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{{Short description|Hindu Dalit saints}}
{{original research|date=September 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
The [[dalit]] is a section of Hindu society generally referred as a "lower" caste that have produced several influential [[Hindu saints]].<ref>''Dalits and the state'', pp. 42, Ghanshyam Shah, Centre for Rural Studies (Lal Bahadur Shastry National Academy of Administration)</ref><ref>''Dalit consciousness and Christian conversion: historical resources for a contemporary debate: mission theology in an Asian context'', pp. 20, Samuel Jayakumar, I.S.P.C.K. (Organization), Regnum International, 1999</ref><ref>''Staging politics: power and performance in Asia and Africa'', pp. 179, Julia C. Strauss, Donal Brian Cruise O'Brien, I. B.Tauris, 2007</ref> Some of the most notable Dalit Hindu saints are [[Ravidas]], [[Kabir]], [[Namdev]], Chokha Mela, Sant Kanhoputra, etc.<ref name= "Dalit Saints"/>
[[Dalit]] is an ancient designation for a group of indigenous Indian people. Several influential [[Hindu saints]], though, were members of this group.{{Sfn|Ghanshyam Shah||p=42}}{{Sfn|Jayakumar|1999|p=20}} Though there has also many historical [[Vedic period]] saints, whose descendants are now considered as [[Dalit|Dalits]].{{Sfn|Strauss et al|2007|p=179}} Many of the saints have been classified as [[Shudra]] or [[Avarna]], because there was no concept of Dalits or [[Harijan]].


== List ==
Many Harijans through their virtuous works, were given the title of Brahmin by non-Harijans. The most popular examples are Matanga, Nandanar, Purnananda, and Valmiki. In one legend, Nandanar entered a fire and came out of the fire as a Brahmin.<ref>p. 74 ''From stigma to assertion: untouchability, identity and politics in early and'' By Mikael Aktor, Robert Deliège</ref>
=== Vedic period ===
* Matanga, teacher of [[Shabari]].


=== Ancient period ===
The term ''Harijan'' was initially coined by a Koli Adivasi saint of Gujarat named Kubera, who in his lifetime had at least twenty thousands disciples.<ref> P. 269 ''Brāhmanism and Hindūism, Or, Religious Thought and Life in India: As Based'' By Sir Monier Monier-Williams </ref> Then Narsimh Mehta picked up the phrase and began using it for the backward castes<ref> P. 24 ''Gujarat Unknown: Hindu-Muslim Syncretism and Humanistic Forays'' By J. J. Roy Burman </ref>.
* [[Avvaiyar (Sangam poet)|Avvaiyar]], royal saint of [[Chera dynasty]].
* [[Nandanar]] (Nalai Povar), one of the [[Nayanars]].{{Sfn|Jesudasan & Jesudasan|p=156}}


=== Medieval period ===
Some writers believe that even [[Valmiki]] and [[Veda Vyasa]], the celebrated of Hindu epics of ''[[Ramayana]]'' and ''[[Mahabharata]]'', were also of Dalit background.<ref name="Dalit Saints">''"The Hindus forgot that their great saints and philosophers belonged to low caste's men as Valmiki, Ved Vyas, Sauni, Rom Harshan, Tiru Vallur, Kabir, Raidas, Chokhamela, Namdev, Tukaram..."'', Dalit Literature, pp. 209, Amar Nath Prasad, Sarup & Sons, 2007</ref>
* [[Chokhamela]], one of the first Dalit poets in India and wrote many [[Abhanga]]s.
* [[Ghasidas]], notable saint of [[Satnampanth|Satnami sect]].
* [[Namdev]], saint from [[Warkari|Varkari]] tradition.
* [[Ravidas]], founder of [[Ravidassia religion]].


