Shiv Dayal Singh: Difference between revisions

| name        = Shiv Dayāl Singh Seth

| alias      = Param Purush Puran Dhani Huzur Soamiji Maharaj (honorific used by devotees)

| Successor  = [[Jaimal Singh]]

| birth_date  = 24 August 1818

'''Shiv Dayāl Singh Seth''', called by the honorific "Param Purush Puran Dhani Huzur Soamiji Maharaj" by his disciples and devotees, was born on 24 August 1818 in [[Agra]] in the colonial era [[British Raj|British India]] (present-day [[Agra]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[India]]), and died on 15 June 1878 in the same city. His parents were followers of a spiritual guru Tulsi Saheb. Shiv Dayal Singh founded the [[Radhasoami]] movement – a 19th-century spiritual faith.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC| year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=15–19, 38–42 with footnotes}}</ref>

The parents of Shiv Dayāl Singh were residents of Punjab, but moved to Agra at the behest of the colonial British government who had set up a major military center there and relied heavily on Sikhs from the Punjab region to staff the base.<ref name=mj15>{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC| year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=15–16 with footnotes}}</ref> At the age of five, Shiv Dayāl Singh was sent to school where he learnt [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Gurumukhi]], [[Arabic]] and [[Sanskrit]].  His father, Dilwali Singh Seth was a Sahejdhari Khatri.<ref>''Jivan Charitar Hazur Maharaj'' by Ajodhyā Parshād, p. 36.</ref><ref>''Jivan Charitar Soāmiji Mahārāj'' by Partap Singh Seth, p. 6.</ref> His family including his father, mother, mother-in-law, sister and his wife Nārāini Devi (called "Rādhāji" by followers and devotees) were followers of [[Guru Nanak]], which would make them [[Nanakpanthi|Nanakpanthis]] or Sikhs, states Mark Juergensmeyer.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16"/> In addition, during Singh's childhood, the family also sought the spiritual tutelage of a local living guru named Sant Tulsi "Saheb" of Hathras, India.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16">{{cite book|author=Mark Juergensmeyer|title=Radhasoami Reality: The Logic of a Modern Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=slX3eRycszMC|year=1991|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=0-691-01092-7|pages=16–17 with footnotes}}</ref>

His marriage to Nārāini Devi (later called "Rādhāji" by followers and devotees), daughter of Izzat Rai of [[Faridabad]] was arranged at an early age. After Shiv Dayāl Singh completed his education, he became a Persian language translator to a government officer.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16"/> He left the job and became a teacher of Persian language. Once his brother gained an employment at Indian post office, he left his Persian language job, and joined his father's moneylending business. He spent increasing amount of his time, to religious pursuits. He began giving spiritual discourses based on the scriptures of [[Sikhism]] and writings of Tulsi Sahib.<ref name="Juergensmeyer1991p16"/>

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.

Shiv Dayāl Singh originally referred to the Supreme Being with the names "Sat Nām" (True Name) and "Anāmi" (Nameless). The term Rādhāsoāmi ("Rādhā"="Soul" and "Soami"="Lord", hence "Lord of the Soul") was used after [[Hazur Rai Saligram Bahadur ]] became a disciple. On the request of Saligram Bahadur , Shiv Dayāl Singh declared Satsang open on Basant Panchami Day on 1861.<ref>[http://elearn.mtsac.edu/dlane/rs1.html The Radhasoami Tradition by David C. Lane. Garland Publishing, Inc., New York, 1992.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517171315/http://elearn.mtsac.edu/dlane/rs1.html |date=2011-05-17 }}</ref> The yoga system taught by Shiv Dayāl Singh is known as [[Surat Shabd Yoga]].

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

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 Shiv Dayāl, which he delivered in satsang up to 1878. They cover important teachings of the faith.

The locality called "Soami Bagh" ("Soami's Garden"), the former home of Shiv Dayal Singh and the present location of his tomb-shrine, is currently owned and controlled by the twin organizations known as the Radhasoami Satsang Central Administrative Council and the Radhasoami Trust (called "the Council and the Trust" for short). Its across-the-street neighbor "Dayal Bagh" ("Garden of the Merciful") is owned and controlled by the organization Radhasoami Satsang  Sabha [[Dayalbagh]] . Dayal Bagh and its founder-guru Sir [[Anand Swarup]], Kt. were broadcast to the Western public by [[Paul Brunton]] in his famed ''A Search in Secret India''. Sir Anand Swarup received a knighthood for the massive social construction work performed at Dayal Bagh. The two organizations, Council/Trust and Dayalbagh, are both existent and functioning. The major dispute between the two groups is due to two divergent views: The members of Council/Trust claim that Council/Trust is the "parent stock" of Radhasoami faith.  

The members of Dayalbagh Sabha want access to the tomb-shrine of the revered Shiv Dayal Singh. The tomb-shrine (called ‘Samadh’), was built over 100 years by efforts of the Council/Trust. Soami Bagh Council/Trust allows all satsangis and tourists to visit Samadh, but does not allow religious processions in the Holy Samadh from anyone outside the Council/Trust.  

In this light, Dayalbagh Sabha organised "SPIRICON 2010", a conference of various organizations who revere Shiv Dayal Singh (boycotted by Council/Trust), to promote mutual respect and to petition access to the tomb-shrine of supreme guru Shiv Dayal Singh.