Life is made up of very mysterious rules. Wherever there is a need, an event happens. It is hot, then comes rain. It is a natural rule that rain follows heat. When it becomes so hot, everything becomes heated, water dries up, the earth becomes dry, due to this heated state, the clouds are invited. The clouds rain and quench the thirst of the earth. There is a deep system in life too. There is nothing chaotic here. When the disciple’s heart becomes heated, burns, cries, suffers from the sorrows of life, then suddenly a cloud comes. That cloud is the Guru, that is, the saint arrives. One of such extraordinary saints is Saint Dadu.

Birth: Saint Dadu Dayal was born on Phalgun Sudi Eight Thursday Samvat 1601 (1544 AD). Dadu Dayal was born in Ahmedabad city of Gujarat state of India, but scholars are not unanimous about the birthplace of Dadu. Dadu followers believe that he was found floating in the Sabarmati river (near Ahmedabad) as a small child. Whether Dadu Dayal was born in Ahmedabad or not, but still it is certain that most of his life was spent in Rajasthan.

There are differences among scholars on who were the parents of Dadu Dayal and what was his caste. According to a legend, like Kabir, Dadu was also the illegitimate child of a virgin Brahmin, who, fearing disgrace, drowned Dadu in the Sabarmati river. Later, Dadu was brought up in a Dhuniya family. He was brought up by a Nagar Brahmin named Lodiram. His mother’s name was Basibai and she was a Brahmin. There is no information about how authentic this legend is and since when it has become popular. Dadu’s disciple Rajjab has written-

‘Dhuni Grabhe Utpano Dadu Yogandro Mahamunih. ‘Utram Jog Dharanam, Tasmat Kya Nyani Karanam.’

Pinjara is a special castecaste that beats cotton, hence it is also called Dhuniya. Acharya Kshitijmohan Sen has said that they are related to Bengal. According to him, Dadu was a Muslim and his real name was ‘Dawood’. Information about the life of Dadu Dayal can be found in Dadu Panthi Raghodas ‘Bhaktmal’ and ‘Shri Dadu Janam’ written by Dadu’s disciple Jangopal.

It is found in ‘Leela Parchi’. Apart from this, we can also guess about Dadu’s life and personality through the internal evidence of his works.

Dadu was immersed in devotion to Lord Krishna at the age of 11. When he ran away from home at the age of 13, his parents caught him and brought him back. But after seven years he ran away again and reached Sagar and started working as a washerman.

A feeling of positivity even in negativity: After reaching Sagar Saint Dadu continued to study deeply for 12 years. Many Brahmins were upset with his work. Once when Dadu was engrossed in meditation in his house, some Pandits, out of jealousy, closed the doors of his house with bricks. Which was later opened by his neighbours. Dadu said that it was good that he got such a peaceful environment to worship Krishna. Due to his positive attitude even in negativity and kind nature, Dadu became Saint Dadu Dayal. Meaning kind saint. Due to gaining knowledge by the grace of Guru, he had hundreds of disciples. Among them Garibdas, Sundardas, Rajjab and Bakhna are the main ones. Dadu was a scholar of many languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Rajasthani etc. He wrote Shabd and Sakho. His composition is full of love and emotion. His verses are not logic-driven but heart-driven.

Family introduction:

‘Grandfather’s livelihood is Ram, Rajik Rizk is ours. Grandfather that Prasad hundred, Poshya all the family.

There is no authentic information about who Dadu’s wife was and what was her name. He had two sons named Garibdas and Miskindas and two daughters named Nanibai and Matabai. Some scholars disagree with this. According to them, these were his blessed sons. According to some people, these were his disciples. According to Jangopal, Dadu settled in Sambhar at the age of thirty and after two years his eldest son Garibdas was born. Saint Dadu used to say that God is the one who takes care of everyone. Therefore, my family is also being taken care of by his grace. Dadu has mentioned his family and family situation in his works. He has written- ‘Dadu Sahib is my clothes, Sahib is my feet. Sahib is the pride of my head, Sahib is my life.

Sai gives true satisfaction, my devotion is limitless.

Dadu Das asks for sincerity and truth.’

