Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Parts 2 and 3, by James Bean

Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Parts 2 and 3, by James Bean

Maharshi Mehi Paramhans

See earlier posts in this series:

Classic Sants and Hinduism, Part One:

https://medium.com/sant-mat-meditation-and-spirituality/hinduism-and-the-classic-nirguna-bhakti-sants-of-india-part-one-679c585e19d7?sharedUserId=santmat

A Sikh Sant Mat Connection Truly Commences With Baba Jaimal Singh:

https://medium.com/sant-mat-meditation-and-spirituality/a-sikh-sant-mat-connection-truly-commences-with-baba-jaimal-singh-by-james-bean-8b8ab376de78?sharedUserId=santmat

Below is a continuation about the rather Gnostic Demiurge/Kal Niranjan view the Satgurus of the Sant Mat guru lineage has always had regarding the seemingly endless plethora of Hindu gods and goddessesses, gods of war, and scriptures of war such as the Gita. So many gurus, so little time to keep up with them all. Their view is in harmony with how gnostic teachers viewed the old testament god of war, wars, and eye-for-an-isms recorded therein.

Then further below is essentially a part three of this series devoted to the grand exception to this: Maharshi Mehi, who had the goal of locating the Sant Mat/Surat Shabd friendly passages from many old Hindu scriptures. Indeed, one can do this. Far beyond the Nad Bind Upanishad and Hatha Yoga Pradipika are many more such references and texts one can locate, and he did, making use of these for his satsang discourses to Sant Mat audiences with Hindu (not Sikh) backgrounds.

The Demiurge Kal Niranjan God of War, Rituals, Temples, and Endless Outward Idolatries

The way that Soami Ji Maharaj in the Sar Bachan volumes, and the earlier proto-Radhasoami Kabir Dharamdasi gurus of the Kabir Sagar (earlier sant satgurus of the lineage prior to the time of Sant Tulsi Sahib) viewed the Hindu scriptures and Gods (Brahma, Krishna, Vishnu,  Ram, etc...) very much reminds me of how church father Marcion of Sinope (c. 85 – c. 160 CE) and the various gnostics taught that the god of the Hebrew scriptures was a lesser-god of war, the demiurge, not the true God.

"The Demiurge thought that he was the only one and that there was nothing outside of him... He was filled with pride and thought that he was the Lord of all things, because he was the father of those whom he had brought into being." (Valentinian gnostic teachings in, The Tripartite Tractate, Nag Hammadi Library)

"Marcion of Sinope... taught that the God proclaimed by the Law and the Prophets is not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the former was known, but the latter unknown; the former is judicial, harsh, and warlike, but the latter is good and loving." (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.27.2, On the Teachings of Marcion)

"The true God was unknown and unheard of in the old world, even by the 'old' god. Ignorance alone calls him 'new'. He is in fact ancient, revealed by Christ as no one had previously." (Marcion, The Antitheses, included in Marcion's Bible, by M. David Litwa)

"The God of the Law is harsh, warlike, and inconstant; the God of the Gospel is purely good, peaceful, and merciful." (Marcion, as quoted by Tertullian, Against Marcion)

"The Law of the Creator demands: 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But the Good God commands: 'If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other as well.'" (Marcion, as quoted by Tertullian, Against Marcion)

NOTE: I believe the idea of a demiurge lesser-creator god is a concept that originates within Judaism itself, thus Jewish Gnostic sects such as the Sethians were not the inventors of that, but inherited that along with other proto-Kabbalah teachings of mystical Judaism from the Enochian branch of Judaism that long predates the Qumran Essenes, John the Baptist sect, Jesus Movement (Ebionites, Nazoreans, etc...). 

As Baba Faqir Chand observed about the Sar Bachan Radhasoami:

"I reached the ashram. of Hazur Data Dayal (Maharishi Shiv Brat Lal) and prostrated my humble self at His Holy Feet. He gave me an exceptionally affectionate welcome and initiated me into Radhaswami Mat. His Holiness gave me a book and asked me to go through it. The work was Sar Bachan written by Swamiji Maharaj (Shiv Dayal Singh), the founder of Radhaswami. I went through some pages of the book in the very presence of Hazur Data Dayal Ji. But I could not pursue it any further, though, because Swamiji Maharaj had most vehemently criticized almost every religion, including Vedanta, Sufism, Islam, Jainism, and Buddhism. He declared them all to be Kal and Maya. It was too much for me. I felt hurt and tears rolled down my eyes." (The Unknowing Sage, page 27 and 28)

