Why Is Sant Ravidas's Message Timeless?

The Date and Essence of Sant Ravidas Jayanti

The sacred tithi of Magha Purnima is not only a festival of bathing and charity. On this very day the birth anniversary of Sant Shiromani Ravidas, the great social reformer, saint poet and a leading pioneer of the Nirguna Bhakti tradition, is celebrated. He is also known as Raidas. Sant Ravidas rejected outward hypocrisy, caste discrimination and empty display and placed his emphasis on inner purity. He gave the immortal words that are still on everyone's lips today: "Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga," meaning that if the mind is pure, the Ganga is present even in a humble tub of water.

Element of the Jayanti	Details
Tithi	Magha Purnima
Name of the Saint	Sant Shiromani Guru Ravidas, also called Raidas
Birthplace	Kashi, that is Varanasi, Seer Goverdhanpur according to tradition
Period	Around the 15th century
Devotional Tradition	Nirguna Bhakti, devotion to the formless Divine
Central Message	Purity of mind, equality, hard work and devotion to God
Famous Saying	Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga
Principal Events	Processions, singing of his verses, satsang and langar

The Main Traditions of Celebrating the Jayanti

• Take a sacred bath in the morning and offer flowers to a picture of Sant Ravidas.
• Recite or sing his verses and couplets.
• Remember his life and teachings in satsang.
• In a langar or community meal, feed people of all backgrounds together.
• Bring his spirit of service into your life by helping someone in need.

The Life of Sant Ravidas

Sant Ravidas is believed to have been born in Kashi around the 15th century. According to tradition, he was born on the day of Magha Purnima. His family worked as cobblers, making shoes and working with leather. At that time, those who did such work faced deep discrimination in society. But Ravidas never regarded his work as lowly. All his life he went on making shoes with hard work while also singing the praises of God.

According to tradition, he was a disciple of Swami Ramananda, who is regarded as a great teacher of devotion of that age. From childhood Ravidas was drawn to serving saints and sadhus. It is said that he would give away the shoes he made to sadhus free of charge. Because of this generosity his family sometimes had to face hardship but he never gave up his spirit of service.

The fame of his devotion and wisdom spread so far that people of every section of society began to come to him. Tradition holds that the great devotee Meerabai also regarded Sant Ravidas as her guru. More than 40 of Sant Ravidas's hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism, which is proof of the wide respect for his words.

The Story Behind "Man Changa to Kathauti Mein Ganga"

The most famous story of Sant Ravidas is linked with his immortal saying. According to the story, some people were once going to bathe in the Ganga. They urged Ravidas to come along. Ravidas said that he had promised to deliver shoes to someone on time, so he could not go. He would gain no merit by breaking his word to bathe in the Ganga.

He gave one person a betel nut or a cowrie shell and asked him to offer it to Mother Ganga. According to the story, when that person offered the gift in the Ganga, Mother Ganga herself stretched out her hand to accept it and gave a gold bangle in return for Ravidas. Greed arose in that person's mind and instead of giving the bangle to Ravidas, he presented it to the king's queen. The queen liked the bangle so much that she asked for a second one.

Caught in trouble, the man went to Ravidas and told him everything. Ravidas forgave him, sat beside his kathauti, the vessel of water in which leather was soaked and meditated on Mother Ganga. According to the story, Mother Ganga appeared in the water of that kathauti and gave the second bangle. It was then that Ravidas said: "Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga."

The meaning of these words is very deep. If the mind is pure, even the water in a cobbler's tub becomes the very water of the Ganga. Purity lies not in any place, caste or outward ritual but in the purity of the mind.

The Deep Link Between the Magha Bath and Inner Purity

It is a beautiful coincidence that the birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas falls on Magha Purnima, the concluding day of the sacred bathing of the whole of Magha month. Through the whole month, crores of people take a dip in the Ganga and at the Sangam and on the last day of the month the words of Sant Ravidas remind everyone that the most sacred bath is the bath of the mind.

The message of Sant Ravidas does not oppose the Magha bath. Rather, it makes its essential meaning clear. The scriptures too say that if the mind is filled with anger, greed, jealousy and pride, the fruit of a pilgrimage bath is not received. Outer water washes the body but only truth, love and service can wash the mind. The Magha bath becomes complete only when the bath of the mind takes place along with the outer bath.

