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While trawling the web looking for something else a few days ago, I stumbled on an account of a meeting between Swami Samarth Ramdas and Guru Har Gobind ji that took place in Kashmir almost 400* years ago.
This was an unexpected discovery. I was not aware that such a meeting had taken place…and I wondered whether the encounter had a role to play in Samarth Ramdas’ later life when he came in contact with Shivaji Maharaj.
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Guru Hargobind replied, “Internally i am a hermit, and externally i am a prince. Arms mean protection to the poor and destruction of the tyrant. Baba Nanak had not renounced the world but had renounced Maya, i.e. self and ego:
“batan faquiri, zahir amiri
shastar garib ki rakhya, jarwan ki bhakhiya
Baba Nanak sansar nahi tyagya, Maya tyagi thi.”
These words of Guru Hargobind found a ready response in the heart of Samartha Swami Ramdas who, as quoted in Pothi Panjak Sakhian, spontaneously said, “this appealeth to my mind – Yeh hamare man bhavti hai”
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The historic encounter must have left an impact on Samarth Ramdas and it may have encouraged him to consider armed resistance against an oppressive, tyrrannical rule. We know that in his later years he did emphasise on exercises and physical training and highlighted warrior’s role in society:
He established temples of Hanuman in towns and villages to convey importance of exercise to youth and taught them to get together and fight the enemy.
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Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
