Dadu

Dadu

Dadu Dayal (1544–1603) was a sant from Gujarat, India. "Dadu" means brother, and "Dayal" means "the compassionate one".

He was reputedly found by an affluent business man floating on the river Sabarmati. He later moved to Ajmer (city), near Jaipur Rajasthan, where he gathered around himself a group of followers, forming a sect that became known as the Dadu-panth.

(This organization has continued in Rajasthan to the present-day and has been a major source of early manuscripts containing songs by Dadu.  Dadu's compositions were recorded by his disciple Rajjab and are known as the Dadu Anubhav Vani, a compilation of 5,000 verses. Another disciple, Janagopal, wrote the earliest biography of Dadu.)

Dadu alludes to spontaneous (sahaja) bliss in his songs. Much of the imagery used is similar to that used by Kabir, and to that used by earlier Sahajiya Buddhists and Nath yogis. Dadu believed that devotion to God should transcend religious or sectarian affiliation, and that devotees should become non-sectarian or nipakh

Dadu had 100 disciples that attained samadhi. He instructed additional 52 disciples to set up ashrams, 'Thambas' around the region to spread the Lord's word. Daduji spent the latter years of his life in Naraiana, a small distance away from the town of Dudu, near Jaipur city. The thambas are considered sacred by the followers.

Dadupanth even today is a strong movement in the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and the adjoining regions. Daduji belongs to the lineage of Nirguna Sants like Kabir and Guru Nanak.

 

Verses of Dadu

Dadu Panth Saints:

Sant Dadu Dayal asked his disciples to seek the Divine within: “O benevolent one! Enter in your inner self, and search. He [God] is very near to you. Abandon all your worldly desires and distractions. By inverting your immature consciousness current (which tends to get distracted by senses) get established, in the self within.

A new pot taken from the potter’s furnace may be decorated with many pictures outside. But what use will it be to thee, O Dadu, without any contents? Such are the ones who make outer display of religiosity.

The whole world makes an outer display, whereas the practice of the Saint is within. This is the difference between the two; hence no accord is found between them.

One sits fearlessly by repeating God's Name; the Negative Power can never consume him.

Dadu himself did not write down any of his compositions. These were recorded by his disciple Rajjab. Another disciple, Janagopal, wrote the earliest biography. 

Dadu clearly experienced the bliss of Sahaja, and alludes to it in his songs.
Surviving songs do not record the name of Dadu's guru, but it is possible that he was given realization by one of Kabir's sons. Much of the imagery used in his songs is similar to that used by Kabir, and similar also to that used by the earlier Sahajiya Buddhists and Nath yogis.

His songs are in a Hindi dialect known as Braj Bhasha, being a mixture of Hindi and Rajasthani. Like the earlier Saint Kabir, Dadu came from one of the many low artisan castes that had converted to Islam. He lived in the Jaipur region of Rajasthan, most probably as a pinjari, a cotton carder. He married and had a family of two sons and two daughters. 



“According to the traditions of the Dadu Order, Dadu first met his Guru, known as Buddhan, at the age of eleven when he was playing with his friends at the Kankariya pond.”

“When he was 11 years old, one day at dust while playing with other children, Baba Budha appeared to him.”  Dadu was then initiated into “the everlasting knowledge of Ram [God].”
“According to the same source [Dadu Panth], seven years later, when Dadu was eighteen years old, his Guru granted him a second visit. Since Dadu was now mature, he was told this time to move to Rajasthan and make known to others the highest esoteric truth so graciously bestowed upon him. This marks a turning point in the life of Dadu Dayal. His entire life thereafter was spent in intense meditation, imparting his esoteric wisdom to devout persons, and in visiting different places at the requests of his increasing number of disciples.”

Quotes by Dadu

 "Saints are the true redeemers, they make one see the Creator face to face. Having themselves crossed the ocean of the world, they take others across. They are the saviors of beings."

"The lover is converted into the Beloved. That indeed is called true love. Forgetting his own ego, he remains absorbed in the One."

Dadu: "God is within all beings. He accompanies all and is close by. Musk is in the musk-dear, and yet it goes around in search of musk. The self knows not God, although God is within the self. Being deaf to the holy Sound of the Master, sadly does he wander. He for whom thou searchest in the world, dwells within thyself. ... Search for the Lord within thyself, the Imperceptible One hath the Guru revealed."

"Wherever one's thought dwells, there will that person rest. At his pleasure, he may go to the delusion of unreality or he may merge into the Lord of the self. Where thou keepest thy mind while living, to that abode shalt thou go after death. The soul finds lodging in a place wherein it has hitherto been immersed."

