Ramananda

Little is known with certainty about the life of Ramananda, including year of birth and death. The historical records preserved by the Ramanand Sampraday shows that he was born in the year 1204 AD whereas, other sources such as The Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature give dates of 1366–1467 for his lifespan.' These are considered as less accurate due to inconsistencies with the socio-political timelines of Medieval India.His biography has been derived from mentions of him in secondary literature and inconsistent hagiographies.'"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). "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). ==Literary works==

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. 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. == Philosophy ==

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. 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. However, this theory lacks historical evidence and has not gained wide acceptance by scholars. 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). 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. == Legacy ==

Ramananda is often honored as the founder of Sant-parampara (literally, the tradition of bhakti sants) in north India. 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. Fourteen disciples of Ramananda Fourteen influential disciples of Ramananda included 12 men and 2 women poet-sants. According to Bhaktamal, these were: 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. They are known for their self-imposed highly disciplined, austere, structured and simple lifestyle. Social reforms 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. Swami Ramanand poem One poem of Ramananda, originally written in Hindi, is a response to an invitation to go to a temple, and the answer states there is no need to visit a temple because God is within a person, all pervasive in everything and everyone. {{Quote Where should I go? I am happy at home. My heart will not go with me, My mind has become crippled. One day, a desire welled up in my mind, I ground up sandalwood, along with several fragrant oils. I went to the temple, to worship Him there, Then my Guru showed me Brahman [Ultimate Reality, God], within my heart. Wherever I go, I find only water and stones, But Brahman is in everything. I have searched through all the Vedas and the Puranas, You go there, only if Brahman were not here. I am a sacrifice to You, O True Guru. You have dispelled all my confusion and doubt. Ramanand's Lord is the all-pervading Brahman, The word of the Guru ends millions of karma. ==See also==