Chapter 6: Voices of the Saints - Folk Saints of Rajasthan
Exam relevance: RPSC / RSSB / REET / Board examinations
SECTION 2: Core idea
Rajasthan's saint traditions include nirguna and saguna devotion, yogic practice, devotion to the guru and teaching in local languages. Dadu, Jasnath, Charandas, Ramcharan and other saints influenced spiritual life and literature. Many criticised caste hierarchy, empty ritual and religious narrowness. They should not all be assigned to one sect or one uniform set of beliefs.
Key terms: Nirguna, saguna, Nath, Jasnathi, Ramsnehi, Charandasi, Dadu Panth, Pushtimarg, Niranjani, vani, sakhi and pad. The number of examination questions is not fixed.
SECTION 3: District and regional overview
| District or region | Saint or tradition | Principal association |
|---|---|---|
| Jaipur | Dadu Dayal and Dadu Panth | Naraina is a principal seat; Sambhar and Amber are also associated with Dadu; Sanganer is associated with his disciple Rajjab |
| Bikaner | Jasnathji | Katariasar, the Jasnathi tradition and fire dance |
| Jalore | Jalandharnath | Sire Mandir and the Nath tradition |
| Jodhpur region | Ramdas and Dayaludas | Khedapa Ramsnehi seat |
| Bhilwara | Ramcharan | Shahpura Ramsnehi seat and Ramdwara |
| Alwar region | Charandas | Birthplace at Dehra; major work in Delhi |
| Didwana-Kuchaman | Haridas Niranjani | Birthplace at Kaprod; Gadha Dham in the Didwana region |
| Rajsamand | Vallabha/Pushtimarg | Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara |
| Jhalawar | Pipa | Gagron; traditionally a disciple of Ramananda |
| Dungarpur | Mavji | Sabla and the Nishkalanki tradition; distinct from Dadu-Naraina |
| Awadh, Uttar Pradesh | Dulandas | Jagjivan Sahib's Satnami tradition, not a Rajasthan Ramsnehi branch |
Place distinction: Naraina is not in Tonk, Sanganer is not in Pratapgarh, and Nathdwara is not in Bhilwara. The Ramsnehi centre is Shahpura in the Bhilwara region, not the town of that name near Jaipur. Older accounts place Kaprod in Nagaur. Current districts can differ from those used in older examination papers.
SECTION 4: Correct identification of the sects
| Tradition | Principal saint or teacher | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| Dadu Panth | Dadu Dayal | Nirguna devotion, remembrance of the divine name and equality; principal seat at Naraina |
| Jasnathi | Jasnathji | Tradition of 36 disciplines; Katariasar; compassion for living beings and fire dance |
| Nath | Yogic traditions of Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath and Jalandharnath | Jasnathji did not found the entire Nath order |
| Ramsnehi | Shahpura branch: Ramcharan; Khedapa branch: Ramdas | There are several branches; Dayaludas was a later Khedapa acharya |
| Charandasi | Charandas | His distinct disciple lineage includes Sahajobai and Dayabai |
| Vallabha/Pushtimarg | Vallabhacharya; developed further by Vitthalnath | Saguna devotion and service to Krishna; Nathdwara is a major centre |
| Niranjani | Haridas Niranjani, also called Haripurushji | Associated with Kaprod and the Didwana region |
| Satnami tradition of Awadh | Jagjivan Sahib and his disciple Dulandas | Distinct from Ramsnehi and from the similarly named tradition in Chhattisgarh |
Nirguna devotion emphasises the formless divine. Saguna devotion worships a divine form with attributes. Saint poetry can combine knowledge, devotion and yoga; these categories are not always rigid boundaries.
SECTION 5: Principal saints, periods and contributions
| Saint | Period | Place or tradition | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dadu Dayal | Generally dated to 1544-1603 CE | Birth traditionally placed at Ahmedabad; Rajasthan was his field of activity; Naraina | Dadu-vani, sakhis and pads; nirguna worship and equality |
| Jasnathji | Traditionally 1482-1506 CE | Katariasar, Bikaner; Jasnathi | Ethical discipline, compassion and the tradition of 36 rules |
| Jalandharnath | Exact life dates disputed | Nath yogi; Sire Mandir, Jalore | Yogic practice and lineage |
| Ramcharan | Eighteenth century | Shahpura, Bhilwara; Ramsnehi | Nirguna devotion to Ram; Anubhav Vani |
| Dayaldas or Dayaludas | Later acharya of Khedapa | Khedapa, Jodhpur region; Ramsnehi | Saint poetry and the acharya lineage; the supplied Sikar and 1544 claims are unsubstantiated |
| Charandas | Born in 1703 CE; eighteenth century | Dehra, Alwar; Delhi; Charandasi | Guru devotion and a synthesis of yoga and bhakti |
| Dulandas | Disciple lineage of Jagjivan Sahib | Awadh, Uttar Pradesh; Satnami | Saint poetry; the combined Alwar-Ramsnehi-1544 claim is incorrect |
| Haridas Niranjani | Medieval saint; birth dates vary | Kaprod; Niranjani | Inner spiritual practice and saint poetry |
| Goswami Vitthalnath | Sixteenth century; birth given as 1515 or 1516 CE | Son of Vallabhacharya; Pushtimarg | Expanded devotional service and the tradition; did not personally establish the 1672 Nathdwara installation |
| Pipa | Medieval saint; dates vary | Gagron, Jhalawar | Traditionally a disciple of Ramananda; inward devotion |
| Raidas or Ravidas | Medieval north Indian saint | Associated with Varanasi; nirguna devotion | Human equality, dignity of labour and devotional poetry |
Women saint-poets: Sahajobai and Dayabai were major disciples of Charandas. They demonstrate women's contribution to saint literature. Raidas and Dulandas are included in the wider north Indian devotional context, not presented as saints born in Rajasthan.