=== Modern period ===
{{Cquote|I am a Bhangi, but I also do the work of a Brahmin. A Brahmin is one who spreads knowledge, sanskars; so I too am a Brahmin. I go on Bhakti pheris to spread the liberating message of Svadhyaya. So I am a Bhangi-Brahmin.}}
* [[Mata Amritanandamayi]]

* Bhagu, notable Hindu saint and wrote many [[Abhang|Abhangas]] devoted to [[Vithoba|Viṭhal]].
== Saints ==
* Parsuram, founder of [[Ramnami Samaj]].
==={{anchor|List of prominent saints}}List of prominent historical saints===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Ethnicity
! Caste
! Sect
! Compositions
! Other significance
|-
!Anayar
|Tamil
|
|Saiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Atipattar
|Tamil
|
|Saiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Balakdas
|Marathi
|Mahar<ref>p. 133 ''Dalit movement in India and its leaders, 1857–1956'' by Rāmacandra Kshīrasāgara</ref>
|Saiva
|Wrote the ''Mahar Mahatmya'' declaring Samaji as the patriarch of the Mahars and Shiva as the God of the Mahars
|
|-
!Banka Mahar
|Marathi
|Mahar
|Vaishnava (devotee of Vithoba)
|
|
|-
!Bhagu
|Marathi
|Mahar
|Vaishnava (devotee of Vithoba)
|
|
|-
!Binu
|Bengali
|
|Tantrik
|
|
|-
!Birbhan
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Satnami
|
|
|-
!Guruchand Thakur
|Bengali
|Namasudra
|Vaishnava (Matua sect devotee of Vishnu)
|
|Son of Sri Harichand Thakur, helped organize the Vaishnava Matua sect
|-
!Channayya
|Marathi
|Mahar,<ref>Murthy, p. 16 Basavanna</ref>
|Saiva (Virashaiva)
|
|disciple of Basava<ref>Sathyan, p. 242 Karnataka State Gazetteer</ref>
|-
!Chokha Mela
|Marathi
|Mahar
|Vaishnava
|Wrote many Abhangas devoted to Krishna.
|
|-
!Damajipanth
|Marathi
|Mahar
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Devi Das
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Satnami
|
|Disciple of [[Jagjivan Das]]
|-
!Dhanna
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Ghasidas
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Satnami
|
|A prominent achiever of 'Saty' and aided the [[Satnami]] movement in Chhattisgarh India. His son, Balak Das was his successor (his memorable historical Jaistambh is in Giroud Puri Dham Disst Raipur Chhattisgarh)
|-
!Ghisadas
|Hindi
|Ghisa<ref>p. xiii, ''Scheduled caste welfare: myth or reality'', by R. B. Singh</ref> (weaver)
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Kabir Panthi)
|
|
|-
!Harahliah<ref>p. 42, ''Hinduism and Islam in India: caste, religion, and society from antiquity to'', by S. V. Desika Char</ref>
|Kannada
|
|Shaiva (Virashaiva)
|
|
|-
!Harichand Thakur (1811–1839)
|Bengali
|Namsudra
|Vaisnavism (Matua devotee of Vishnu)
|
|Founded Vaishnava Matua sect to worship Hari and preach Harinam<ref>p. 96, ''Caste, Culture and Hegemony: Social Domination in Colonial Bengal''</ref> and a few of their songs even recognize Harichand as an avatar of Vishnu<ref>p. 100, ''Caste, Culture and Hegemony: Social Domination in Colonial Bengal''</ref>
|-
!Jagjivan Ram
|Hindi
|Aprisya Chamar
|Satnami (devotee of Krishna)
|
|Who went to Calcuttta to become initiated as a Hindu saint {{citation needed|date=October 2011}}, and is very well known as a major Dalit and Indian political leader
|-
!Janbrish
|
|Mang or Channayya<ref>Bhanu, p. 1105 People of India</ref>
