Sundardas is one of the few true gurus who realized Brahman. Knowing Brahman is one thing, knowing Brahman is quite another. Not all who know it are able to do so. Out of millions, only one or two know Brahman, and out of hundreds, only one knows it. Sundardas is one of those few wise men who translated the wordless into words, who defined the indefinable, who made the invisible visible, who gave form to the formless. Don’t consider even a single word of his ordinary. Each of his words is like a burning ember, and if a small spark falls in our lives, we too can be ignited by the divine. The infinite can manifest within us. The infinite is already present… we need a spark to awaken the core. Saint Sundardas was born with this spark to awaken the minds of the people.

Sundardas was born in 1596 in a Khandelwan Vaishya family in Dyosa (Dausa), the ancient capital of Jaipur state. His mother’s name was Sati and his father’s name was Paramananda. Regarding Sundardas’s birth, the great sage Osho says, “Call it a coincidence, Sundardas’s father’s name was Paramananda and his mother’s name was Sati. Paramananda and Sati. This extraordinary person was born from the union of these two life streams. This birth will take place within you too, but these two streams must meet within you. Joy and truth. Seek joy and you find truth; seek truth and you find joy. They are connected, two sides of the same coin.” The story of previous birth is the shining light of Indian saint literature.

Renowned as a star, Saint Sundardas Ji remains a source of inspiration for everyone. Among spiritual lovers, Sundardas Ji’s life story is the most beautiful analogy for the connection between a guru and disciple, spanning not just one but many lifetimes. In ancient times, sages would ask for yarn to weave their own clothes. One day, Jagga Ji, a disciple of Dadu Dayal, was seeking yarn in Amir Nagar and, in his excitement, shouted: ‘Give me your thread, take my son.’

When Jagga Ji arrived at the house of a Sokiya moneylender who was a devotee of Dadu Dayal, a young woman was spinning yarn. Hearing the call, the young woman handed Jagga Ji the reel of yarn and said, “Take it, my lord.” Jagga Ji replied, “Take it, my son.”

When he returned to Daduji Maharaj with alms, Daduji, in a trance, realized all this and said, “Jagga, what have you done? The girl you’re blessing doesn’t have a son in her destiny.” Jaggaji asked in astonishment, “What will happen now, Maharaj? You must find a solution.” Daduji replied, “Now you will have to take your next birth as her son, and for that, you will have to give up this body.” Jaggaji replied, “I’m ready for that, but promise to stay in your presence in your next life as well.” Daduji consoled him and ordered him to tell the girl’s parents that wherever they marry her, they should tell the groom that the son they will have will be a great devotee, but will renounce worldly life at the age of 11. Jaggaji immediately obeyed. Within a few days, Sati was married to Shah Parmanand, a Khandelwal Baniya of the Boosar clan, from Dausanagar, the first capital of the Jaipur state. Jagga Ji left his body and resided in the womb of Sati Ji. At the end of the day, he emerged from her womb at noon on the ninth day of Chaitra month in the year 1653, i.e., 1596. Thus, in his next birth, Jagga Ji appeared as Sundardas and again became a disciple of Saint Dadu.

Sannyasa:

 It is said that when Sundardas was seven years old, Saint Dadu Dayal visited Dausa. Sundardas’s father placed the child at his feet. Dayal placed his hand on his head and said, “This child is very beautiful, so name him Sundar.” Popular belief also says that Dadu said, “Oh! Sundar, you have come! Jagga, you have taken birth in Sundar’s body.” Whichever is true, only then The boy was named Sundar. Upon seeing him, Sundar’s intellect took on a different dimension. The seed of devotion to his guru blossomed into a tree. It is said that Sundardas joined his guru that very day and began living with Dadu Sahib in Narayana, becoming his disciple. He would not let go of his guru until his death; he always considered his feet his world.

‘And all the saints are above their heads, Guru Dadu is beautiful.’

