Guru Jambheshwar
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| Rajasthan, India | |
|---|---|
[[File: ||alt=]]GURU JAMBHESHWAR |
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| Full name | Guru Jambheshwar |
| Born | 1451 |
| Died | 1536 |
| Main interests | Environment and Animal Protection, Non-violence |
Guru Jambheshwar (b. 1451 in a remote Rajasthani village Pipasar) Jambhoji was the founder and guru of the Bishnoi sect or community of Hinduism. Jambheshar, also known as Jambhoji, belonged to the Panwar (Parmara) Royal Rajput Clan.
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[edit] His Life
He saw poverty and social discord. He became convinced that man can succeed only by taking care of nature. He spent 27 years as a cowherd like Lord Krishna. Incidentally, both Krishna and Jambhoji had an identical birth day. At the age of 34, Jambhoji founded Bishnoi religion at Samrathal Dhora on eighth day of black fortnight of the month of Kartika (according to the Indian Lunar Calendar) in 1485 A.D.
Born in a well-to-do Rajput family in Vikram Samvat 1508 in Pipasar village of Nagaur district, Jambhoji was the only child of his parents. His father was Thakur Lohat Ji Panwar and his mother was Hansa Devi. As a child, he was so quiet that his fellow villagers thought him to be mute. When he was 18 years old, he met the famous saint Gorakhnath Ji. It is believed that Gorakhnath Ji influenced the thoughts of Jambho Ji considerably. After the death of his parents, he renounced his entire property and shifted to Samrathal sand dunes. This is the place that saw the birth of Bishnoi sect. He imparted knowledge to his followers and propagated his faith. He was against all social and religious barriers. His close study of desert had made him realize the important role played by trees and other forms of vegetation. He visited across the country for 51 years. At times, he astounded people around him with words of knowledge and wisdom. Shri Guru Jumbheshwar Bhagwan walked the barren wilds of Rajasthan, showing how man can live in peace even in those lands, provided he cared. He was a great saint and philosopher of medieval India. He raised his voice against the rituals and formalities of Hinduism.
[edit] Teachings
His teachings were in poetic form known as Shabadwani. Although he preached for following 51 years, travelling across India, only 120 Shabads, or poetic verses, are available at present. It is claimed that these 120 shabads are a source of great wisdom and are sufficient for an individual to understand and follow his path
Bishnoism revolves around 29 commandments or Bisno, from "Bees" (Twenty) and "No" (Nine). Out of these 29 commandments, eight aim to preserve biodiversity and encourage good animal husbandry. Seven Commandments provide directions for healthy social behaviour. Ten commandments are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining basic good health. The other four rules are guidelines for worshipping daily.
Jambhoji stipulated that no trees were to be felled, and hunting was forbidden. His followers, some of whom may have thought of Jambhoji as an incarnation of Vishnu, were also enjoined to have compassion for all living beings, give up all intoxicants, swear by the tenets of ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truth), and adhere to a vegetarian diet. Legend has it that flora and fauna flourished wherever Bishnoi's were to be found, and that even in times of severe hardship and drought, the black buck, dear and the Indian gazelle could count upon food and water. Moreover, the customs of the Bishnoi point to an attempt on the part of Jambhoji to forge a more syncretic movement, characteristic of the wave of bhakti (devotion) sweeping India at that time: thus, though the Bishnoi's worshipped Vishnu, they adopted the Muslim practice of burial of the dead. Jambhaji, evidently, could not countenance the idea of felling a tree to obtain wood for the funeral pyre. His near contemporaries in north India would have been Kabir, Tulsidas, and Mirabai, among other famous exponents of bhakti, and one has only to recall Kabir’s disdain for customary practices (such as circumcision among Muslims, and the thread ceremony among savarna Hindus) to realize that Jambhaji’s own iconoclasm, whatever its distinct features, was perhaps in some respects part of the wider ethos.
The Bishnois are a community of nature worshippers in the state of Rajasthan, India. They also have a sizeable presence in the neighbouring states of Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. The Bishnoi community observes religious gatherings known as Melas twice a year at Mukam, since the 16th century C.E.[citation needed]
[edit] Honors
Jambhoji is considered a visionary, who had foreseen the consequences of man's actions destroying nature for economic development. He saw the need for environmental protection and weaved his principals into religious commandments so that people can follow such principles easily.
There is an institution of higher education in India that is apparently named for Guru Jambheshwar, the Guru Jambheshwar University.