|
|
|
|-
!Jiwan Das
|Hindi
|
|Satnami
|
|A saint of the Satnami sect
|-
!Jivan Das
|Gujarati
|
|Vaishnava (Kabirpanthi)<ref> Page 78 ''The Aryan Path - Volume 8'' By Sophia Wadia </ref>
|
|
|-
!Kartanand<ref>p. 1350 ''The Journal of Asian studies'', Volume 67, Issue 4 by Association for Asian Studies, Far Eastern Association (U.S.)</ref> Punjabi
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Kaliar
|Tamil
|Oil presser<ref name="ReferenceB">p. 52 ''Nandanar, the Dalit martyr: a historical reconstruction of his times'' by Sundararaj Manickam</ref>
|Shaiva
|
|Tamil one of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Kanho or Kanhopatra
|Marathi
|Mahar courtesan dancer
|Vaishnava (devotee of Vithoba)
|
|
|-
!Kapinjalada
|
|Chandala
|
|
|According to Mahabharata (Anushasana Parvan 53.13–19)
|-
!Karmamelam
|Marathi
|Mahar
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Kurmadas
|
|
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Lalgir
|Hindi
|Sansi
|Shaiva (Nirguna Sampradaya - Alakhgir)
|
|Founded the Alakhgir Shaiva sect that worships Lord Shiva as Alakh or Formless.
|-
!Madara Dhulayya
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Malamat Shah
|
|
|Satnami
|
|
|-
!Dasrath Gajbhiye<ref>p. 84 ''Dalit movement in India and its leaders, 1857–1956'' by Rāmacandra Kshīrasāgara</ref>
|
|
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Kabir Panthi)
|
|
|-
!Munibanan
|Tamil
|Sweeper
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Namdeo
|Punjabi
|Dhobi
|
|
|
|-
!Nabhadas
|Hindi
|Dom
|Vaishnava
|
|Sant Ramanand's disciple
|-
!Nandanar (Nanthanaar)
|Tamil
|Athanuur
|Shaiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints. Chidambaram, the main place where Nandanar practiced austerities is now a place where backward castes have their own ashrams and recite the Upanishads in Sanskrit<ref>Sastri, p. 3 ''Hindu Feasts, Fasts & Ceremonies''</ref>
|-
!Nirmala
|Marathi
|Mahar
|
|
|
|-
!Parshuram
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Vaishnava (Ramnami)
|
|Founder of the Ramnami sect in Chhattisgarh
|-
!Prasanna
|Bengali
|
|Shakta (devotee of Durga Ma)
|
|Disciple of Kalachand.
|-
!Pipal Dass
|Hindi
|Chamar<ref name="ReferenceC">p. 15 ''Dalits in regional context'' by Harish K. Puri</ref> Punjabi, a follower of Ravi Das
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Ravidasi)
|
|
|-
!Purnananda
|
|
|
|
|Became recognized as a Brahmana.
|-
!Ram Das
|
|Chamar<ref>p. 415 ''Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province'' by H. A. Rose, IBBETSON, Maclagan,</ref>
|
|
|Disciple of Lakhmir.
|-
!Ram Naval
|Hindi
|Bhangi<ref>p. 149 ''The Bhangi: a sweeper caste, its socio-economic portraits'', by Shyamlal</ref>
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Naval Panthi)
|
|His successors were Daya Ram Maharaj (his son), Ram Baksh Maharaj and the present-day Badri Ram Maharaj.
|-
!Ramsaran Pal
|Bengali
|Pal
|Vaishnava (Kartabhaja)
|
|Claimed to be a reincarnation of Krishna.
|-
!Ravidas
|Hindi
|Chamar
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Ravidasi)
|
