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GHULAM JILANI ROHTAKI (1749A.D.— 1819 A.D.)

Ghulam Jilani Rohtaki is an eminent sufi saint. His works indicate further permeation of Hindu thought in Sufism. There is hardly any Islamic element in him and he is through and through a Hindu ascetic in thought as well as in practice.

Bullhe Shah accepted almost all Hindu ideas which were held in great esteem at his time except that of transmigration of soul. This Ghulam Jilani Rohtaki accepted. He takes inspiration from the Hindu Vedanta, and Yoga Shastras. His Jog Sagar is replete with the Hindu religious beliefs, terminology and References. His verse is of didactic nature and thus holds little literary merit. His verse does not require any deep or philosophic discussion to find out the Hindu influence in it, He plainly and undisguisedly recommends Hindu scriptures and Hindu practices to his followers:

"Te tur gae parlok andar, jinhan jog marag chit dhar lia, Atth ang phir jog de samajh piare, nit apna chit sudhar lia".

(Those who have adopted the path of Yoga, have realised the Truth; Follow the eight fold practice of Yoga and thus purify thy mind.)

He refers to the tenth door of the Yogis as an opening to the immortality and the realization of the Truth:

"Har dam shabad de gavan, Dasven dvar ja asan lavan".

(With every breath they sing the glory of Hari: and it in the posture at the tenth door.)

He recommends the Hindu formula `Soham' for meditation:

"Ghulam jilani jinko soham jap jape; Bere unhan de jap ne tar dine".

(Says Ghulam Jilani, those who muttered the formula of Soham, have been freed from sin.)

On the pattern of the Hindu Bhakti, Rohtaki lays emphasis on joining the company of godly persons, whereas in Sufism isolation is recommended during the training period:

"Alif ao bhagato saisang karie; Bachan labhdaik dassan piaria oe".

(O Bhagatas, let us sit together and sing the glory of God, I am giving you a piecce of profitable advice.)

The following verse illustrates his beilefs in the transmigration Of soul, the five agents of Maya (kam, krodh, lobh. mah and ahankar) and the twenty-five constituent elements of the individual life. He also recommends Nam (remembering of God's name), dan (charity), gyan (knowledge), ishnan (bathing) to earn happiness.

He prescribes also the hearing of stories of God's sports (lila) and of the Vedas and the Shastras. Hari (Hindu name of God) will redeem only those who perform upasana, path and puja. Thename of God is all Hinduism:

"Phar satgur de charn, bharam sabh mit jan ge je hoven satgur di dasi,  na bhogen tun jun churasi. Panj pachis de magar na javin. Nam dan gyan ishnan laj ke,  kade rahen na sukhi piaria o; Ved Shastar katha na kadi sunen,  sunada dooma dian phiren khanian o".

He does not frighten the people by referring repeatedly to the Death God's Wrath and the fires of Hell. He, like Hindu ascetics, appeals to the people to adopt the path of God and thus utilise the life period for attaining emancipation. He lays emphasis on the transitoriness of the worldly achievements to create indifference towards the worldly life. Though, he believes in the pervadence of God in the individuals as a thread in the garland, but the ultimate end before him is the realisation of Hari in the heart. He believes that the existence of the individual is in essence and that essence is of light. The state of realisation is the state of mergence of the individual light into that of Eternal and Infinite Flood of Light in the same way as sugar becomes one with Kheer (dish made of rice, milk and sugar boiled together).

Rohtaki got initiation in the Sufi path from his father Badr-ud-din ChIshti Qadiri. He wrote a number of books on Sufism, namely Jog Sagr, Prem Piyala, prem Bani, Prem Lahir, Siratul Arifin, Heer Ghulam Jilani Shah, Salwat e Qayami, Khatut ul Salkin, Tazim Murshid, Bahisht di Kunji etc.

Further Reading

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