Sar Bachan Poetry of Soamiji Maharaj:

"Neither Ram nor Krishna knew Thee, O my Beloved Radhasoami!" (Soami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry, vol. one, page 23): https://archive.org/details/SarBachanRadhasoamiPoetryVolumeOneCopyPastePDF/page/n23/mode/2up?q=krishna

"I do not recognise Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Ishwar, Parmeshwar, Shesh, Ram, Krishna, ten incarnations of Brahm, Vyas, Vashishtha, Adi Kumari (Adya), Rishis, Munis, goddesses, gods, pilgrimages, fasts, rituals, Jogis, Jatfs, Tapis, Brahmcharis, Janak, Sanak, Sanyasis. Atma, Parmatma, Akshar, and Nih-Akshar."  (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry, vol. one, page 123): https://archive.org/details/SarBachanRadhasoamiPoetryVolumeOneCopyPastePDF/page/n123/mode/2up?q=krishna

Earlier Proto-Radhasoami Kabirian Dharamdasi Literature:

"Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwar deva, Kaal Niranjan ki karain seva."

"Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva serve Kaal Niranjan, unaware of the Supreme Satpurush."  (Bodh Sagar of the Kabir Sagar literature)

The Kabir Sagar texts assert that during the Mahabharata war, when Krishna revealed the Vishwaroopa (cosmic form) and spoke the Bhagavad Gita, it was actually Kaal Niranjan speaking through Krishna. Kaal uses this form to frighten Arjuna and keep souls trapped in the cycle of action and reaction (karma).

"Kaal rup dharipahichana, Krishna mukh te gyan bakhana.

Jeev na jaane bhed purana, Kaal jaal mahin sabhi bhulana."

"Taking the form of Kaal, he imparted the discourse through the mouth of Krishna. Souls do not understand this secret and remain lost in the net of Kaal." (Bodh Sagar of the Kabir Sagar)

"Krishna Gopika bhog kar, fer jati kahaya.

Jaaki gati paai nahi, aise tribhavan raaya."

"Krishna indulged in sensory pleasures with the Gopis, yet was called a celibate (Jati). The world could not comprehend this state, as Kaal himself operated through him to tie souls to the web of Maya and karma." (Gyan Sagar of the Kabir Sagar)

"Brahma was born, who was given Rajo Guna; Vishnu was born and was given Sato Guna; Mahesh [Shiva] was born and was given Tamo Guna... All three serve the mandates of Niranjan [Kal], trapped within his creation." (Anurag Sagar of the Kabir Sagar)

"When Krishna showed the grand form to Arjuna, he saw the entire universe within him devouring all beings... That terrifying form was Kal Niranjan himself displaying his true nature through Krishna’s body, keeping Arjuna and the world awed by his power." (Anurag Sagar)

"Consider this, O Dharam Das: Even after guiding Arjuna, why could Krishna not save his own Yadu dynasty from mutual destruction? Because Kal's law of Karma spares no one—not even his own incarnations." (Anurag Sagar)

Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Part 3

Bridging the Gap Between Hinduism and Sant Mat -- Going in an Opposite Direction, the Grand Exception of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans

Maharishi Mehi, one of the successors of Baba Devi Sahab from Hathras and Moradabad, was on a mission to locate and make use of countless passages from the Hindu scriptures that are very compatible with Santmat. And, indeed, there is a vast body of Hindu literature that does contain Sant Mat type teachings. The Nad Bind Upanishad is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. There are many such references to inner Sound meditation and other Sant Mat teachings and meditation practices in well-known and lesser-known Hindu scriptures, the leftover writings of ancient, long extinct or defunct sects within Hinduism that disappeared from the scene long ago. He made use of such passages in his satsang discourses to retrieve them from obscurity.