|The Guru of Mirabai. He is said to have taken up his family job of shoe-making and supplied shoes top ascetics. "My caste is low, my lineage is low, and mean is my birth. I have taken shelter, King Rama, says Ravidas the cobbler" (p.&nbsp;659, Guru Granth Sahib). His disciples are the Ravidasis. He was a disciple of Ramananda, claimed by Harijans to be their master.<ref>Singh, p. 98 ''Leadership Patterns and Village Structure''</ref>
|-
!Sadna
|Marathi
|Butcher
|
|
|
|-
!Sakhubai
|Marathi
|
|Vaishnava
|
|
|-
!Sarwan Dass
|Punjabi
|Chamar<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
|
|
|Follower of Ravi Das and son of Sant Pipal Dass
|-
!Satyakam Jabali<ref>p. 97 ''Poisoned bread: translations from modern Marathi Dalit literature'' by Arjuna Ḍāṅgaḷe</ref>
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!Shatakopa
|Tamil
|Kanjar<ref>p. 87, ''Gita Darshan as Bhakti Yoga, as a Chaitanyite Reads it''</ref> or Bhiton
|
|
|Alwar devotee, Yamuna Muni declared, "I touch my feet at the holy feet of Shatakopa"
|-
!Soot
|
|
|
|
|Narrator of the Puranas.
|-
!Soyarabai
|Marathi
|Mahar<ref>p. 61 ''Women Saints of East and West'' By Swami Ghanananda, John Stewart-Wallace</ref>
|
|
|Sant Chokha Mela's wife
|-
!Tejananda
|
|
|
|
|Known by title "Swami" (''priest'')
|-
!Thykad Ayyavu Swamy
|Tamil
|Pariah<ref>p. 352 ''Dalit movement in India and its leaders, 1857–1956'' by Rāmacandra Kshīrasāgara</ref>
|Kaumara (devotee of Muruga)
|
|
|-
!Tirukkurippu Tondar<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
|Tamil
|
|
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Tirumankai (alias Nilan)
|Tamil
|Kalvar (robber)<ref>p. 159–160 ''Tamil literature, Volume 2, Part'' 1 By Kamil Zvelebil</ref>
|Vaishnava
|
|Alwar saint.
|-
!Tirumalisai<ref>p. 139 ''A history of Tirupati'', Volume 1 by Sakkottai Krishnaswami Aiyangar</ref>
|Tamil
|
|Vaishnava
|
|An Alvar Vaishnava saint.
|-
!Tiru Nalai Povar<ref>p. 156 ''A history of Tamil literature'' by C. Jesudasan, Hephzibah Jesudasan</ref>
|Tamil
|
|
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints.
|-
!Tiru Nilakanta
|Tamil
|Potter<ref>p. 12 ''The grand epic of Saivism'' by Cuttān̲anta Pāratiyār, Cēkkilār</ref>
|Shaiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Tiru Nilakanta Yazhpanar
|Tamil
|Pana<ref>p. 135 ''Some aspects of Kerala and Tamil literature'' by Mu Irākavaiyaṅkār</ref> (musical instrument player)
|Shaiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints
|-
!Tiruvalluvar<ref>p. 89 ''Tiruvalluvar'' by Es Makara-jan</ref>
|Tamil
|
|Shaiva
|
|One of 63 Nayanar Shaivite saints, wrote the Tirukkural
|-
!Trikam Das
|Gujarati
|
|Vaishnava (Kabirpanthi)<ref> Page 78 ''The Aryan Path - Volume 8'' By Sophia Wadia </ref>
|
|
|-
!Umaid Ram Maharaj
|Hindi
|Bhangi<ref>p. 144 ''The Bhangi: a sweeper caste, its socio-economic portraits'', by Shyamlal</ref>
|Vaishnava
|
|He was a mendicant. His successors were Sukaram Maharaj, Deepa Ram Maharaj and the present-day Mangi Ram Maharaj.
|-
!Vakhna
|
|Mirasi<ref>p. 248 ''Encyclopaedia Of Untouchables: Ancient Medieval And Modern'' by Raj Kumar</ref> (sweeper)
|Vaishnava (Nirguna Sampradaya - Dadu Panthi)
|
|Disciple of Dadu Dayal.
|-
!Vithal Ramji Shinde
|Marathi
|Chamar<ref>p. 43 ''Vitthal Ramji Shinde'' by G. M. Pavāra</ref>
|Prartna Samaj
|
|A member of the Prartna Samaj and founder of the Depressed Classes Mission organization for the upliftment of backward-caste Hindus.
|}

