Guru Ravidass, a revolutionary sage who redefined bhakti and social order

Though Begumpura was utopian in nature, it was not mere fantasy. It reflected Guru Ravidass’s critical understanding of the socio-economic and political conditions of his time. His ideal society promoted harmonious living, free from fear and economic deprivation, while emphasising the dignity of labour.

Guru Ravidass also introduced an alternative form of bhakti (devotion to a formless God), which went beyond worship and became a tool of social protest against caste hierarchies and untouchability. Unlike conversion or sanskritisation, the popular models of social mobility, his bhakti path neither required abandoning one’s religion nor renouncing traditional occupations like leatherwork. Instead, it rejected temple-based rituals and advocated devotion to nirankar (the formless God) while continuing one’s livelihood, challenging the stigma attached to certain professions.

In one of his most famous couplets—“Man changa to kathauti me Ganga” (If the mind is pure, the water in a cobbler’s leather-soaking pot is as sacred as the Ganges)—he underscored the primacy of inner purity over ritualistic ablutions in sacred rivers. This reflected his belief in an egalitarian and just divine order.

His bhakti model also defied social norms by adopting the dress and symbols of the priestly class—dhoti (waist cloth), janeu (sacred thread), and tilak (forehead mark)—which were traditionally forbidden for lower castes. This was not an attempt to assimilate into the Brahminical order but a direct challenge to caste-based hegemony. He never concealed his caste identity or abandoned his profession. Instead, he took pride in it, using it as a tool of resistance against caste oppression.

Despite wearing the attire of priests, Guru Ravidass did not seek to elevate priesthood or claim superiority. His goal was to expose and challenge the mechanisms of social exclusion. By continuing his leatherwork while dressing like a priest, he demonstrated that lower castes could achieve dignity and social mobility without compromising their identity or resorting to violence. His bhakti-based protest was a powerful response to the exclusionary tactics of the upper castes.

What made Guru Ravidass most revered among his community was his unwavering commitment to self-respect and dignity of labour, as well as his devotion to a formless God, free from rituals and pilgrimages. His verses, some of which are enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, articulate this philosophy,

“Naam Tero Aarti Majan Murare, Hari Ke Naam Binu Jhuthey Sagal Pasaare” (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 694)

(O God! Your name is my aarti (act of worship) and my ablution. All other activities are false except the remembrance of Hari.)

In medieval India, bhakti was largely confined to upper castes, and lower castes were often barred from practising it. Guru Ravidass, however, redefined bhakti as an internal spiritual practice, independent of temple visits and pilgrimage. Through his vision of Begumpura and his ritual-free devotion, he offered a non-violent yet radical social revolution—one that empowered lower castes to assert their identity with dignity, without conforming to oppressive cultural norms.

(The writer is Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chair Professor, Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh.)