Pravesh K. Singh's Article: Maharshi Mehi — The Bridge Between Hindu Scriptures and Sant Mat:

"In due course of time an apparent scenario emerged wherein the Vedas and Scriptures (composed by Rishis of ancient times) and popular Saints, who generally preached in commonplace languages and local dialects, came to be seen, as it were,to be in direct opposition to each other. The wisdom of Upanishads was unfortunately conceived to be contrary to the teachings of the modern saints, and the hiatus between the two appeared to be widening with time. It was then that Maharshi Mehi rose to the occasion realising the dire necessity to bridge this gap which was unreal, fabricated, and being made more permanent so to say. He decided to make an in-depth study of the four Vedas, various Upanishads, commentaries on these Scriptures by the various scholars, and the sayings of the saints ranging from the time of Lord Buddha to that of Radhaswami Sahab and Baba Devi Sahab. He very meticulously & diligently examined the quintessence, the underlying postulates of all these, and came up with a sound conclusion that there is no inconsistency whatsoever between the wisdom of the Ancient Scriptures and the Sermons and discourses of saints of modern saints, that both unequivocally convey the same central idea or message. He wrote several books to lend credence to his inferences. For example, he authored “Veda Darshan Yoga” (meaning the Philosophy of Vedas) and showed how the ideas contained in the hymns of Vedas are in agreement with the precepts of Santmat. He also wrote a commentary on Srimad Bhagvad Gita titled “Shri Gita Yog Prakash” and thereby clarified and removed several of misinterpretations of the shlokas contained therein. He also wrote “Ram Charit Manas Saar Sateek”, a commentary on the Rama Charit Manas composed by Goswami Tulasidas ji wherein he has rendered wonderful explanations & expositions of several couplets & quartets to bring out their hidden metaphysical meanings which are extremely edifying & rare to find, even though scores of commentaries on Ram Charit Manas by several scholars have been written so far. His commentary on the Ghat Ramayan of Sant Tulsi Sahab of Hathras named “Bhaavaarth Sahit Ghat Ramayan Padaavali” is a must read for any spiritual seeker. He compiled shlokas, along with their translation from authentic sources, from a number of Upanishads to prove how identical & consistent they are with what saints, some of them formally illiterate at that, have said or written from their own experience."

From the Jabala Upanishad on the Third Eye Center:

"Thereafter the sage Atri asked of Yajnavalkya: 'How am I to realize the Self which is Infinite and Unmanifest -- the Imperceptible Atman?'

"Yajnavalkya said: ...The Infinite Imperceptible Self is worshiped... between varana and nasi. What are varana and nasi? Varana is that which dispels all the evils done by the sense-organs, and that which destroys all the sins done by sense-organs is called nasi. Where is that place? That place is at the location of both the eye-brows and the nose. That is also the meeting place of this world and the next.

"The Brahmajnanis worship at this meeting place. By meditating at that Point, they attempt to realise Brahman [God]."  (Jabala Upanishad quoted in the book, Satsang Yoga, Part One, English Version, compiled by Maharshi Mehi)

Saddheshthanam pavanamanasorlayakaram,

Nadanusandhanakaram sadavartate...”

"Lord Shiva has described 125,000 ways for the dissolution of the mind (Laya); among all of them, Nadanusandhana (meditation on the inner sound) is the best and most effective method." (Santmat Satsang Samiti, Yoga of Inner Light and Sound by Swami Achyutanand Baba, disciple of Mehi, page 41)

In Satsang Yoga, Maharshi Mehi connects the mystical allegories of the Puranas to internal Sound practices. He cites the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 10, Rasa Lila):

“Keshava murali ravamutsaasya...”

"Hearing the sweet, divine sound of Krishna’s flute ringing out from the forest, the Gopis (devotees) dropped all their worldly chores and rushed toward the source of the sound."

“Dve bavavah brahmani abhidhyeye shabdascha ashabdascha...”

"Two kinds of Brahman are to be meditated upon—Sabda-Brahman (Brahman as Sound) and Ashabda-Brahman (Brahman beyond Sound/Silent Supreme Being). By merging into Sabda-Brahman, one reaches Ashabda-Brahman *." (Chapter 6, Verse 22 of the Maitri Upanishad quoted by Mehi)

* The Nameless, Soundless, Radhasoami (Lord of the Soul)

Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Part One

Hinduism and the Classic Nirguna Bhakti Sants of India, Part One

Also see my earlier post on the Sants and Sikh Gurus:

A Sikh Sant Mat Connection Truly Commences With Baba Jaimal Singh (not with the guru of Sant Tulsi Sahib):

https://medium.com/sant-mat-meditation-and-spirituality/a-sikh-sant-mat-connection-truly-commences-with-baba-jaimal-singh-by-james-bean-8b8ab376de78?sharedUserId=santmat

This is a study to provide unorthodox references from various Sants showing they redefined various traditional divine names, including Krishna, to refer to a Formless Supreme Being "stripped of mythological, avataric, and anthropomorphic attributes."