Dadu has sung many praises of his Guru in his Vaani, but he has not mentioned the name of the person whose knowledge enabled Dadu to overcome the worldly obstacles. Dadu has described the glory of his Guru in detail in his works. Therefore, it is also important for us to know who his Guru was. Authentic information about this fact is not available. According to Jan Gopal’s ‘Shri Dadu Janm Leela Parchi’, when he was eleven years old, God appeared in the form of Buddha and asked for a paisa from him. Then, pleased with him, he placed his hand on his head and while touching his body, also gave him ‘Saras Paan’ in his mouth.

According to the Dadu sect, an unknown saint named Buddhan was a descendant of Dadu There was a Guru. According to Jan Gopal, after eleven years of his childhood, he saw his Guru in the form of an old man.

Dadu Dayal’s devotional practice started from Sambhar. It was from here that he started preaching and it was here that he founded the ‘Par Brahma Sampradaya’, which came to be known as ‘Dadu Panth’ after Dadu’s death.

Previous Nirguna Saints:

 Dadu Dayal mentioned the Nirguna saints who were his predecessors.He has taken the names with great respect and reverence. He has especially shown immense respect towards Namdev, Kabir and Raidas. Kabir was Dadu’s ideal. He wrote in one verse-

‘I drank the nectar of Ram and made Kabir immortal. Saying Ram Ram, I met Ram in the company of Raidas.’

Meeting with Akbar: Once Akbar goes to Dadu and

He asks what kind of God is he? What is his caste? What is his colour? What is his manner? What is his existence? He asks a barrage of questions. But Saint Dadu says a very lovely thing-

‘Love is the caste of Allah, love is the colour of Allah.

Ishq Allah is the existence, Ishq Allah’s way.

Hey. You ask about the colour of Allah, whether he is fair or dark, love is his colour, love is his caste, love is his existence, his way of being. In reality, this God is love. God is love and through this path of love, we can reach God.

Dadu’s amazing disciples If we talk about our guru and do not talk about his disciples, then the discussion remains incomplete. In this matter Dadu was a very fortunate enlightened person. Though he had many disciples, but very few gurus have been blessed with such diamond disciples, priceless gems. Nanak, Kabir, Raidas, Farid, none of them had such an amazing group as Dadu had. Dadu had collected very unique and incomparable diamonds. Kabir, Buddha, Mahavira also lagged behind in this regard. Dadu had some art of calling his disciples. Dadu had some art of getting the disciples attached to himself.

Dadu had 152 disciples and all of them attained enlightenment. His disciples considered it necessary to do organisational work to spread knowledge among the people along with solitary meditation of God.

The pillars of these disciples became popular. Their pillars are still mostly in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. Dadu-Dwaras were established at many places in these areas. Among his disciples, Garibdas, Bakhnadas, Rajjab, Sundardas, Jangopal etc. became famous. Their group was large. Their relations were large. But among all those diamonds, Rajjab and Sundaro were Kohinoor.

There is an incident about Rajjab and Sundari. When Dadu died, both the disciples of Dadu behaved very strangely. Rajjab closed his eyes and never opened them again in his entire life. He said that whatever was worth seeing has gone, so what else to see. That is why Rajjab kept his eyes closed for as long as he lived. The second Sundari was standing on the other side when Dadu’s body was being lifted, the bier was being prepared, he was at the cremation ground.

He did not even go to the ghat and slept on Dadu’s bed, covering himself with his blanket. He never left the bed after that. Many people said that is this the way. It does not make sense. Is this the way of awakened men that one closed his eyes and the other lay down on the bed and did not get up until he died. Sundaro had absorbed himself in Dadu. But when a drop falls in the ocean, it becomes the ocean. Sundaro is no more and this was his beauty that Dadu named him Sundaro. His surrender was total.

Explaining spirituality with metaphors like milk and ghee:

‘Someone is trying to extract the nectar of milk and ghee from the words of Rama. Dadu, after taking the nectar from the Guru, takes the thought.’

Yugpurush Osho also says about this couplet related to Dadu-

‘Sabad Doodh’

Whatever the Guru says is like milk. Do not be satisfied with that much, you will find milk in whatever he says. It is also good if you get milk.

