India is regarded as the Land of Saints. From time to time many spiritual saints have taken birth on this land. They all had one common message i.e. righteousness and universal brotherhood. During the medieval period from the 13th century to the 17th century, the saints spread the message of Bhakti of God and this period came to be known as Bhakti Movement period. Guru Ravidas descended on this earth during this period as an emissary of God to guide humanity on the right path. He was a mystic poet whose devotional songs and verses made a lasting impact on the Bhakti movement and society as a whole.

The Bhakti movement urged the locals to keep aside the age-old traditions of rituals and casts and only to express their love for god. Bhakti as a concept refers to devotee’s love for God, a personal God who may be formless, Nirguna or Saguna, a supreme reality or power to whom he surrenders himself, a total surrender to god with unconditional and intense love. The word “movement” is widely and popularly used to refer to the emergence of Bhakti ideology and the establishment of new sects or panths which separate themselves from the rest of the population.

Principles of Bhakti Movement :
The main principles of Bhakti movement were :
(1) God is one & only one
(2) One should serve humanity to worship God
(3) All are equal
(4) Worshiping God with unconditional love and devotion is better than performing religious ceremonies
(5) Not to follow Caste distinctions and believe in any superstitious practices.

The idea was to get rid of the evils which had crept into the religions and spread harmony.

The impact of the movement

Few movements have influenced as much as the Bhakti Movement that started as a ripple deep down in what is today’s Tamil Nadu, in the 6th -7th century. Over the next few centuries, this ripple of movement turned into a tidal wave that spread as far north as Punjab. Emphasizing the idea of a personal God, it helped them to break free from the caste system that held sway at the time. In doing so, the movement gave a new lease of life and ensured that it stood up against the many evils in the society.

Guru Ravidas gave the message of peace, harmony and fraternity.

Bhakti movement teachings were focused on equality of mankind and universal brotherhood. The Bhakti movement of the great saint is a source of inspiration for us to create a just and humane society.
In our daily life, we must practice Bhakti, intense and unconditional love for God. To love God for what He is – is Bhakti. Bhakti has no conditions. A bhakta ( Lover of Lord) loves God and has complete faith in god. Bhakti is a sacred emotion. It is sublime. It takes the bhakta to the highest level of consciousness. Intense bhakti is the cause of the merger of self with the Supreme. The thought that if God fulfills our wishes the way we want then only we will love or respect Him, should never come to mind.

You must remember that Guru Bhakti is the very first step towards attainment of God. The only path to Bhakti is the devotion towards Guru with all love and humility. Our Bhakti for God and Guru should grow day by day. The guru mantra shows the path of intensifying devotion to God. We must do our daily practices of japa and dhyan, then only grace will flow into our lives. And we will be eternally surrounded by the love and grace of God. When our Bhakti deepens and reaches the pinnacle, we become one with the Lord.

So, whatever you do in life. Do it with full devotion and faith.