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{{Short description|Dadupanthi saint-poet (1801–1863)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}

'''Swami Swarupadas''' (1801–1863) was a [[Dadu Dayal|Dadupanthi]] saint-poet, religious teacher, and reformer in [[Rajasthan]] and [[Malwa]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Sisir Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=geRjAAAAMAAJ |title=A History of Indian Literature |date=2005 |publisher=Sahitya Akademi |isbn=978-81-7201-006-5 |language=en}}</ref> He taught the famous poet and historian, [[Suryamal Misran|Suryamall Misran]] and was also the [[guru]] of the rulers of [[Ratlam State|Ratlam]], [[Sailana State|Sailana]] and [[Sitamau State|Sitamau]] States and was referred to as ''Annadata''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paliwal |first=Devilal |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.350115 |title=Maharana Pratap Smriti Granth |date=1964}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Dethā |first1=Svarūpadāsa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-69E3WLSkV8C |title=Pāṇḍava Yaśendu Candrikā: Rājasthānī Mahābhārata |last2=Devala |first2=Candraprakāśa |date=2001 |publisher=Sāhitya Akādemī |isbn=978-81-260-1317-3 |language=hi}}</ref> He authored 12 major texts about philosophy, devotion, ethics; out of which his best known work is Pandava Yashendu Chandrika.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Sujit |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YCJrUfVtZxoC |title=A Dictionary of Indian Literature |date=1998 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-1453-9 |language=en}}</ref>

== Biography ==

=== Early life ===
His birth name was '''Shankardan'''. His father's name was Mishridanji and uncle's name was Paramanandji. The village of their ancestors, Kharoda, was located in the [[Umerkot|Umarkot]] district of the Dhat region ([[Sindh]]). His father and uncle both lived in Kharoda.<ref name=":1" /> It is said that once, Muslim [[Looting|raiders]] looted the village of Kharoda and inflicted a lot of suffering, due to which Mishridanji and Paramanandji decided to leave and migrated to Badli, a town in [[Ajmer]] region of Rajasthan. Paramanandji was a [[Celibacy|celibate]], scholar, poet, and devotee of God. Dulhesingh, the Thakur of Badli, [[Honour|honored]] Paramanandji and persuaded both brothers to settle in Badli. Shankardan (Swarupdasji) was born here in Badli.<ref name=":0" />

They initially intended to [[Human migration|migrate]] to settle in their [[clan]] brothers' village near Badli, Daulatgadh. Paramanandji had even visited Daulatgadh, perhaps to adopt a son from his [[Detha]] clan brothers. Swami Swarupdasji [[Prophecy|prophesied]] that every third generation of his descendants would produce a [[saint]] and a [[poet]], even if they were [[Literacy|illiterate]]. This [[blessing]] is believed to continue today. So far, Sarjudasji and Sundardasji have become saints in the lineage of Swamiji. Currently, Sant Manohardasji is a saint.<ref name=":0" />

At that time [[Man Singh of Marwar|Maharaja Man Singh]] ruled in Jodhpur, who was considered unparalleled in his [[generosity]] and was captivated by the qualities of [[Piety|devotion]] and [[scholarship]] of the learned Charanas. When he came to rule the [[Kingdom of Marwar|Jodhpur kingdom]], to the 17 [[Charan|Charanas]] who came to his help during the siege of [[Jalore]], he granted them lands and [[Village|villages]] in [[Sasan (land grant)|sasan]] to appease them.<ref name=":0" />

Paramanandji did not wish to be [[Patronage|patronized]] by anyone, and his elder brother Mishridanji was neither a great scholar or a poet. Together with his brother, he thought that if his nephew Shankardan became a scholar and a poet, he could become eligible to receive a [[jagir]] (land grant) from Maharaja Man Singh or any other king.<ref name=":0" />

With this thought in mind, Paramanand himself started teaching Shankardan from his childhood and made him proficient in the [[Sanskrit]] language. However, since Paramanand was himself a devotee of [[Vishnu|Lord Vishnu]] and a profound scholar of [[Vedanta]] along with being an expert in Sanskrit, his influence had a strong impact on young Shankardan. As a result, after completing his [[education]], Shankardan found a Dadupanthi sage living in Devliya, became his disciple and took [[renunciation]] with the name 'Swarupdas'.<ref name=":0" />

Seeing his vision for his nephew's future come to fail, Paramanandji was very saddened and wrote many [[Letter (message)|letters]] to Shankardan. He himself went to convince him to return but did not succeed because Shankardan had developed a strong sense of renunciation. After remaining unsuccessful in his efforts, a few days later, Paramanandji passed away.<ref name=":0" />