Redefining Divine Names in Nirguna Bhakti Poetry

A Study of How Classical Indian Sants Reinterpreted Ram, Krishna, Hari, and Allah as Formless Reality

Reference & Study Guide Bhakti Movement Literature 

Core Thesis & Conceptual Framework

During the Bhakti Movement in medieval India, poet-saints of the Nirguna (formless) tradition-including Kabir, Ravidas, Dadu Dayal, and Guru Nanak-frequently used traditional and conventional names of God (such as Ram, Krishna, Hari, Govind, Madhav, Allah, and Khuda). However, they deliberately stripped these titles of their mythological, avataric, and anthropomorphic attributes. 

* From Saguna to Nirguna: Names associated with personal deities or mythological figures were redefined to refer exclusively to Nirguna Brahman the all-pervading, transcendent, and unmanifest Supreme Consciousness dwelling within every human heart. 

* Universal Syncretism: By using Hindu and Islamic terms interchangeably for the same formless reality, the Sants demonstrated that ultimate reality transcends sectarian and ritual boundaries. 

* Focus on Inner Sound (Naam): Spiritual practice was shifted from idol worship and external pilgrimage to internal contemplation on the Divine Name/Current (Simran / Naam Japna). 

1. Sant Kabir

Kabir consistently addresses the distinction between conventional mythological deities and the transcendent formless reality.  Re-defining Ram

कबीर राम कहन महि भेदु है ता महि एकु बिचारु ॥

ਏਕੁ ਅਨੇਕਹਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਗਇਆ ਏਕ ਸਮਾਨਾ ਏਕ ॥

"Kabir says: There is a vital distinction in how people speak the name 'Ram'; consider this carefully. One 'Ram' refers to a historical figure bound in worldly acts, while the other Ram is the One all-pervading Reality that enters and fills all things."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1374 

Transcending Allah and Ram

अलह राम जीऊ तेरे नाई ॥

सब महि एकु खोजि सब ठाई ॥

"O God! Whether called Allah or Ram, I live by Your Name. Seek the One Lord within everyone, and in every place; do not divide Him into Hindu or Muslim forms."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1349 

2. Sant Ravidas (Raidas)

Sant Ravidas made extensive use of traditional Vaishnava titles including epithets specifically associated with Krishna -and reinterpreted them to describe the non-dual, formless Supreme Light. 

Re-defining Madhav (Epithet of Krishna)

माधवे किया कहीऐ भ्रमु ऐसा ॥ जैसा मानीऐ होइ न तैसा ॥

माधो अविद्या हित कीन ॥ बिबेक दीप मलीन ॥

"O Madhav, what can I say about this illusion? Reality is not as it appears to human perception. O Madhav, attached to ignorance, the lamp of human wisdom has grown dim."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 657/RAAG GAURI 

Re-defining Mukund (The Liberator / Name of Krishna)

मुकुंद मुकुंद जपहु संसार ॥ बिनु मुकुंद तन होइ छार ॥

सोई मुकुंदु मुकति का दाता ॥ सोई मुकुंदु हमरा पित माता ॥

"Chant the name of Mukund, O world! Without Mukund, the physical body reduces to mere ashes. That very Mukund is the Giver of liberation; that very Mukund is my spiritual Mother and Father."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 875/RAAG GOND 

Re-defining Keshava & Banwari (Forest-Dweller / Krishna)

ऐसा धिआन धरहु बनवारी ॥ मन पवन ग्रिड्रह सुखमन नारी ॥

"Fix your meditation on Banwari in such a way that your wandering mind and breath become steady within the central channel (Sukhmana)."

SANT RAVIDAS VANI/AMRITBANI  जाउ तुम कारनि केसवे अंतरि लिव लागी ॥

"O Keshava, for Your sake alone, my inner consciousness has locked in absorbed devotion (Liv)."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 694 

Re-defining Gopal & Govind (The Cowherd Names)

मेरी प्रीति गोबिंद सिउ जिन घटै ॥ मै तउ मोल लीन्हि छवि छूटै ॥

"May my love for Govind never decrease! I have purchased Him at the price of my soul; how could this bond ever break?"