 

(Dadu had been visiting all kinds of masters. Finally he decided to leave the family and to go to Junnaid, who was residing just outside the village in the forest. Junnaid was a very famous master. So out of the town the family came, friends came, wife, children, neighbors, to say goodbye, to give him a good send-off. And he went towards the forest… but again and again he looked back. Those people were still standing on the boundary of the town.

Finally, when he was entering into the forest, he looked for the last time. They were still standing, far away; he could not figure out who was who. And then he reached Junnaid’s hut. He knocked on the door. Junnaid said — from the inside; he has not seen the person yet — he said, “First leave the crowd outside and come alone!”

What crowd? He looked all around, there was no crowd. He opened the door.

Junnaid said, “You did not follow my order! Leave the crowd outside and then come in.”
But he said, “What crowd? I don’t see anybody. I looked everywhere — there is nobody.”

He said, “You are looking outside — look inside. The whole crowd is present. Your wife, your children, your family, your parents, your neighbors, your friends — everybody is present. Just close your eyes: that is the crowd you have to leave outside. Get out! When you are finished with the crowd, come in.”

It took three years for Dadu to sit outside till he was finished with the family, with the crowd, till he became utterly silent. He forgot completely to enter into the hut. Three years is a long time. He had forgotten the family, and he had also forgotten the master. There was no need now, he was completely fulfilled.

Exactly at that moment Junnaid came out and said, “Come in now.

He said, “But now there is no need.” Junnaid said, “Only now, when there is no need, can I start my work on you. Come in and close the doors.”)

An Outer Guru that is not an Inner Guru, not a Qualified Teacher

The whole world makes an outer display,
whereas the practice of the Saint is within. 
This is the difference between the two; 
hence no accord is found between them. 

A new pot taken from the potter's furnace 
may be decorated with many pictures outside; 
But of what use will it be to thee,
O Dadu, without any contents? 
Such are the ones who make outer display of religiosity. 

From one who bears no outer religious symbols,
but has unfathomable riches within, 
Receive the wealth and keep it within 
thy heart, O Dadu, and be obedient to such a Saint. 

There is a great difference between a Saint and a mimic, 
the two are as far apart as earth and sky. 
The Saint is absorbed in God, whereas 
the mimic pins his hopes on the world. 

Saints are the true redeemers, 
They make one see the Creator face to face. 
Having themselves crossed the ocean 
of the world, they take others across; 
They are the saviors of beings. 

Dyed in the colour of the Supreme Lord, 
They have the blameless Name 
as their support; 
Always truthful, disciplined, blissful and contented,- 
Their wisdom and reach knows no bounds. 

In eternal love, in eternal ecstasy, 
In eternal company with the essential Truth; 
In eternal union, in eternal life, 
In eternal knowledge and contemplation are they absorbed. 

Crest-jewel of all, bestower of bliss to all, 
They are rare in this world. 
They are the Swans, the dwellers of the Ocean of Bliss, 
Who come for the good of others, 0 Dadu. 

Urgency of Realization

This fragile and transient human life is speedily coming to its end. It is high time that we seek refuge in the Lord of Love. Only while living as a human being can the work be accomplished, not after death. –

Dadu:

The mind is a deer, sayeth Dadu.

Looking at the green forest of the world.

This foolish one runs around puffed up

with pleasure.

It is destined to be a victim of Kal [lord of time, lord of death], the

hunter.

The body is like a passer-by,

sayeth Dadu.

No sooner dost thou look at him, that he goes out of sight.

Be dedicated to the Name of God

As long as there is breath in thy body.

Hurry up, O passer-by, the journey hangs over thy head.

Delay no more.

What art thou doing sitting idle? Repeat God's Name.

Evening has set in while the traveler is still in the forest.

He must move briskly.

This is not the time to be slack, warns Dadu.

Go Home quickly.

Gone is the time, and lost is the opportunity.

Where shalt thou find this priceless birth once it slips out of hand?

Catching hold of our hand, the Kal [Negative Power] is drawing us close day by day.

The self does not awaken even now.

Its time is spent asleep.

While watching, O Dadu, the hair has grown white from black.

Body, mind, and youth are all gone, and even now thou turnest not to God!

While alive one can transcend bodily qualities.

While alive one can be liberated;

While alive one can shed all Karmas.

That truly is called liberation.

While alive one can cross over what is hard to cross,

While alive can one go to the other shore.

While alive one can find the Master of the world,

And can attain discrimination and wisdom.

If the meeting is not accomplished while alive,

If the contact is not made while alive,

If the Lord of the universe is not found while alive,

The one is simply drowned.

