Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Raidas: the Bhakti saints of UP

In the lanes of Varanasi in the fifteenth century, a Muslim weaver named Kabir composed couplets (dohe) that mocked the rituals of both Hindus and Muslims, and called on people to seek God within. Around the same time, a cobbler in the same city, Raidas, sang of a society without caste. In the next century, a blind poet, Surdas, sang of the childhood of Krishna in the land of Braj, and Tulsidas retold the story of Rama in the language of the people. These saints of Uttar Pradesh transformed Indian religion, literature and society.

Two streams of Bhakti

Ramananda

• A saint of the fourteenth–fifteenth century, based in Varanasi.
• Preached devotion to Rama and admitted disciples of all castes and both genders.
• Tradition names Kabir and Raidas among his disciples.

Kabir (fifteenth century)

• A weaver (julaha) of Varanasi, raised in a Muslim family.
• Rejected idol worship, ritual, caste and religious hypocrisy — whether Hindu or Muslim.
• Taught that God (Ram, Rahim) is one and dwells within.
• His verses — dohe, sakhis, ramainis and shabads — were collected in the Bijak and other compilations; many are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
• He died at Maghar (Sant Kabir Nagar district) — by tradition, deliberately, to defy the belief that dying in Kashi brings salvation.
• The Kabirpanth carries his teachings.

Raidas (Ravidas) (fifteenth–sixteenth century)

• A cobbler from Varanasi (Seer Govardhanpur).
• Sang of equality and a society without sorrow — Begampura ("the city without grief").
• About forty of his hymns are in the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Tradition links him with Mirabai, who is said to have regarded him as her guru.
• The Ravidassia community honours him; his birth anniversary (Ravidas Jayanti) is widely celebrated.

Surdas (sixteenth century)

• A blind poet associated with Braj (the Mathura–Vrindavan region).
• A disciple of Vallabhacharya and one of the Ashtachhap (eight poets of the Pushti Marg).
• His Sursagar celebrates Krishna's childhood (vatsalya rasa) and his love for Radha and the gopis, in Braj Bhasha.

Tulsidas (sixteenth–seventeenth century)

• Composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi, making the story of Rama accessible to ordinary people.
• Tradition places its composition partly in Ayodhya and Varanasi (begun around 1574).
• Other works: Vinay Patrika, Kavitavali, Gitavali, Hanuman Chalisa (traditionally attributed).
• Tulsi Ghat in Varanasi is named after him.
• The Ramcharitmanas is the basis of the Ramlila tradition, which is on UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2008).

The Braj tradition

• Vallabhacharya founded the Pushti Marg (path of grace), centred on Shrinathji (associated with Govardhan, later Nathdwara).
• Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Bengal visited Vrindavan; his followers (the Goswamis) rediscovered and developed its sacred sites.
• Mathura, Vrindavan, Govardhan and Barsana became centres of Krishna devotion — and of music, dance and festivals like Holi (the Lathmar Holi of Barsana).

Social significance

Ethics connection

The saints offer powerful material for GS IV and the Essay:

• Kabir on integrity and against hypocrisy;
• Raidas on equality and dignity of labour;
• Tulsidas on duty and righteous rule (Ram Rajya as an ideal of good governance).

See our guide on ethical lessons from Kabir, Tulsi and the Buddha.

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. In which language did Tulsidas write the Ramcharitmanas?
2. Where did Kabir die?
3. Which saint's vision was "Begampura"?
4. To which group of poets did Surdas belong?
5. Which UP tradition based on the Ramcharitmanas is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list?

Mains-style:

• "The Bhakti saints of Uttar Pradesh democratised religion and literature." Discuss.
• Compare the nirgun and sagun streams of Bhakti with examples from UP.