Sant Surdas Jayanti (1478 - 1581 / India)

Surdas Jayanti is on 18th May 2010

Surdas

Surdas Jayanti is the Holi appearance day of a great devotee-poet of Lord Krishna, Saint Surdas. It falls on Shukla panchami, the fifth day of waxing moon in the month of Vaishakh (May-June). In the year 2010, Surdas Jayanti falls on 18th May.

About Surdas: The exact birth date of Surdas is not known. Scholars believe it to be around 1478 or 1479 AD. Surdas was born blind and hence was abandoned by family members. At the age of 6 he left the family and got into a group of devotional singers who passed by his home. He never returned home.

He met his Guru, the Saint Sri Vallabhacharya on the banks of river Yamuna when he was 18 years old. He got initiated in the path of Bhakti and began to sing the Bhakti songs. He never married and made his living by singing and giving discourses. He lived in Braj bhumi and returned to the eternal abode in 1581 AD.

Surdas songs preach Bhakti Suddha Advaita, the Non-dualism philosophy. Saint Surdas had a very sharp memory. He recited entire Shrimad Bhagavatam. Thousands of people became his followers as he sang and immersed himself into the deep devotion to Lord Krishna. Subsequently, his songs were written and revered as the greatest Bhakti literature of the period. Some of the literally works of Surdas are Sur-sagar, Sur-Saravali and Sahitya-Lahiri.

Celebrations: The appearance of Surdas is celebrated in great pomp in Braj and Vrindavan. The songs composed by Surdas are sung. Seminars are conducted and discourses are given on the life and preachings of Saint Surdas.

Poems Of Sant Surdas

Awake O! Prince Of Braj

Awake, Krishna,
awake the lotus-petals
open the water-lilies droop
the bumblebees have left
the creepers cocks crow,
and birds chirp on the trees.
The cows are in the byre lowing;
they run after their calves;
the moon fades before the sun.
Men and women arise
and joyfully sing their songs;
Krishna, of hands lotus-like awake,
for the day is about to dawn.

Sant Surdas

Breakfast

O Hari, 'tis morn, awake, there's water in the jar for you to wash your face no need to hurry there's plenty of time.

I'll bring you whatever you like for your breakfast- dried fruits, butter, honey and bread.

Says Suradasa, Yashoda's heart overflows with joy when her gaze alights on her darling boy.

Sant Surdas

Krishna Approaches Radha

Krishna said, 'O fair beauty, who are you?
Where do you live? Whose daughter are you?
I never yet saw you in the lanes of Braj.'

Radha said, 'What need have I to come this way?
I keep playing by my door.
But I hear that some son of Nanda
is in the habit of stealing butter and curds.'

Krishna said, 'Look, why should I appropriate
anything that's yours? Come, let's play together.'

Suradasa says: By his honied words,
Krishna, the crafty prince of amorists,
beguiled Radha and put her at ease.

Sant Surdas

Krishna Awakes

Krishna awake, for the day has dawned:
large, deep and lotus-like,
your eyes are as in the love-shaped lake
a pair of swans even a million Kamadevas cannot vie
with the bewitching beauty of your face;
the sun rises in the east,
a crimson ball the night is going
and the moonlight pales
the lamps turn dim
and the stars fade out
as though the bright radiance of wisdom's rays
dispels the pleasures that the senses tire,
and the light of hope chases away
the murky darkness of despair and doubt.

Listen, the birds sing
aloud with glee O sweet child,
life of my life,
my sole wealth,
O darling boy,
bards and minstrels
sing your praises,
saying 'victory! victory!'

Clusters of lotuses burst into bloom
the bumblebees humming with sweet sound
leave the lotuses;
as though the devout renouncing worldly ties,
in your love drowned
chant your name as they go about.

Hearing his mother's words with love
drenched the Lord of Mercy arose from his bed;
the world's woes vanished,
maya's net was rent.

Says Suradasa,
'Seeing his lotus face delusion fled;
all doubts and dualities were destroyed and I found in Govinda eternal joy.

Sant Surdas