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 484/RAAG AASA  ऐसी लाल तुझ बिनु कउनु करै ॥ गरीब निवाजु गुसाईआ मेरो माथै छत्रु धरै ॥

गोबिंदु सभु कोहै कहै रविदासु चमारु ॥

"O Beloved, who else except You could perform such an act? My Lord is the Patron of the poor; He places the royal canopy over my head. Thus speaks Ravidas the leather-worker: through this formless Govind, all are liberated."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 1106/RAAG MARU 

3. Sant Dadu Dayal

Founder of the Dadu Panth in Rajasthan, Dadu Dayal explicitly synthesized Hindu and Islamic terminology into his concept of Satya Ram (True Ram). 

On Allah, Ram, and Khuda

दादू अलह राम दूजा नहीं, सोई साइं सोई साहिब मेरा।

"Dadu says: Allah and Ram are not two separate entities; He is the exact same Lord, the exact same Sovereign Master. Do not wander looking for a body; the true Master is the formless Spirit within."

DADU ANUBHAV VANI 

On Krishna & Govind as Inner Light

गोविंद गोबिंद सब कहें, गोबिंद घट ही माहि।

"Everyone repeats the name 'Govind', but few realize that Govind dwells right inside the vessel of the human body. He is not a cowherd of Gokul, but the Eternal Supreme Light."

DADU SAKHI 

4. Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Guru Nanak frequently invoked names like Hari, Govind, and Allah while establishing that the Supreme Being is Akal Purakh (Timeless Being) and Ik Onkar (One Formless Light). 

On Ram as All-Pervading Consciousness

राम राम सभु को कहै कहिये रामु न होइ ॥

गुर परसादी रामु मनि वसै ता फलु पावै कोइ ॥

"Everyone chants 'Ram, Ram', but merely saying the name does not reveal Him. Only when, by the Guru's grace, that formless Ram comes to dwell within the heart does one realize the divine truth."

GURU GRANTH SAHIB, ANG 491 

Summary: Hermeneutic Shift in Sant Literature 

* Not the Prince of Ayodhya: Sants explicitly state that their Ram is not the son of Dasharatha or a king bound to history, but the attribute-less reality (Nirgun Brahman). 

* Not the Cowherd of Gokul: Names such as Krishna, Madhav, Govind, Keshava, or Banwari are stripped of physical attributes (e.g., flute, peacock feather, physical form) and transformed into symbols for the Inner Lord and the meditative sound-current (Naam). 

* Transcending Sectarian Bounds: Names like Allah, Khuda, and Rab are used alongside Ram and Hari to demonstrate that God is undivided by religious dogmas, mosques, or temples. 

* Socio-Spiritual Liberation: By shifting divine presence into the internal experience accessible through Simran (remembrance), the Nirguna Sants dismantled social and caste hierarchies, declaring that the Formless God resides equally within every human being. 

Compiled for study and textual research on Nirguna Bhakti & Sant Mat Literature.

The Gift of the Human Form

 The Gift of the Human Form

Masters tell us that first, God Almighty gave us this human body in which we live. How ungrateful we are that we forget him who created it and is making it function. We think that we are our body, and we think that no one is superior to us. Thus, who can be our creator? No, dear ones, this is a misunderstanding on our part. There is someone who created us and who is sustaining us. We are not our body; we are our soul and only our soul gives power to our body. Because of our soul, our body walks and moves.

— Sant Ji, from the newly published book (2026), Make Your Life Successful, commentary on the Sarang Ki Var of the Adi Granth, Sant Bani Ashram

A Stream of Light Moving Through Ages - This is What I Mean by Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters

 

A Stream of Light Moving Through Ages - This is What I Mean by Sant Mat, the Path of the Masters

There are moments in human history when certain souls appear not as isolated figures, but as expressions of a single continuous Power — a river of awakening flowing through time. Saints have long said: the path of realization is not created anew with each Teacher, but is carried by the Masters, generation after generation, like a flame passed from lamp to lamp so it never goes out.

This is the Great Tradition.

It has no beginning and no ending. It rises wherever the human heart cries out for truth.

It steps into the world whenever the world has forgotten the inner path.

It lives through many bodies, many names, many voices.

It is one Power, one Light, one Sound — expressed through countless Masters across the ages.

The Masters do not come to found religions. They come to awaken souls.

But human beings, longing for certainty, often turn mystic schools into religions — fossilized echoes of once-living truth. The Masters do not condemn this; they simply continue their work through new forms, new bodies, new eras, so that the living connection to the inner Power does not fade from the earth.

