Sant Kavi Sunderdas (1596-1689)
Technical Data
| Date of Issue | November 8, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Denomination | Rs. 2 |
| Quantity | 400,000 |
| Perforation | comb 13 x 13½ |
| Printer | Security Printing Press, Nashik |
| Printing Process | Photogravure |
| Watermark | No Watermark |
| Colors | Chestnut |
| Credit (Designed By) | |
| Catalog Codes |
Michel IN 1587 Stamp Number IN 1652 Yvert et Tellier IN 1359 Stanley Gibbons IN 1751 |
| Themes | Anniversaries and Jubilees | Famous people | Men | Religion | Theologians |
Early Life and Education
Sant Kavi Sunderdas was born at Dausa, the old capital of Jaipur State, on Chaitra Shukla Ramnavmi, Samvat 1653 Vikram (1596 AD).
He received his early education in Varanasi. In later years, he devoted himself to Yoga-sadhana, self-study, and extensive travels across India. The experiences from these journeys deeply influenced his poetry and thought.
Social Reformer and Thinker
Revered as the “Shankaracharya of Hindi literature,” Sant Sunderdas strongly opposed many social evils of his time. He criticized:
- Caste discrimination
- Communal narrow-mindedness
- Religious hypocrisy
- Social injustice
He also inspired people to develop respect for their mother tongue and cultural identity.
Literary Contributions
During his lifetime, Sant Sunderdas composed around 48 books, making him one of the most distinguished saint-poets of medieval India. Some of his major works include:
- Gyan Samudra
- Sarvangyoga Pradipika
- Panchendriya Charitra
- Sukh Samadhi
- Guru Sampradaya
- Sakhi Granth
- Padavali Granth
- Savaiya Granth
His writings reflected conscience, moral strength, and the spirit of self-independence.
Language and Style
Sant Sunderdas wrote in simple yet powerful language enriched with idioms, proverbs, and quotations. His works mainly used Braj Bhasha, while also incorporating elements of:
- Avadhi
- Eastern dialects
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
- Sindhi
- Khari Boli
- Marwari
- Urdu
- Sanskrit
This multilingual richness gave his poetry wide appeal.
Recognition
Rabindranath Tagore praised him by saying that among philosophical poets, Sunderdas alone was a scholar deeply versed in scriptures, and that he was both a poet and a research scholar.
Final Years
On Kartik Shukla Ashtami (Gopashtami), Samvat 1746 Vikram (1689 AD), at the age of 93, Sant Sunderdas passed away. In his final couplet, he described death as the union of the spirit with God, and therefore a celebration rather than sorrow.
First Day Cover and Commemoration
The First Day Cover depicted Kankan-bandh, a unique form of pictorial poetry composed by Sunderdas, in which words are arranged like jewels in a bracelet and read in a special pattern.
The Department of Posts issued a special commemorative postage stamp in honour of Sant Kavi Sunderdas.
First Day Cover