Sundardas was a beloved disciple of Dadu Sahib. Dadu Sahib awakened many people. He is one of the greatest gurus. At that time, more people were awakened by Dadu Sahib than by any other saint. Sundardas had been blessed by his grace since childhood.

The great man Osho says, “When this revolutionary moment came in Sundar’s life, he was only seven years old. He must have possessed extraordinary talent. Dadu Dayal, impressed by his beauty, named him ‘Sundar’. Another disciple of Dadu’s was also named Sundar, so he came to be known as Chhote Sundardas. Dadu must have glimpsed him, picked him up like a diamond, and cared for him like a diamond. That’s why he named him ‘Sundar’. The child must have been beautiful. There is only one beauty in this world: the beauty of the search for God. There is only one offering in this world: the offering of the desire to attain God. This is the only beauty that a person yearns for God, a yearning so intense that they stake their entire life.” Sundardas says, “Salutations to all the saints! I salute them, they are worthy of my respect, my reverence, but my door is open only with Dadu.”

I just want to say that I bow my head for everyone, but as far as my heart is concerned, Dadu is seated there, but wherever Dadu is seated, everyone is seated in Dadu.’ In this context, Sundardas himself has written –

‘My beautiful Satguru has shown mercy on me. I was sleeping in the night of attachment, but you woke me up.’

Sundardas wasn’t very old. He was still a child when his guru, Dadu Sahib, passed away. Before leaving, he entrusted Sundardas’s responsibilities to Rajjab Sahib. The day of his departure arrived. Sundardas was in Kashi at the time, while Rajjab was living in Sanganer, Rajasthan. Sundardas Sahib sensed Rajjab’s departure, so he began fleeing Kashi. Meanwhile, Rajjab Sahib kept asking if Sundardas had arrived. Without resting on the way, Sundardas Sahib somehow reached Sanganer. Meanwhile, Rajjab Sahib’s breath hitched. As soon as he learned that Sundardas had arrived, he experienced peace by looking with his inner eye. He took Sundardas’s hand in his own and departed for the abode.

Saint Sundardas left home in his childhood and received initiation from Dadu Dayal Sahib, and therefore remained unmarried throughout his life. Sundardas is the only saint who lived in Kashi for eighteen years and received formal education in Vedanta, Saranya, Yoga, Shatdarshan, Brahmasutra, Shankara Bhashya, grammar and literature.

He travelled with his guru brothers Jagjivan Das and Rajab Saheb.The main ones among these journeys were Balkh-Bukhara, Kabul, Kashmir, Agra, Delhi, Patna and the villages connected with them.

Departure from the Supreme World: 

Sundardas Sahib left for his Guru Dadu Dayal Sahib . He loved him immensely. His passing was a great shock to him. Now Rajab Sahib, for whom Sundardas ji had a deep affection, also passed away soon. What was left? He too was no longer interested in this mortal world and departed for the eternal abode. A stone inscription has been found in Sanganer, engraved with these words:

‘Samvat seventeenth, eighth day of the month of Kati Sudi, bright. On the third hour of Thursday, Sundar met Sundardas.’

In this way, Sundardas ji attained Mahaparinirvana in the year 1689.

The sutras he gave before Mahaparinirvana and at the end of his life are the innermost request of his soul ‘Slow-born, steadfast, self-controlled, pure-knowledge, strong-willed. In whose heart modesty, contentment and forgiveness remained, O Anhad Nadu.

Those who have awakened to knowledge, the Anahata (unstruck sound) resonates within them day and night. Omkar is born within them. They don’t have to chant mantras. They are simply witnesses. Modesty, contentment, and forgiveness arise within them naturally; they don’t need to practice.

Courtesy:-

 1. Indian Saint Tradition Baldev Vanshi 2. Saint Tradition of North India – Parshuram Chaturvedi 3. Sundardas Wikipedia 4. Light burns from light – Osho 5. Say Hari, say Hari, Osho.