There were nights in Hathras when the hut seemed no larger than a lantern, but the light within it reached far beyond its walls. On such nights, when the air was still and the small clay lamp flickered against the mud plaster, Tulsi Sahib would speak not in prose, but in song — a stream of inner seeing shaped into verse.

-- from the very latest Sant Mat publication, Tulsi Sahib: The Hidden Flame of Hathras, December 4th, 2025: 

 https://archive.org/details/tulsi-sahib-the-hidden-flame-of-hathras/mode/2up

The Supreme Being as the Ocean of Love (“Premsagar”)

“Premsagar soi satguru, jiva tihi lahe mai.”

“When the soul is merged into that Ocean, all sorrow disappears.”

Ocean of Love-Light

“Ram-sagar jyoti-svarupa, anant prem ko dham.”

“The Lord is an ocean of light and an abode of infinite love.”

— Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras

The Shape of the Soul - Light and Sound on The Path

 

The Shape of the Soul

Excerpted from a Satsang of Baba Ji [a spiritual discourse by Baba Ram Singh] "in which He spoke of the soul. He described it as spherical in shape, gesturing with His hands to show a sphere. He said of the color of the soul... Our soul is spherical in shape and pure white in color and has the light of twelve luminous suns. Through simran when we withdraw our focus from the body to the third eye we can experience the true power of the soul."

Long Version:

I had been emailing back and forth with Christopher before he went to India about a Satsang of Baba Ji in which He spoke of the soul. He described it as spherical in shape, gesturing with His hands to show a sphere. He then described the color of the soul. I thought He said blue. Christopher didn’t remember Baba Ji mentioning any color. I asked Christopher if he could ask Baba Ji about this when he went to see Him. He said I should tell Bernard my question about the color of the soul. He said he would give my question to Revati who would then ask Baba Ji.

Revati messaged Baba Ji’s answer to me. Her message isn’t in perfect English, but Baba Ji’s answer comes through clearly. This is what Revati wrote:

Dear David B.

I am Revati here. You have asked about the color of the soul to Bernard.

Our soul is spherical in shape and pure white in color and has the light of twelve luminous suns. Through simran when we withdraw our focus from the body to the third eye we can experience the true power of the soul. The soul's luminosity is reflected much like the moon's light in the outer world. By connecting with our soul we can help it into it's immense power.

Let me expand on this.

The Soul's Nature: Spherical Shape

The innocence and light completeness and infinity in the spiritual context.

Pure white color. White is often associated with purity and innocence and light. This could signify the souls' inherent purity and goodness, luminosity. Twelve suns might represent the soul's immense inner light power or spiritual energy.

Now I hope you might have been convinced about the color of the soul.

Radhaswamy with kind regards and love.

Mystic Verses of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan - Light and Sound on The Path

 

Mystic Verses of Sant Dadu Dayal of Rajasthan

Do the repetition of God [God's Name] and forget

Him not.

Fulfill the purpose of thy birth

by practicing concentration.

Be steadfast in the remembrance of God.

Practice meditation with love, and sing

the glory of God.

The human body is the door to salvation.

Do the repetitions of God, the Creator

of the universe.

Recognize the Path to your Beloved, O travelers and

take the route of the anguished lover in separation.

Keep the Master's grace in your thoughts, and reflect

upon his pure teachings. Develop love and devotion

with endearment, and keep the thought of the Creator

always before you. Try to merge yourself into God

like water and water. Fix your mind within by

following the Path of the Sound Current. A yearning

will arise; make then an intense and anguished call.

Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night,

again and again. With care in thought, word and deed,

you will cross to the other shore.

Nothing to Fear

The all-knowing, almighty Lord is always within us. 

He knows all our needs and is constantly taking care of us. 

With this realization and faith, lovers of 

God have no worries at all.

The perfect Fulfiller is close by;

He is not far off, O foolish one.

He knows all, O deluded one,

And prompt He is in giving.

God is concerned for us, O Dadu;

The Almighty One knows all.

Turn to God, O Dadu, and worry not.

That almighty Companion keeps company

with you

amidst danger and dread.

Hold steadfastly to that Beloved, O valiant mind,

and forsake Him not.

The Provider stands ready with provisions, 

And readily does He provide.

The perfect Fulfiller is close by, 

ever present within us.

Abode of Light - Manzil-e-Noor

Let life enjoy eternal happiness,

Let the flame of wisdom and faith be lit in the soul,

Let God's Name flow in our veins,

Let each human being find relief from ego.

