Shiv Dayal Singh

Shiv Dayāl Singh Seth
Religion Founder of Radhasoami Faith
Sect Sant Mat
Other names Soamiji Maharaj
Personal
Born 24 August 1818
Panni Gali, Agra, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died 15 June 1878(1878-06-15) (aged 59)
Panni street, Agra, North-Western Provinces, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Senior posting
Title Spiritual Teacher
Period in office (1861-1878)
Successor Salig Ram

Shiv Dayāl Singh popularly known as "Soamiji Maharaj" by his followers and devotees was born on 24th August 1818 (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) and died on 15th June 1878 (Agra). He was the Sant Satguru of Sant Mat and Radhasoami Faith. Adherents believe him to be the incarnation of Supreme Being Radhasoami. Sant Satguru in Radhasoami Faith is the true living guru who is representative of Supreme Being Radhasoami on earth. In terms of Guru Worship, Radhasoami Faith resembles with Kabir Panthi and Sikhism (Nanak Panthi).Radhasoami Faith strictly emphasizes on worship(bhakti) of the true living Sant Satguru. Thus, Shiv dayal Singh is regarded as the Gracious Supreme Father who brought the spiritual current of Radhasoami on earth. He is the founder of Radhasoami Faith.[1]

Early life

At the age of five, Shiv Dayāl Singh was sent to school where he learnt Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Gurumukhi, Arabic and Sanskrit. His father, Dilwali Seth was a Sahejdhari Khatri and Nanak Panthi.[2][3] His family including his father, mother, mother-in-law, sister and his wife Nārāini Devi (called "Rādhāji" by followers and devotees) were followers of Sant Tulsi "Saheb" of Hathras, India..

Adulthood

His marriage to Nārāini Devi (later called "Rādhāji" by followers and devotees), daughter of Izzat Rai of Faridabad was arranged at an early age. Shiv Dayāl Singh was selected direct from school to act as a Persian expert to a government officer in Banda. As the job did not suit him, he gave it up and took another job as a teacher of Persian with a talukdar of Ballabhgarh estate. His spiritual cravings, however, were so intense that worldly attainments no longer attracted him and he gave up even this lucrative job. He returned home to devote his entire time to religious pursuits.[4][5]

Practice

After the death of Sant Tulsi in 1843, Shiv Dayāl Singh practiced Surat Shabd Yoga for 15 years in almost total seclusion in a room within a room. He started holding satsang (spiritual discourse) publicly on Vasant Panchami (a spring festival) in 1861, and continued for 17 years. Thus Basant Panchami is a very special day for the followers of the Radhasoami Faith.

Teachings

Shiv Dayāl Singh originally referred to the Supreme Being with the names "Sat Nām" (True Name) and "Anāmi" (Nameless). The term Rādhā Swāmi ("Rādhā"="Soul" and "Soami"="Lord", hence "Lord of the Soul") was used after Salig Rām became a disciple. On the request of Salig Ram, Shiv Dayāl Singh declared Satsang open on Basant Panchami Day on 1861. [6] The yoga system taught by Shiv Dayāl Singh is known as Surat Shabd Yoga.

Shiv Dayāl Singh has described the secret of divine and True Name (Sat Nam).

Soami Bagh - Soamiji's Samadh
Soami Bagh in 2001

His bani (poetical compositions) and sayings from satsang were published in two books after he died. Both are called Sār Bachan or Sār Vachan (meaning 'essential utterances') :[7][8][9]

  • Sār Vachan Vartik (Sar Bachan in prose)
  • Sār Vachan Chhand Band (Sar Bachan in verse)

Sār Vachan Vartik is in two parts: part one being an introduction written by Salig Ram and part two compiled of notes taken from the discourses of Shivdayāl, which he delivered in satsang up to 1878. They cover important teachings of the faith. His poems in Sār Vachan Chhand Band are replete with emotional appeal - a successful blending of popular poetic expressions from different languages of north India such as, Khari-Boli, Awadhi, Brijbhasha, Rajasthani and Gurumukhi.

