Dariya Saheb was a saint of Bihar who lived during the 17th – 18th century CE. Dariya Saheb’s maternal grandmother stitched clothes for the wife of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He was therefore called the tailor-saint of Bihar.
Dariya Saheb Life History
Dariya Saheb grew up in Dharkandha village in Rohtas district in Bihar. At the sage of sixteen, he saw flashes of light within himself, had visions of his previous incarnations, and was visited by a satguru (preceptor of truth) who gave him a mantra upadesha to recite. When he was twenty, he felt himself liberated from the cycle of births and deaths. He named the ultimate source as Sat Purusha and wrote his first work, Dariya Sagar.
High ranking officers of the Mughal period became his admirers or devotees. Shuja Shah, a chieftain of an estate, became his disciple. Dariya Sahib had several dialogues with Shuja Shah, explaining the true significance of Rama the God as district from Rama the son of Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya. These dialogues were faithfully recorded in Jnana Ratan (Jewel of Knowledge). The Nawab of Bihar and Bengal, Mir Qasim, was another nobleman who admired Dariya Sahib.
In his major work, Sabd (The Holy Word), he wrote:
Within the chamber of the heart
There the Eternal Beloved is the Immortal Lord
Dariya Saheb living a long and active life spanning 106 years and wrote more than twenty works. Among these are – Brahma Viveka, Jnana Mula, Prema Mula, Amar Sara, Bhakti Hetu, and Jnana Sarodai.
His followers are forbidden to drink liquor or eat meat and fish. They are required to promote love and unity among Hindus and Muslims.
- Dariya Sahib, Saint of Bihar, Punjab Radha Soami Satsung Beas
- Encyclopedia of Hinduism Volume III page 308 – IHRF