One is freed while alive,

One is not freed after death, sayeth Dadu

If one were to be free after death,

Then all will come under that.

Some say one can secure abode in paradise after death;

They preach liberation after death.

They, indeed, are making the world

insane, O Dadu...............

Saints are the true redeemers,
They make one see the Creator face to face.
Having themselves crossed the ocean
of the world, they take others across;
They are the saviors of beings.

Dyed in the color of the Supreme Lord,
They have the blameless Name
as their support;
Always truthful, disciplined, blissful and contented,-
Their wisdom and reach knows no bounds.

In eternal love, in eternal ecstasy,
In eternal company with the essential Truth;
In eternal union, in eternal life,
In eternal knowledge and contemplation are they absorbed.

When realisation came to me, I was filled with joy and all fear departed from me.

I found pure deliverance in the realm of the unapproachable, the unthinkable.

The Unapproachable has come near, the message of the Unthinkable abides with me always,

the Unutterable finds utterance.

Dadu says: I am neither Hindu nor Muslim

I am not attached to any of the six philosophical schools.

I love the merciful God.

In cutting Brahma up into bits the sects have divided him.

Dadu says: abandon limited thought in favor of the unlimited and become non-sectarian (nipakh).

Dadu says: since I am non-sectarian, the people are all in anger against me.

I have found that God is unchangeable, immortal, fearless, self-existent,

Almighty, pure, unimaged, unseen, infinite and incomprehensible.

Worship is due to Him and Him alone.

 I The Vision of the Beloved

One sits fearlessly by repeating God's Name;
the Negative Power can never consume him.
When thou ridest the elephant, 0h Dadu,
then dogs bark in vain.
When love and devotion arise,
one is firmly established in blissful meditation.
With the grace of the Master,
he then drinks the divine Nectar, 0h Dadu.
By being dedicated to the Lord,
millions of obstacles are removed.
A tiny spark the size of a mustard seed
burns a huge amount of wood, 0h Dadu.
Impurities and blemishes of the mind
are burnt up in the fire of separation.
The separated lover will now see
the vision of the Beloved, 0h Dadu

An Outer Guru That Is Not An Inner Guru, Not A Qualified Teacher

The whole world makes an outer display,
whereas the practice of the Saint is within.
This is the difference between the two;
hence no accord is found between them.

A new pot taken from the potter's furnace
may be decorated with many pictures outside;
But of what use will it be to thee,
Oh Dadu, without any contents?
Such are the ones who make outer display of religiosity.

From one who bears no outer religious symbols,
but has unfathomable riches within,
Receive the wealth and keep it within
thy heart, 0h Dadu, and be obedient to such a Saint.

There is a great difference between a Saint and a mimic,
the two are as far apart as earth and sky.
The Saint is absorbed in God, whereas
the mimic pins his hopes on the world.

The One alone dwells within my heart,
Day and night I repeat His Name.
The Name of God alone is true;
keep that within thy heart.
Forsake all hypocrisies and cumbrous practices;
this is the teaching of all Saints, 0h Dadu.

(We can see the essence of similarity between the above verse and the following verse of Kabir titled ‘Weaving Your Name’. Kabir too was a mystical poet like Sant Dadu Dayal. Kabir belonged to the 15th century. Both Kabir and Sant Dadu Dayal belonged to the Nirguna Sant Tradition.)

About Dadu and Thambas

Dadu ji had 100 disciples that followed his teachings and attained salvation. He instructed an additional 52 disciples to set up ashrams, 'Thambas' around the region to spread the Lord's word. Dadu ji spent the latter years of his life in Narayana, near Jaipur city.

Shri Dadu Dham Bhairana, which lies in the secluded hilly tract of Bichoon district in the Jaipur division of Rajasthan, has become a sacred place of pilgrimage for lakhs of devotees of Saint Dadu Dayal Ji Maharaj from Haryana. The devotees come from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and other parts of the country. They hold the place in reverence.

The ancient Bhairana hill, which is situated amidst exquisite natural surroundings, has been the hermitage of many saints and seers since times immemorial. At the time of his departure from the world in 1603, Daduji instructed his disciple-saints at Naraina thus: “After my demise, take my body to the Bhairana hill and then leave it there at the spot in its deep gorge. Hence forward, it shall be known as our sanctum-sanctorum and it shall continue to be a place of worship for saints and sadhus for all times to come in the future as well.”

Dadupanth even today is a strong movement in the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and the adjoining regions. Daduji belongs to the lineage of Nirguna Sants like Kabir and Guru Nanak.