‘Words are milk, ghee is the essence of Ram’

But if you contemplate that milk within yourself, if you make that milk your meditation, your contemplation, if you live and rejoice in that milk -‘Ghee Ram Ras,’

Then you will get the ghee which was hidden in the milk. It will become visible. This ghee is the essence of Ram. ‘Someone who looks like a fool,’

Many people take milk with them, but only a devotee knows properly how to churn milk, how to churn milk, how to churn-contemplate-meditate, how to convert milk into ghee. There is a big revolutionary difference between milk and ghee. Milk is good today, it will get spoiled tomorrow. Ghee will not spoil for years. It will never get spoiled. The older it gets, the more valuable it becomes. Milk is good today, it will become throwable tomorrow. In that same milk, something eternal, everlasting is hidden- ‘Ghrit Ram Ras’. If a devotee is intelligent, he will churn the word and throw away the useless. Buttermilk will remain, he will throw that away and will take care of the ghee.

Spiritual knowledge from the thirst of Chatak The bird named Chatak drinks only the water of Swati Nakshatra. It keeps crying throughout the rest of the year. Ordinary water does not satisfy it. It needs only the supreme water of Swati. A saint is not satisfied with ordinary water, a saint is satisfied only with the water of God. Ordinary love cannot satisfy him, until God himself showers his love on him. Until he gets the supreme love, he will remain thirsty.

‘Man Chit Chatak Jyu Ratai’

Like the Chatak screams all night long.

‘Piv Piv Lagi Pyaas’

He goes on saying ‘Piyu Piyu’. He is not satisfied with ordinary water, he waits for the drops of Swati. He spends years. Days come, As they go, the chirping of the Chatak bird continues increasing.

‘The mind and heart are like the Chatak Chatak repeating, I am thirsty for my beloved.’

Sadguru Osho says about Dadu- ‘I call only that person religious, who is neither a theist nor an atheist, a seeker, a traveler, who says that he will put his life at stake, but will keep searching. He has felt darkness in his life. Now he wants light. He has known thirst and has known the desert of life. He is in search of an oasis. He is in search of a lake and that search is not intellectual, his crying is thirsty. Dadu is talking about the same. He says-

‘The mind and heart are like the Chatak Chatak repeating, I am thirsty for my beloved.’

I am thirsty only for that beloved, only he can quench it. When the mind becomes a consciousness, then the mind is no longer an ordinary mind. Then a new event takes place, it starts becoming conscious.

Surti’s teachings:

‘Whose God will repair the broken wire of pain?’

Saint Dadu laid great emphasis on practicing Surati. Sadguru Osho says about this couplet related to Dadu- Just like a beloved remembers her lover, similarly when one remembers you, forgets everything, remembers only that, then a connection is made in this Surati. You live here, but you are not of this place. You are in the market, but are not in the market. You keep getting drawn towards the temple. You talk to someone, the conversation remains with that person only. You sleep here, but remain awake somewhere else. While eating food You work, you make all the arrangements for life, but inside you a tune of meeting her keeps playing day and night.

Surti means

Whose memory becomes your every breath.

Surati means the one whom you don’t have to remember, but whom you can remember. Understand this difference properly. Surati does not mean to remember, Surati means to be immersed in the memory.

Brahmaleenata: The day fixed for Brahmaleenata (Jyeshtha Krishna

On the auspicious day of Ashtami (Samvat 1660), Shri Dadu Ji meditated in solitude and uttered the word ‘Satya Ram’ and departed from this world to Brahmalok. There may be a difference of opinion regarding his birthplace, but it is certain that he died in Narana village near Ajmer. ‘Dadu-Dwara’ is built there. A fair is held there every year on his birthday and death anniversary. As per Dadu’s wish, his body was kept in a cave situated on the Bhairana hill, where he was buried. This hill is now called ‘Dadu Khol’, where a fair is held in his memory even today. ‘Dadu Panth’ and ‘Dadu Peeth’ established by Shri Dadu Dayal Ji Maharaj are still engaged in serving mankind without any hindrance. At present, Acharya Mahant Shri Gopaldas Ji Maharaj is seated as the Peethadheeshwar of Dadudham.

Courtesy:- 

1. Indian Saint Tradition Baldev Vanshi 2. Saint Tradition of Northern India-Parshuram Chaturvedi 3. Sundardas Wikipedia 4. Jyoti

Let the light burn – Osho 5. Say Hari, say Hari, Osho.