One who drinks from your cup and becomes oblivious

to one's self

Merges in God and becomes the Cupbearer.

(Sant Darshan Singh, Abode of Light - Manzil-e-Noor)

Abode of Light — Manzil-e-Noor is a collection of mystic poems reflecting upon the life and teachings of Guru Nanak composed by Darshan Singh.

Selections from the Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry of Soami Ji Maharaj

 

Selections from the Sar Bachan Radhasoami Poetry of Soami Ji Maharaj

"You will not find any trace or sign of the Master in pilgrimages, fasts, rituals, or temples. The poet Rumi says: 'The mosques and temples are within the saints. That is where God resides.'"

"Seek the Beloved within yourself. If you are anxious to meet your Beloved, do not stray in the world."

"When your eye turns inward in the brain and you see the firmament within, and your spirit leaves the body and rises upward, you will see the Akash in which is located Sahas-dal-kanwal, the thousand petals of which perform the various functions pertaining to the three worlds. Its effulgence will exhilarate your spirit."

"Realize your real form within, and then proceed further with your Surat.*"  (* attention-faculty of the soul)

"My dear, listen to what I say. Turn within yourself and behold light."

"Behold the marvellous Jyoti (flame) within yourself. Radhasoami* has opened the spring of Bhakti."

"Shabd* is ringing within you. Hear it with rapt attention."   (* sound current)

"Listen to Anhad Shabd within, says Radhasoami."

"Slowly and gradually you will gain stability. There is no other remedy but to perform Bhakti*.  (* bhakti, love and devotion) 

One day your imperfect Bhakti will become perfect. Give up hypocrisy and engage in Bhakti.

Insincere Bhakti will not do. Perform true and sincere Bhakti, no matter if it is imperfect.

Radhasoami graciously declares that you should perform Bhakti in whatever manner you can."

"Therefore, perform Bhakti and make your life fruitful."

*Radhasoami (Radhaswami), The Lord of the Soul

Exploring the Anurag Sagar's Cosmic Conspiracy of Kal, Plus the Origin of the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love)

 

Exploring the Anurag Sagar's Cosmic Conspiracy of Kal, And Further Below, the Origin of the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love), India's Most Gnostic Scripture

The Cosmic Conspiracy of Kal Niranjan, the Gnostic Demiurge, the Negative Power

The Kal said to Kabir:

I will do something there so that nobody will believe in Your

Shabda [Word].

There I will create such karmas and illusions that nobody will find

the way out.

In every single home I will create the ghost of illusion, and deceiving

the souls, I will make them forget.

All humans will eat flesh and drink wine, and all kinds of flesh will

be the favorites.

0 brother, Your Devotion is difficult — Nobody will believe it, I’m

telling You!

That is why I say: ‘Don’t go into the world now!’”

Kabir said:

At that time I told Kal, “I know your deceptions and tricks.

HYMN

Making the souls firm in the true Shabda, I will enable them to

remove your illusions.

I will make them recognize all your tricks, and by the strength of

Naam I will liberate the souls.

Those who remember me in thought, word and deed, focusing their

attention on the Elementless,

Such souls will go to the Immortal World, putting their feet on your

head.

COUPLET

Any brave and wise soul will finish your ego.

And very happily that soul will be convinced of the true Shabda.”

Hearing this Kal felt defeated and started to think of deceptions.

The Anurag Sagar Granth (Scripture) from the Closing Chapter

By speaking the Anurag Sagar Granth, I have explained to you the Secret of the Inaccessible. I have described the Drama of Sat Purush, and the deception of Kal. Only the connoisseurs will understand the ways of living and the Word of Discrimination. One who will accept the Word after testing it, will know the Path to the Inaccessible…

The Union of Surat and Shabda - when one gets Shabda, he reaches the realm of the Saints. It is the play of the drop and the ocean. What else can one say?

After meeting the Satguru, one understands the play of Shabda and Surat. It is the union of the drop and the ocean. What else can one say?

Giving up the qualities of mind, one should follow the Path of the Master. Such a soul goes to Sat Lok and derives Happiness from the Ocean of Happiness.

Understand the jiva as the drop, and the Naam of the Satguru as the ocean, Says Kabir with proof: Dharam Das, understand this!

