B D Naryal
The period from 1200-1700 AD is considered to be period of Bhakti Movement in India when many great saints appeared on this land especially in Northern and Central India as incarnations of God. During the Movement, out of 15 Indian saints like Sant Kabir Ji, Mira Bai, Tukka Ram, Palta Dadu, Guru Arjun Dev and Guru Ravi Dass Ji, Guru Nabha Dass Ji Maharaj was one of them.
Guru Nabha Dass Ji was a saint theologian and also author of Bhagat Maal. In this holy scripture, Guru Naba Dass has written life history of almost 800 saints who appeared as incarnations of Brahma.
In 1592, after accomplishing the Bhagat Maal, the Agar Dass, the Guru of Nabha Dass decided to award him the Goswami designation. He continuously attended “Gosthi” atleast for three years with the author of Ramayan Tulsi Dass in Galta Dham in Jaipur. The Guru of Nabha Dass Ji, Agar Dass, Keel Dass Baba Krishan Pahariu Dass were great saints. The temple of Nabha Dass Ji is situated at Galta Dham in Jaipur Rajasthan.
He was born on 8 April 1537 at village Bhadrachalam located on the bank of sacred Gudwari River in Distt Khammam state Andhra Pradesh. Ram Dass and Saraswati Janki Devi were his parents who used to sing classical songs and being expert in the music they used to make a wooden basket for worshiping in the temple. He belonged to Mahasha community / Dome. At the age of 5 years he lost his father and mother.
According to Priyadass, Guru Nabha Dass was born blind. There was famine and his mother abandoned him in the woods. While travelling through the forest, Kiladass and Agar Dass saw the child abandoned on the path and they rescued him. They asked him “who are you ? Why are you sitting here? Narayan Dass (Nabha Dass) replied in an engaging manner to them on further questioning he said :”I am made of five elements and blessed by God’’ Both were astonished at the frank conversation of child.
Afterward, Killa Dass brought some water from his water pot and sprinkled it in boy’s eye and restored him his vision. With compassion both took him back to Galta. Killa Dass ordered Agar Dass to give Nabha Dass the initiating Mantra in Galta.
Many writers say through various accounts that Guru Nabha Dass was related with the Dome community which is now popularly known in some parts of India as a Nabha Dass. It is said that their professional work was to make baskets and were great artists. One day while travelling, Nabha Dass entered a Lord Rama’s temple where a religious programme was going on. The ambience was quite spiritual. Nabha Ji was asked by the temple priest to sing and preach hymns, but objection was raised by the others sages. They said that Nabha Dass does not belong to sage community and they asked the priest how he was allowed to preach or sing hymns. The priest answered in very soft manner that at the place of God anyone can sing a hymn without any objections. Before starting singing Nabha Dass said “jaat na puchaie saadh ki pooch. Leejie, gyan mal karo kirpa kapari rahna do miyan’’.
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