=== Life as renunciate ===
Afterwards, Swarupdas primarily resided in [[Malwa]], although he also temporarily stayed in Ajmer. Maharaja Balwant Singh (1882-1914) of Ratlam held him in high regards as his guru, resulting in Swamiji frequently residing in [[Ratlam State|Ratlam]].<ref name=":0" />

Besides Ratlam, Swarapdas was also greatly esteemed at [[Sitamau State|Sitamau]] and [[Sailana State|Sailana]]. Maharaja-Kumar Ratan Singh 'Natnagar' (1865-1920) of Sitamau, who himself was a good poet, considered Swamiji his guru. Ratan Singh had unparalleled devotion towards him and considered him to be the [[incarnation]] of God. Even in official affairs, he gave precedence to Swamiji's advise and would touch his feet in [[Reverence (emotion)|reverence]]. Swarupdas had a significant influence on the entire life of Maharaja-Kumar. Even when Swamiji was on a journey outside Sitamau, their correspondence would continue, mostly in the form of poetic letters from both sides. In his book ''Natnagar Vinod'', Ratan Singh did not praise God in the ''mangalacharan'' but rather praised his guru Swarupdas, as he considered him to be a [[siddha]] person and an incarnation of God.<ref name=":0" />

In the ''Guru Vandana'' chapter of ''Vansh Bhaskar'', [[Suryamal Misran|Suryamal]] writes about his guru Swarupdas from whom he had studied [[yoga]], the extremely difficult poetry style of [[Mammata Bhatta|Mammat]], various non-dualistic [[Vedanta]] scriptures, as well as [[Nyaya]] and [[Vaisheshika]] philosophy texts from childhood. Suryamal greatly respect for Swamiji throughout his life. Swarupdas was very generous-minded, who understood the essence of knowledge, saw that his student Suryamal had surpassed him with his extraordinary talent and thus developed a great [[admiration]] for him in his heart. In one of his letters to Suryamal in 1846, Swarupdas expressed his admiration and called Suryamal 'supreme among the learned'.<ref name=":0" />

One of Swamiji's disciples was the poet Shivaram Dadhich, who wrote a treatise called "''Takhat Vilas''" in 1899. In its ''mangalacharan'' (auspicious introduction), he composed [[Hymn|hymns]] of praise to his guru Swarupdasji, in which he remembers and praises him with great reverence.<ref name=":0" />

=== Death ===
The heir of Balwant Singh of Ratlam, Bhairav Singh was also a disciple of Swarupdas. In 1863, both Ratan Singh of Sitamau and Bhairav Singh of Ratlam passed away on the same night. Swarupdas was greatly pained by this unfortunate event. When Raja Raj Singh, father of prince Ratan Singh, informed Swamiji of the incident, Swamiji was numbed and only replied, "Ratna should have waited, I was also ready to go with him." Some time later, in 1864, Swarupdas passed away in Ratlam.<ref name=":0" />

The Dadu-Dwara of Ratlam, located near Tripolia, was the residence of Swami Swarupdas. His disciple Kishandas expanded this building in 1860. It was at this place Swami Swarupdas spend his last days. In 1864, a [[cenotaph]] (''chhatri'') was built as a memorial to him.<ref name=":0" />

==Works ==

His works include [[philosophy]], faith, [[ethics]], self-realisation etc. His composed texts are:<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopaedia of Indian literature, Volume 5|author=Mohan Lal|publisher=Sahitya Akademi}}</ref>

*''Pandava Yashendu Chandrika'' (Rajasthani [[Mahabharata]])
*''Rasa Ratnakar''
*''Varnartha Manjari''
*''Vritti Bodh''
*''Hrinayananjan''
*''Tarka Prabandha''
*''Drishtanta Dipika''
*''Sadharanopadesha''
*''Sukshimopadesha''
*''Aviek Paddhati''
*''Pakhand Khandan (Pakhand Pradhvansh)''
*''Chijjada Bodhpatrika''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Swarupadas}}
[[Category:Indian male poets]]
[[Category:Rajasthani-language writers]]
[[Category:1801 births]]
[[Category:1863 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Ajmer district]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:Poets from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian male writers]]
[[Category:Charan]]

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[[Category:19th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Indian Hindu spiritual teachers]]
[[Category:Indian theologians]]
[[Category:Indian Vaishnavites]]
[[Category:People considered avatars by their followers]]
[[Category:Regional Hindu gods]]
[[Category:19th-century Hindus]]
[[Category:Scholars from Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Sanskrit scholars]]
[[Category:Vaishnava saints]]
[[Category:Vaishnavite religious leaders]]
[[Category:Vishishtadvaita Vedanta]]
[[Category:Hindu reformers]]
[[Category:Dingal poets]]
[[Category:Dingal scholars]]

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