== Maharishis ==
{{Cquote|Saints and sages only can become real advisors to the kings, because they are selfless and possess the highest wisdom. They only can improve the morality of the masses. They alone can show the way to eternal bliss and mortality. Shivaji had Swami Ramdas as his adviser, King Dasaratha had Maharshi Vasishtha as his advisor.}}

*Maharshi Naval Ram, Bhangi,<ref>p. 149 ''The Bhangi: a sweeper caste, its socio-economic portraits'', by Shyamlal</ref> a member of the Rajasthani Bhangi caste. He was born in 1840 on the month of Bhadrapad on Wednesday in Harsala village in Nagaur district. His successors were Daya Ram Maharaj (his son), Ram Baksh Maharaj and the present-day Badri Ram Maharaj.
*Maharishi Vithal Ramji Shinde, Chamar,<ref>p. 43 ''Vitthal Ramji Shinde'' by G. M. Pavāra</ref> a member of the Prartna Samaj and founder of the Depressed Classes Mission organization for the upliftment of backward-caste Hindus.
*Maharishi Soot, narrator of the Puranas.

==Avatars==
*Matangi, worshipped as a form of Durga. She was the offspring of Matanga Muni.
*Tiru Panazhwar or Panalwar, Panan,<ref>p. 108 ''Sri Andal, her contribution to literature, philosophy, religion & art: a compilation of lectures during All India Seminar on Andal, 13th to 15th August 1983'' By Sri Ramanuja Vedanta Centre (Madras, India)</ref> devotee of Lord Vishnu, considered avatar of spot of Lord Vishnu's chest

== Mixed Dalit-Brahmin saints ==
*Maharishi Parashara, son of an outcaste woman (Matsyakanya-Satyavathi Devi), was one of the greatest devotees and thinkers in the Hindu
*Maharishi Vashista, son of a concubine, a guru of Shri Rama.

== Other respected sages in Hindu society ==
*Namdev Mahar, Mahar,<ref name="Shepherd p. 111">Shepherd, p. 111 ''Gurus Rediscovered''</ref> devotee of Sai, lived in Kharagpur
*Bhagubai, wife of Namdev Mahar,<ref name="Shepherd p. 111"/> devotee of Sai


== See also ==
== See also ==
{{Portal|Hinduism}}
*[[List of Sudra Hindu Saints]]
*[[List of Adivasi Hindu saints]]
* [[List of Dalits]]
*[[List of Vaishya Hindu Saints|List of Vaishya Hindu saints]]


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
=== Sources ===
* {{Cite book|last=Shah|first=Ghanshyam|title=Dalits and the State|publisher=Centre for Rural Studies|ref={{SfnRef|Ghanshyam Shah}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Jayakumar|first=Samuel|title=Dalit consciousness and Christian conversion|publisher=Regnum International|year=1999}}
* {{Cite book|last=Strauss|first=Julia C|title=Staging politics|last2=Cruise O'Brien|first2=Donal Brian|last3=Tauris|first3=I. B.|year=2007|ref={{SfnRef|Strauss et al|2007}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Jesudasan|first=C|title=A history of Tamil literature|last2=Jesudasan|first2=Hephzibah|language=ta|ref={{SfnRef|Jesudasan & Jesudasan}}}}


[[Category:Dalit religion]]
[[Category:Dalit Hindu saints| ]]
[[Category:Hindu religious figures]]
[[Category:Lists of Hindu religious leaders]]
[[Category:Hindu saints]]
[[Category:Dalit saints|*]]
[[Category:Indian saints]]

Latest revision as of 11:18, 6 February 2024

Dalit is an ancient designation for a group of indigenous Indian people. Several influential Hindu saints, though, were members of this group.[1][2] Though there has also many historical Vedic period saints, whose descendants are now considered as Dalits.[3] Many of the saints have been classified as Shudra or Avarna, because there was no concept of Dalits or Harijan.

List

[edit]

Vedic period

[edit]

Ancient period

[edit]

Medieval period

[edit]

Modern period

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ghanshyam Shah, p. 42.
  2. ^ Jayakumar 1999, p. 20.
  3. ^ Strauss et al 2007, p. 179.
  4. ^ Jesudasan & Jesudasan, p. 156.

Sources

[edit]
  • Shah, Ghanshyam. Dalits and the State. Centre for Rural Studies.
  • Jayakumar, Samuel (1999). Dalit consciousness and Christian conversion. Regnum International.
  • Strauss, Julia C; Cruise O'Brien, Donal Brian; Tauris, I. B. (2007). Staging politics.
  • Jesudasan, C; Jesudasan, Hephzibah. A history of Tamil literature (in Tamil).
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