Salig Ram

After Shiv Dayal Singh died, several persons took over as guru. One of them, Salig Ram (honorific: "Huzur Maharaj") established the Radhasoami Faith as the second Sant Satguru. Several teaching lineages have descended from Salig Ram. Some of the more prominent are:

The Radhasoami Faith

Located at: Huzuri Bhavan (Huzur's Center), Peepal Mandi, Agra city (now in Uttar Pradesh). This is Salig Ram's home, where his direct descendants conduct satsang today. The lineage of gurus runs: Salig Ram — Ajudhya Prasad (son of Salig Ram) — Gur Prasad — Agam Prasad Mathur (present guru).

Radhasoami Central Administrative Council

Located at: Soami Bagh, Agra. Lineage: Salig Ram — Brahm Shankar Misra (founder) — Maheshwari Devi — Madhav Prasad Sinha.

Dayalbagh Sabha

Located at: Dayalbagh, Agra. Lineage: Salig Ram — Brahm Shankar Misra — Kamta Prasad Sinha — Anand Swarup (founder) — Gurcharan Das Mehta — Mukund Behari Lal — Prem Saran Satsangi. Dayalbagh was founded by Sir Anand Swarup, Kt.[10] The present Guru[11] Prem Saran Satsangi[12] is a retired physicist and system scientist[13] of IIT Delhi. The 200th birth anniversary of Shiv Dayal Singh was celebrated in Dayalbagh from August 2017 to 24 August 2018.[14][15]

Radha Swami Dham

Located at: Gopi Ganj, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Lineage: Salig Ram — Shivbratlal Varman (founder).

Be Man Temple

Located at: Manavta Mandir, Hoshiarpur, Punjab. Lineage: Salig Ram — Shivbratlal Varman — Faqir Chand (founder) — Bhagat Munshi Ram & Ishwar Chandra Sharma.

Radha Swami Satsang, Dinod

Located at: Dinod, Bhiwani, Haryana. Lineage: Salig Rām — Shivbratlal Varman — Ram Singh Arman — Tarachand (founder) — Kanwar Singh.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Devotees consider it blasphemous to refer to Shiv Dayāl Singh by name or without honorifics.
  2. ↑ Jivan Charitar Hazur Maharaj by Ajodhyā Parshād, p. 36.
  3. ↑ Jivan Charitar Soāmiji Mahārāj by Partap Singh Seth, p. 6.
  4. ↑ Radhasoamisatsang.org: Life and Teachings of Swami ji Maharaj
  5. ↑ Radhaswamidinod.org: Life and Teachings of Swami ji Maharaj Archived 2008-10-08 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ The Radhasoami Tradition by David C. Lane. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1992. Archived 2011-05-17 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ Radhasoamisatsang.org: Books by Swami ji Maharaj
  8. ↑ Radhaswamidinod.org: Books by Swami ji Maharaj Archived 2008-10-08 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ "I have a book in my collection called the Sar Bachan written by Sardar Seva Singh, which is the teachings of the Sound Current, and acts as practically my Bible!" —Paul Twitchell in a letter to future wife Gail, July 8, 1963; in Paul Twitchell, Letters to Gail, volume II, Menlo Park: ECKANKAR, 1977, page 149. ("Sardar" Seva Singh was the Radha Soami Satsang Beas translator of the Sar Bachan into English.)
  10. ↑ http://www.dayalbagh.org.in/
  11. ↑ http://www.dayalbagh.org.in/radhasoami-faith/sant-satguru.htm
  12. ↑ http://www.dayalbagh.org.in/radhasoami-faith/sant-satguru.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.sysi.org/chapters.html
  14. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/agra-temple-113-years-in-the-making-inches-towards-completion/articleshow/59040687.cms
  15. ↑ https://www.dei.ac.in/dei/files/events/2017/Bicentennial_Celebration_Closing_Function_August_24_2018_Flyer.pdf
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