Sri Panch Ramanandi Nirmohi Akhada
Ramanand
A pioneer of the Bhakti movement, Ramanand is well known as the founder of the Ramanandi Sampraday which is considered to be the largest monastic order in India. While there is a lack of certainty about his early life, it is generally considered that he was born in the 14 th century in Praygraaj to Brahmin parents. His mother’s name was Sushila Devi and Punyasadan was his father. He was named Ramdatt.
It is said that Ramanand was destined to live for mere 16 years but his Guru Raghavanand intervened and granted him a long life. By virtue of being his disciple, Ramanand belongs to the Sri Vaishnav tradition of Ramanujacharya who propounded the Vishishtadvait philosophy. This is mentioned in ‘Bhaktamal’ (Garland of devotees) by Nabhadas. Bhaktamal is an important text of the Ramanandi tradition mentioning accounts of more than 200 devotees. Certain Ramanandis, however, deny this connection and claim him to be Jagadguru in his own right. There are also those who consider him to be an incarnation of Lord Ram.
By the will of his Guru, Ramanand wandered throughout the country as a pilgrim. Upon returning, his fellow disciples raised objection against his non-adherence to caste restrictions which he deemed superfluous. So with the blessings of Raghavanand, he began his own Sampraday, that is, the Ramanandi Sampraday. (It is said that the first teacher of this tradition is Mata Sita.) He recognized everybody’s right to the Divine. A couplet most commonly attributed to him is - ‘Jaati paanti poocche nahi koi, Hari ko bhaje so Hari ka hoi’ which means that there is no need to ask caste and creed, those who worship God belong to God. Ramanand’s inclusive approach, coupled with high intellectual acumen and charismatic personality made him an engine of social reform. His Digvijay (conquest) is mentioned in Bhaktamal, Agstya Samhita and Bhavishyapuran.
Ramanad’s philosophy and tradition also served as a bulwark against Islamic repression of the Hindus in Medieval period. His emphasis on devotion and refutation of caste norms gave strength to Hindu society. He facilitated the reacceptance in the community, through Ram Tarak Mantra, of those who were forcefully converted to Islam. He is also considered a bridge between Bhakti traditions in North and South India since his primary area of work was the north and he belonged to the tradition of Ramanujacharya of south.
Ramanandi monasteries are found all across North India and also in Nepal. The central monastery is in Varanasi at Panchganga Ghat. Ramanandis worship God in the form of Lord Ram, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Monks initiated in this tradition can be of any age, gender, caste. Within the tradition, there are three broad groups – Tyagis or Vairagis who are ascetics, Rasiks who are devotional, and Nagas who are warrior ascetics. His disciples include the likes of Kabirdas, Padmavati, Bhagat Pipa, Ravidas, Narhari and other saints who, like him, are also considered stalwart social reformers. Mirabai and Tulsidas are also said to be his disciples but some confusion prevails as to whether they were his direct disciples or not. It is worth mentioning here that some influence of the Nath Yogis’ tradition is found in his teachings. The literary works ‘Ramarchan Paddhati’ and ‘Vaishnav Matabjbhaskar’ are attributed to him. One of his poems is found in Adi Granth of Sikh tradition.