Bavji Chatur Singhji

Chatur Singhji, also known as Bavji Chatur Singhji, was born on 9 February 1880 (V. S. Magh Krishn 14, 1936) at Karjali Haveli to Rani Krishna Kunwar and Maharaj Surat Singh of Karjali. He was a popular people’s saint-poet of Rajputana, now Rajasthan, India, who was an accomplished yogi also and is remembered as Patanjali and Valmiki of Rajasthan.^[1]

Lifetime

Birth and family

Chatur Singhji was born on 9 February 1880 (V. S. Magh Krishn 14, 1936) at Karjali Haveli to Rani Krishna Kunwar and Maharaj Surat Singh of Karjali. The Karjali family descend from Maharaj Bagh Singh, the third son of Maharana Sangram Singh II of Mewar (Udaipur. Chatur Singhji was youngest of four brothers. Bavji married at the age of 19 years and had two daughters, one died as a child while the other Sayar Kunwar was married to Maharaj Hamir Singhji of Vijaynagar, Gujarat.^[2]

Poet and social reformer

Singhji was a popular people’s saint-poet of Rajputana, now Rajasthan, India, who was an accomplished yogi also and is remembered as Patanjali and Valmiki of Rajasthan.

Bavji spread the ancient Indian knowledge through a simple language that a lay man could comprehend which helped him in his mission for social reform, but with preservation of Rajasthan’s culture and heritage. He effectively propagated promotion of education through "Ramat-Bhanat" concept (रमत-भणत् य़ोजना what is now popular as play-way child education). For his adult education and literacy mission, Bavji spread the concept of "Seekho-Kamao-Khao" सीखो-कमाओ-खाओ –"Learn-Earn-Sustain" (an earlier example of earn-while-you-learn concept, but the significance of the third component of "Sustain/Maintain" is now being realized after the Global Economic Meltdown of 2008). Bavji was strong advocate of imparting education to all the children/uneducated adults in their own mother tongue, for which he wrote easy to understand booklets too, they should be adopted for promotion of education in rural areas.^[3]

Residences and death

Singhji lived during the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh (reign 1884-1930), who was his uncle. The death of his wife in 1907 and then his daughter, without issue, one year after her marriage drove him further towards spiritual pursuits. He moved from the Karjali Haveli in Udaipur to Telion-ki-Sarai, where the present-day BN College is located, and then to a modest cottage (KOTRI) on Hawa Magri at Sukher. He later moved to the other Karjali thikana village of Nauwa.

Singhji died at Karjali Haveli on 1 July 1929, aged 49, following a brief illness.

Publications

Bavji propagated the spiritual and social reformist knowledge of humanity in mother tongue of the local public (Rajasthan) and wrote both prose and poetry. His major works during the short span of about seven years (1922–1929) are given below :

Karjali Haveli in Motichohta, Udaipur

Alakh Pacchisee अलख पचीसी
Tuhi Ashtak तुही अष्टक
Anubhav Prakash अनुभव प्रकाश
Chatur Prakash चतुर प्रकाश
Hanummetpanchak हनुमत्पंचक
Ambikashtuk अम्बिकाष्टक
Shesh Charitra शेष-चरित्र^[4]
Chatur Chintamani: Dohawali/Padawali चतुर चिन्तांमणिः दोहावली/पदावली^[5]
Saman Bateesi समान बत्तीसी
Shiv Mahimnah Stotra शिव महिम्नः स्तोत्र
Chandrashekhar Stotra चद्रंशेखर स्तोत्र ^[6]
Shree Geetaji श्री गीताजी
Maanav Mitra: Ram Charitra मानव मित्र रामचरित्र
Parmarth Vichaar: in Seven volumes परमाथॆ विचार : सात भाग
Hraday Rahashya ह्रदय रहस्य
Balkan ri Vaar बाळकां री वार
Balkan ri Pothi बाळकां री पोथी
Lekh Sangrah लेख संग्रह
Saankhya Kareeka सांख्यकारिका^[7]
Tatva Samaas तत्व समास
Yog Sutra योग सूत्र

Legacy

The Academy for Rajasthani Language, Literature, & Culture has instituted an annual award in honour of Singhji. Known as the Bavji Chatur Singhji Anuvaad Puruskaar (Bavji Chatur Singhji Translation Award) it is given for translation of worthy literary work into the Rajasthani language. It has a monetary value of Rs. 30,000.

Maharana Bhagwat Singhji Mewad (reign 1955-1984) republished Bavji’s major literary works during his birth centenary year (1980) and set up a room in Bavji's honour in the City Palace Museum, Udaipur.

The spiritual journal Kalyan'' published special issues on BHAGTA-ANK (1928) and YOGANK (1935) in which Bavji’s literature, philosophy, and contributions were discussed.

The Rajasthani writer and social activist Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat dedicated her book Moomal (1961) to Bavji Chatur Singhji.^[8]

Bavji’s kotri at Khaanu Mangri was opened by Niranjan Nath Acharya, the then Speaker of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, on 13 January 1966 after restoration supported by the Maharana Mewar Foundation and Karjali family. Every year on V.S. PAUSH SUKL 3 (~January) a fair and spiritual event is held at Nauwa to commemorate the Enlightenment Day (ATM SHAKSHAATKAAR) of Maharaj Chatur Singhji.

References

↑ Kanhaiyalal Rajpurohit, Bavji Chtur Singhji - Rajasthani Writer, 1996, page 96, ISBN 81-260-0163-1
↑ Motilal Menariya (2012). Mewad ki Vibhutiyan, Himanshu Publications, Udaipur & New Delhi, 7th Ed, 169p. ISBN 978-81-7906-298-2
↑ Maharaj Chatur Singhji Bavji (1949). Balka Ri Pothee, Part-I. Shree Mewad Printing Press, Udaipur, 2nd Edition. 24p
↑ Shesh Charitra शेष-चरित्र, Maharana Mewar Historical Publication Trust Udaipur, 2013, ISBN 81-87720-17-4
↑ Chatur Chintamani: Dohawali/Padawali चतुर चिन्तांमणिः दोहावली/पदावली, Maharana Mewar Historical Publication Trust Udaipur, 2014, ISBN 81-87720-15-8
↑ Chandrashekhar Stotra चद्रंशेखर स्तोत्र, Maharana Mewar Historical Publication Trust, Udaipur. 2013, ISBN 81-87720-18-2
↑ Saankhya Kareeka सांख्यकारिका, Maharana Mewar Historical Publication Trust, Udaipur. 2013, ISBN 81-87720-16-6
↑ Lakshmi Kumari Chundawat (1961). Moomal (in Rajasthani) First Edition, National Printers, Jaipur. 102 p.