Samarth Ramdas

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The guru of Chhatrapati Shiva ji?

May 9, 2023: The Indian Express

Most historians agree that the issue of calling Samarth Ramdas the guru of Chhatrapati Shiva ji is to do with the maintenance of Brahmanical supremacy and that there is no historical evidence to verify the fact.

“To take credit for the work of Shiva ji Maharaj, the Brahmanical system installed Ramdas as guru of Shiva ji Maharaj. But the contemporary important historical texts do not even mention him. The Brahmanical system has the disadvantage of not having a great man like Shiva ji Raj in our caste. So, to ensure supremacy, they have brought Ramdas to take credit for Shivaj’s,” said Shrimant Kokate, a historian whose research focuses on the life of Chhatrapati Shiva ji Maharaj.

Kokate further said that even though Shiva ji Maharaj and Samarath Ramdas were contemporaries, there are no records or texts that show that they ever met. “So, the issue is more about the supremacy of Brahmins over others and nothing else,” he added.

Historian Sanjay Sonawani told The Indian Express in 2022 that records show that Shiva ji Maharaj indeed gave donations to Samarth Ramdas’s temples. “But, the records also show that the Maharaj has given donations to temples of other people and religions. That does not make anyone guru of Maharaj,” said Sonawani.

Who was Samarth Ramdas?

Samarth Ramdas (circa 1608 – 1681), also known as Sant Ramdas or Ramdas Swami, was a Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master. A devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman, he toured the entire Indian subcontinent for 12 years, during which he came across various spiritual teachers and diverse religious traditions.

Ramdas has influenced Hindu nationalist thinkers across the years. The likes of Lokmanya Tilak, R S S founder KB Hedgewar, and VD Savarkar, all claimed to have been inspired by the 17th century saint.

His paean to Lord Hanuman, Maruti Stotra, is still commonly recited by school children as well as wrestlers akhadas across Maharashtra.