Outer Purity	Inner Purity
Bathing in a sacred river	Giving up anger and jealousy from the mind
Pilgrimage	Faithfulness to one's duty
Charity and dakshina	Selfless service and compassion
Worship and rituals	Truth, honesty and humility
Tilak and rosary	Seeing God in all human beings

The Principal Teachings of Sant Ravidas

The words of Sant Ravidas are simple, natural and in the language of the people. His ideas are as relevant today as they were 600 years ago.

• Purity of mind: Purity of mind matters more than outward display.
• Human equality: No one is high or low by birth. A person becomes great through their deeds.
• Respect for labour: No honest work is small. Labour is true worship.
• God is everywhere: God is not limited to any temple or pilgrimage place but dwells in every heart.
• Giving up ego: Ego is the greatest enemy of devotion. Humility is the path to God.
• The spirit of service: The service of God lies in the service of others.

The Dream of Begumpura

In his verses, Sant Ravidas imagined an ideal city, which he called Begumpura. Begumpura means the city without gham, that is a city without sorrow. In his vision it was a city where there would be no sorrow, no worry and no tax, where no one would be high or low and all people would live equally with love and respect.

One of his famous couplets expresses this very feeling, in which he wishes for a kingdom where everyone receives food and where the small and the great live together as equals. This dream is an inspiration for today's society as well. Building a society in which no one goes hungry and no one faces discrimination is truly the most sincere worship of Sant Ravidas.

How Is Sant Ravidas Jayanti Celebrated?

Sant Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. At his birthplace, Seer Goverdhanpur in Varanasi, a vast celebration is held on this day and lakhs of devotees arrive from India and abroad.

Event	Details
Procession	A procession through the town with pictures of Sant Ravidas and tableaux
Singing of Verses	Group singing of his verses and couplets
Satsang	Discourses on his life and teachings
Langar	A community meal for people of all backgrounds
Service	Food, clothes and help for those in need
Sacred Bath	The Magha Purnima bath and darshan of the Ganga

The Astrological and Spiritual View

On Magha Purnima the Moon is at its full phase. In astrology the Moon signifies the mind. It is deeply meaningful that the birth anniversary of the saint who gave the message of purity of mind falls on the very day when the planet that signifies the mind is at full strength. On this day, practices that purify the mind, such as meditation, bhajan and service, are regarded as especially fruitful.

In astrology, Saturn is regarded as the significator of hard work, service and the working class. Sant Ravidas regarded labour and service as worship all his life. In Magha month the Sun is usually in Makara, the sign of Saturn. From this point of view, the life of Sant Ravidas is a living example of the brightest qualities of Saturn, namely hard work, justice, patience and humility.

What Should Be Done and Avoided on Sant Ravidas Jayanti?

Do	Do Not
Recite and sing the verses of Sant Ravidas	Do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of caste or work
Sit together with everyone for a community meal	Do not regard any labour or work as lowly
Help those in need	Do not mistake outward display for religion
Resolve to do your work honestly	Do not lightly break your word
Meditate and sing bhajans to purify the mind	Do not give ego and hatred a place in your mind

The Ganga Shimmering in the Water of a Humble Tub

The life of Sant Ravidas is proof that reaching God needs no special birth, position or wealth. An ordinary cobbler who made shoes with his own hands all his life became the crown jewel among saints through the purity of his mind and his devotion. Kings, queens and scholars came to sit at his feet to gain wisdom.

On Magha Purnima, when crores of people take a dip in the Ganga, the words of Sant Ravidas echo in every heart, saying that the real Ganga flows within the mind. For the person who, along with the sacred bath on this day, resolves to free the mind from discrimination, pride and hatred, even ordinary water becomes the water of the Ganga. This is the greatest message of Sant Ravidas Jayanti.

FAQ

When is Sant Ravidas Jayanti celebrated? Sant Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated every year on Magha Purnima. According to tradition, Sant Ravidas was born in Kashi on this day.

What does "Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga" mean? It means that if the mind is pure, even the water in an ordinary vessel is as sacred as the water of the Ganga. Purity lies not in an outward place but in the purity of the mind.

Who was the guru of Sant Ravidas? According to tradition, Sant Ravidas was a disciple of Swami Ramananda. It is believed that Meerabai also regarded Sant Ravidas as her guru.

What is Begumpura? Begumpura is an ideal city imagined by Sant Ravidas, where there is no sorrow, worry or discrimination and all people live equally with love.

How is Sant Ravidas Jayanti celebrated? On this day processions, singing of his verses, satsang and langar are organised. A vast celebration takes place at Seer Goverdhanpur in Varanasi.