SECTION 6: Principal places and institutions
| Place | District or region | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Naraina | Jaipur | Principal Dadu Panth seat; associated with Dadu's final years and commemoration |
| Katariasar | Bikaner | Principal Jasnathi centre |
| Sire Mandir | Jalore | Nath shrine associated with Jalandharnath |
| Khedapa | Jodhpur region | Ramsnehi tradition of Ramdas and Dayaludas |
| Shahpura Ramdwara | Bhilwara region | Ramcharan's Ramsnehi branch |
| Dehra / Delhi | Alwar / Delhi | Charandas's birthplace / major field of activity |
| Kaprod | Didwana-Kuchaman | Birthplace of Haridas Niranjani |
| Nathdwara | Rajsamand | Shrinathji temple; Pushtimarg seva |
| Gagron | Jhalawar | Associated with Saint Pipa |
The word “Nath” in Nathdwara does not make it a Nath-order centre. It is associated with Shrinathji, a form of Krishna, and Pushtimarg worship.
SECTION 7: Chronology
| Year or period | Association |
|---|---|
| 1482 CE | Traditional birth year of Jasnathji |
| Sixteenth century | Vitthalnath's Pushtimarg activities |
| 1544 CE | Commonly accepted birth year of Dadu Dayal |
| 1603 CE | Commonly accepted death year of Dadu Dayal |
| 1672 CE | Installation of Shrinathji at Nathdwara |
| 1703 CE | Birth of Charandas |
| Eighteenth century | Expansion of Ramcharan's Shahpura Ramsnehi branch |
Date distinction: Do not assign 1544 CE to all three of Dadu Dayal, Dayaludas and Dulandas. Because accounts differ between 1515 and 1516 for Vitthalnath's birth, the exercises test his century and lineage. The Nath tradition predates Jasnathji; it did not begin in the sixteenth century.
SECTION 8: Short practice questions
These are practice questions. Unverified examination names and years have been removed; they are not presented as authenticated previous-year questions.
Q1. Dadu Dayal is associated with which sect?
Answer: Dadu
Explanation: Dadu Dayal is the founder of the Dadu Panth.
Q2. Which place is a principal centre of Jasnathji?
Answer: Katariasar
Explanation: Katariasar is in Bikaner.
Q3. Which sect has a principal centre at Nathdwara?
Answer: Vallabha/Pushtimarg
Explanation: Nathdwara is a principal centre of Pushtimarg worship of Shrinathji.
Q4. What is the tradition of Charandas's followers called?
Answer: Charandasi
Explanation: The Charandasi sect is associated with Charandas.
Q5. Which is the birthplace of Haridas Niranjani?
Answer: Kaprod
Explanation: Kaprod is in Didwana-Kuchaman and was formerly in Nagaur district.
SECTION 9: Quick revision
| Saint or tradition | Recall point |
|---|---|
| Dadu Dayal | Dadu Panth; Naraina-Jaipur; 1544-1603 CE |
| Jasnathji | Jasnathi; Katariasar-Bikaner; 1482 CE |
| Jalandharnath | Nath; Sire Mandir-Jalore |
| Ramcharan | Shahpura-Bhilwara; Ramsnehi |
| Dayaludas | Khedapa; Ramsnehi |
| Charandas | Dehra-Alwar; Delhi; Charandasi; 1703 CE |
| Dulandas | Jagjivan Sahib; Awadh; Satnami |
| Haridas | Niranjani; Kaprod |
| Vitthalnath | Vallabhacharya's son; Pushtimarg |
| Pipa | Gagron-Jhalawar; traditional disciple of Ramananda |
SECTION 10: Avoid common confusions
- Ramcharan and Charandas are different: Ramcharan-Shahpura-Ramsnehi; Charandas-Dehra/Delhi-Charandasi.
- Nath and Jasnathi are distinct names: influence from a yogic tradition is different from founding a particular sect.
- Dadu Dayal, Dayaludas and Dulandas are different people: do not interchange their names, places or periods.
- Vallabhacharya and Vitthalnath: the former founded Pushtimarg; the latter was his son and a major developer of the tradition.
- Birthplace, field of work and seat: Dehra is Charandas's birthplace, while Delhi was a major field of his work. Dadu's birth is traditionally placed at Ahmedabad; Naraina is his major Rajasthan seat.
- Map recall: Jaipur-Naraina; Bikaner-Katariasar; Jalore-Sire Mandir; Jodhpur-Khedapa; Bhilwara-Shahpura; Alwar-Dehra; Rajsamand-Nathdwara; Jhalawar-Gagron.