Samarth Ramdas

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Samarth Ramdas

The guru of King Shivaji.

From Saints, Sufis and Yogis

Samarth Ramdas (1608-1681) was a Maratha spiritual activist and guru who believed that the Marathas should be united in Maharastra-dharma. He became the guru of Shivaji.

The writings of Ramdas include the Manache Shloka (or Manobodha) (Verses addressed to the Mind), the Dasbodha, a huge work of 7752 ovis (verses) in which he gives advice and guidance for those seeking direct Realisation, and other shorter works such as the Jnanasvabhava, a poem of seventy verses that exposes the pseudo-gurus.


My gentle mind, go by this path of bhakti, which brings God's love Give up all that people despise Do what's praised with all your might. (Manache Shloka 2)

The fool looks only in one direction, but the wise man looks in all. ... He has indeed identified himself with the Atma, and cannot therefore be regarded as limited. He looks all around. ... He is everywhere and yet nowhere. (Dasbodha 11:10; 12.2)


Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has described Samarth Ramdas as being an incarnation of Shri Hanuman. (1986-0928)

Seeing the work of Sahaja Yoga in Satara district, I am feeling extremely joyous. It has also been a very great work of establishing fifteen centres in Satara district. This is the land of Shri Ramdas, who was the incarnation of Shri Hanuman. The fruits of his flower-like work are seen now in the fact that there are fifteen centres over here. There were many saints in this Maharashtra and all the things they said can be seen by us in Sahaja Yoga. (1986-0928)

There’s a story about Shivaji, very interesting story. He was once building a very huge big fort. And people were working and he was just looking at them, and he thought: “See now, what a nice thing I am doing. I have given so much work to so many poor people.” And he was feeling quite happy about it. And he was looking at them. Suddenly his guru, Ramdas Swami came there, and they were breaking one boulder. They said: “Slowly, slowly break it. Do not hit it hard.” They were breaking slowly, ultimately they came to a stone which was just like one coconut. So Ramdas Swami took that coconut in his hand and broke it, and there was water in it and there was a frog sitting inside. Then Shivaji Maharaj realized that when God creates you, He also provides you with things. You need not be proud that you are doing so much for others. (1991-1221)


Bibliograph: Dasbodh: an English version, [by] W.G.Tambwekar (Bombay, 1992); V.H.Date, Spiritual treasures of Saint Ramadasa (Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1975); T.D.Joshi, Social and political thoughts of Ramdas (Bombay: Vora, 1970); S.G.Kashikar, ‘The political thought of Samarth Ramdas Swami’ Indian Journal of Political Science 24(2, 1963:148-152; R.D.Ranade, Mysticism in Maharashtra (Poona, 1933; reprinted Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1988):361-425; S.G.Tulpule, Classical Marathi literature: from the beginning to A.D. 1818 (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1979):394-403

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