— Book of Anurag Sagar, the Ocean of Love:

https://archive.org/details/AnuragSagarOfKabir

Center For Anurag Sagar Studies:

https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com/anurag.sagar

ABOUT THE ANURAG SAGAR TRANSLATION - The Origin of the Anurag Sagar (Ocean of Love)

Sant Bani books published an English translation of the Anurag Sagar in 1982 based on the Swami Yugalananda edition. From the introduction to this translation Russell Perkins writes: "Our text is from the edition published in Bombay in 1914 by Swami Yugalananda, who says in his Hindi preface that he used forty-six different versions of Anurag Sagar, thirteen of them hand-written, in preparing his edition, and that he carefully and painstakingly collated all the versions and compared all variant readings in order to arrive at the present book. This edition was specially recommended by Sant Ajaib Singh as the basis for the English translation, as it is the only text available based on this kind of careful scholarship."

The Anurag Sagar is volume two in a vast granth or collection of scriptures known as the Kabir Sagar (Ocean of Kabir). All eleven volumes of the complete Kabir Sagar were compiled, translated and published back in 1914 by Swami Yugalananda.

Background Information on Swami Yugalananda, The Great Scholar of Dharam Das Kabir Writings

Yugalananda was also known as "Shri Yugalanand Bihari", "Kabir Panthi Yugalanand Bihari" or "Bharat Pathik".  Swami Yugalananda was born into a Kabir panth family, eventually became a collector of books, did much traveling around India and neighboring countries assiduously attempting to create critical editions of various Kabir publications by gathering together as many diverse copies of various Kabir related texts as he could, and was very much interested in reforming the Kabir panth. By Kabir panth (the Path of Kabir) here I'm specifically referring to the Dharamdasis (the Sant Dharam Das line of Masters), as only they recognize the Anurag Sagar and the other Kabir Sagar books as scripture. The other Kabir panth sects don't use those.

Yugalananda claimed that over time, unqualified leaders (“mahants”) had altered or distorted many original manuscripts. He aimed to revise and purify the scripture to restore authenticity, sourcing from the best available copies, especially one from Shri Ugranam Sahib. He worked to safeguard doctrinal integrity through textual criticism and editorial reform. His effort shaped how Kabir Sagar and related Sagar books are presented and studied within devotional contexts. He has become the authoritative, honest go-to-source for Kabir texts. His redaction approach influenced the Kabir Panthi community’s standardized edition of the Kabir Sagar volumes widely used today.

He is well-known for his translation and compilation of Kabir Sagar, Anurag Sagar, and other key Kabir Panthi texts. He was a prolific author who is credited with writing forty-two books, including Kabir ki Sakhi (1898) and Anurag Sagar (1914), published in Bombay by Shri Venkateshwar Press.

At the time of the publication of the Kabir Sagar volumes in 1914, Yugalananda, also known as Swami Yugalanand Bihari, for a time apparently served as the Acharya (spiritual head, guru) of a Kabir Ashram: Kabirdham (Kabir Dharma Nagar) located at Damakheda, a major center of the Kabir Panth in Chhattisgarh. In some of his other Kabir-related publications however, I've noticed that the signatures included in his introductions mention him being located at a Kabir Ashram in Bombay: "Kabir Ashram, Khagsiya Station, Yours sincerely, Bilaspur, C.P.Shri Yugalanand Bihari, Kuchar Bhawan, Rashtriyashala Road..., Vile Parle, Bombay... (Acharya Kabir Ashram)."

A list of all forty of the books included in the eleven volume set called, The Kabir Sagar, the Swami Yugalananda edition published in 1914:

Gyan Sagar

Anurag Sagar

Ambu Sagar

Vivek Sagar

Sarvagya Sagar

Gyan Prakash

Amar Singh Bodh

Bir Singh Bodh

Bhopal Bodh

Jagjeevan Bodh

Garud Bodh

Hanuman Bodh

Lakshman Bodh

Muhammad Bodh

Kafir Bodh

Sultan Bodh

Niranjan Bodh

Gyan Bodh

Bhavtaran Bodh

Mukti Bodh

Chauka Bodh

Kabir Bani

Karma Bodh

Amar Mool

Ugra Geeta

Gyan Sthiti Bodh

Santosh Bodh

Kaya Panji

Panch Mudra

Atma Bodh

Jain Dharm Bodh

Swasamved Bodh

Dharm Bodh

Kamal Bodh

Shwaans Gunjar

Agam Nigam Bodh

Sumiran Bodh

Kabir Charitra Bodh

Guru Mahatmya

Jeev Dharm Bodh