanda: And it is said that this Bhakti movement paved the pathway to God Realization. But actually this movement was led by those saints and thinkers who were dis- satisfied with superstitions, caste system and religious vagaries of the Hindus. This was the era of wonder, doubt, despair and sorrow. No doubt in the Indian history, this chapter of Bhakti movement is distorted and misinterpreted. Anyone can ask this question, why and for what reason this chapter of Bhakti movement is twisted and distorted? The reason is very simple and straight-forward. India is ruled by the Brahmins and Indian history is recorded under their supervision. Brahminism can never live without justifying caste system, which is based on high and low strata in society. Brahmin authors of the Indian history had omitted the names of those saints who piloted the struggle of the low caste people, such as Sat-Kope Muni (a valmiki), Ram Dass (bhangi). Swala (a gardener), Gora (a potter) and Sain (a barber). These Saints were the actual pioneers of the Bhakti Movement. While compiling the biographies of these saints, Brahmins gave the impression that wisdom and greatness can flow only from Brahmin mind. That is why they have written some strange stories about Guru Ravi Das and Kabir. It is said that a Brahmin of Banaras took his virgin widowed daughter to Rama Nanda, a Brahmin saint, who in ignorance of her status prayed that she might be blessed with a son. And she exposed her child on a lake called Lahar Tato. The child was found by a weaver, Niru Ali, who named it Kabir (great). On the names of the other great Saints, be- lived to be non-Brahmins, a stigma of low caste is attached, such as Nam Dev, tailor, Sadhna, a butcher, Nabha Das, dome, Ravi Das, chamar, Sain, a barber. Guru Sain ji is believed to be a disciple of Brahmin Rama Nanda, who lived in the end of the 14th & the beginning of the 15th century of the Christian era. He was a barber by caste and it is mentioned by Indian historians that he was a barber at the court of Raja Ram, King of Rewa, then called Bandhargarh. When going to perform his usual ministrations to King Raja Ram, he met some holymen. He thought it was his duty to attend to them. He took them with him, and began to render them their customary services. With the greatest mental satisfaction to himself he gave them consecrated and secular food. By this Sain disregarded his duty to the King and braved his displeasure. The legend says that a holyman by god’s favour, to avert the King’s wrath and save Sain from punishment, assumed his appearance and having gone and performed the customary duties for the King, took his displeasure, Soon after Sain arrived and began to apologize for his delay. The King said, “Thou that only just gone after the usual services to me why apologize 7 Sain replied. “I 90% have not been here, perhaps thy Majesty sayest so to excuse my absence”. The King then knew that a special providence had intervened and performed for him the usual tonsorial duties. He was at once converted, fell at Sain’s feet, worshipped him as his Guru, and thus sought asylum in God. Brahmins even failed to speak the truth which is still discovered from the said legend which said that Sain thought his first duty to serve the holymen. and he gave them consecrated and secular food. In thus acting Sain disregarded his duty to the King & braved his displeasure. From this life and actions of Guru Sain, we can easily understand that he was not a court barber of a King rather than emancipator of the poor. Writings of this great Saint, preserved in the Granth Sahib proves his bravery and Sainthood. Sain declares God as sovereign and wish to float over the ocean of terror. From these verses we can derive the conclusion that Guru Sain’s philosophy was against the cruelty of the rulers. True meaning of Guru Sain’s philosphy is to liberate mind from Hindu superstitions and deep-rooted caste prejudices and to lead to authentic freedom, and finally to establish a new social order based on socialism, where supreme joy is to be attained. Let us pledge on this auspicious day of anniversary celebration of Guru Sain to carry on the fight for Existence, Freedom and Human Destiny. Let us make research of manuscript and poems of this great Saint & try to find the saga of his life, exposition of his philosophy and full account of his religious revolution.