Dādū Dayāl
16th century · Rajasthan · Nirguṇa bhakti
Dādū Dayāl, “Dādū the compassionate”, was born at Ahmedabad and lived most of his life in Rajasthan, at Sāmbhar, Āmer and finally Naraiṇā near Jaipur. Tradition says he was a cotton-carder by trade.
Like Kabīr, he sang of a formless God within, beyond the divisions of Hindu and Muslim, and taught simplicity, compassion and remembrance of the divine name. His sayings and songs were gathered by his disciples as the Dādū Vāṇī, and the Dādū Panth, with its centre at Naraiṇā, continues his path. Among his disciples was the poet Sundardās.
Rajasthan · Dādū Vāṇī · Dādū Panth, Naraiṇā