Guru Ravidass Ji coined Gurmukhi Alphabet.

The community in which Guru Ji was born was in the shackles of discrimination, untouchability, poverty and ignorance. He cherished to change the entire scenario of the community. He wanted first to take up educational aspect.

PAINTI AKKHARI Thirty five Alphabet

U- USTAT KARO EIK ONKARA . TEEN LOK JIN KIYA PASARA || O man! Sing hymns in the praise of one God, who has created the three worlds. You eulogize the one God who is absorbed in the entire creation.

A- ALAKH KO LAKH JO BHAYI. DEHAIN DHANDHORA SANT SIPAHI || The unique qualities of the invisible God cannot be described in words. The saints and soldiers proclaim with loud voice, o man! You recite the name of one and only one God.

I- ISHWAR KAYA GHAT MAIN. AAKASH RAMIO JAISE SAB MAT MAIN || Sky is the integral part of one’s body, like this the God dwells in every person.

S- SEESH MAHAL MAIN SWAMI DARSHAI, JAHAN PREM AMI RAS BARSAI || O man! You can have a glimpse of the divine Master, in the glass palace, studded with precious gems. The rain of ambrosia is falling in that place continuously. You can reach there by crossing the tenth entrance of your body.

HA- HAR KA SIMRAN KIJAI, KAHAI RAVIDASS AMI RAS PIJAI || Recite the name of God and drink ambrosia, says Ravidass.

KA- KAYA KOT MAIN RAM RAHEYO PIARA, SEES MAHAL MAIN DE DIDARA || The God dwells in billions of human beings, but His glance can be seen in the glass-palace through deep meditation only.

KHA- KHAYAL SE KARO VICHARA, SARVVIAPI SAB SAI NIARA || Think about the God with full concentration of mind, who is omnipresent and unique.

GA- GOBIND AISE GIANI, NA KUCH BHOOLAI NA KUCH JANI || The Lord of the earth is very intelligent. He does not forget anything and there is nothing new beyond His knowledge.

GHA- GHAN NAHIN AHARAN SAHAI CHOTAN, SATGURU SHABAD GHARREA HAI ANOTHA || The Guru has coined the novel words of God’s name. The anvil of mind, after bearing the blows of hammer of the word of God’s name, has attained salvation.

NA- NAINTA SOI SAR, KAHAIN RAVIDASS BAT VICHAR || Only that person knows the gist of God’s name, who has, continuously, been meditating upon the name of God, says Ravidass, after full consideration.

CH- CHAAM KA CHOLA BHAI, NAM BINA KUCH KAM NA AAYI || The whole body of a man is made of leather. Without reciting the name of God, this body is useless.

CHA- CHIN MAIN BHAYA MAMOLA, AMI SAROWAR DIYA JHKOLA || O man! Your body will be destroyed in a moment. Therefore, you take a dip in the pool of God’s name.

JA- JEEV HAI, JANEAU JAT KA, DAYA KI DHOTI TILAK SATYA KA || A man should wear the sacred thread of social brotherhood. He should wear around his waist the cloth of compassion, kindness and mercy. He should make a mark of truth on his forehead.

JHA- JHILMIL JOT JAGAYI, ALAKH PURUSH TAHAN PUNCHAI AAYE || O man! Light the eternal light of God’s name in your innerself so that you may have a glimpse of the invisible God after reaching His abode.

NA- NYANAT SOI DHIANI, DAS RAVIDASS KAHAI BRAHAM GIANI || He attains the highest spiritual knowledge, who recognises the God, says Ravidass.

TA- TAINKA TER KA IK RAKHO, EIK BINA DUJA MAT AKHO || O man! Have faith in one and only one God. There is no one equal to Him.

THA- THAKUR SHEELA TAR GAYE BHAI, PANDIT BAITHAI MANN MURJHAYI || By the grace of God, the idols prepared from stone have swum in the river and the Brahmans are sitting depressed and dejected because the idols they worship have drowned in the water.

DA- DAR NAHI HAR SANG PREET BHAGAT JAN BAITHAI MANN KO JEET || Do not fear, if you love God. The devotees have won their minds by overcoming the sinful desires.

DHA- DHAA DINI BURJIPAPAN. SIMRAN KINA AJPA JAPPAN || The devotee has demolished the minaret of sins from his mind, after performing the silent prayer.

NA- NUM KI LAYE DORI, KAHAI RAVIDASS LAGI LIV MORI || Ravidass says, I have tied the God with the string of love and devotion. As a result of this I have fully absorbed myself in His name.

TA- TRIGUN MAYA RACHDI BHAI, RISHI MUN LIAYE BHARMAYI || The God has created the three-fold qualities of Maya, the nature of which has misled the saints and sages from the right path of meditation.

THA- SATHIR NAHIN YEH SANSARA. RAV RANK SAB KAAL NAGARA || This world is not stable. The drum of the god of death is beating on the head of every king and poor.

DA- DO EIK DIN YAHAN MANDIR SARA, PHIR THAATHA CHORR LADH JAYE BANJARA|| The temple of this body, where the soul lives, is only for a day of two i.e. mortal. The trader has to go after giving up this luxurious living.

DHA- DHANI JIN DHIYAN LAGAEYO. KAL FAANS KE BEECH NA AAYEO || Those who have worshipped the God are wealthy only. The god of death cannot hold them in his grip.

NA- NAAM KI NAAV BANAYI. KAHAI RAVIDASS CHARRO RE BHAI || I have prepared a boat of God’s name. Ravidass says to His devotee, come and board this boat, if you want to swim across the ocean of existence.

R BRAHAM PARMESHWAR SWAMI. SAB GHAT-GHAT KE ANTARYAMI || The transcendent God is the master of all. He possesses the unique faculty of knowing others’ thoughts.

PHA- FIKAR KAR CHORR JAGSANSA. JA MIL BAITHAI AVINASHI PASA || The world is full of anxieties and therefore, O man! You should not worry about this world. You meditate on God and absorb yourself in the immortal God.

BA- BRAHAM SO BRAHAM KA VETA. GAGAN MANDAL MAIN RAKHO CHETA || He is the only learned and knowledgeable man, who has realised the truth about the Ultimate Reality. He remembers the name of God, while roaming in all the celestial regions.

BHA- BHRAM MITAI JO PANCHAM SEEJAI, JAYE TRIVAINI MAJAN KIJAI || Your illusion will be wiped out, if after renouncing the five evils, you meditate on God. You can have a spiritual bath in the pious elixir of God’s name, after reaching the confluence of the three wind passages situated in your forehead.

MA- MANN KO GAGAN SAMAAYO. KAHAI RAVIDASS PARAM PAD PAYON || The man, who absorbs himself in the sky of knowledge, he gets a supreme rank from the God, says Ravidass.

YA- YAAD KARO, VAH KE GUN GAYO. PAR BRAHAM KE DARSHAN PAAYO || Remember and sing songs in the praise of God, only then you can have a glimpse of the glittering face of the great Creator.

RA- RAM RAMAI SO RAM PIARA. PHIR NA DEKHIYA JAMKA DWARA || The man, who absorbs himself in the God, is dearer to Him. Such a devotee does not face the god of death. He becomes immortal.

LA- LIV LAGA LE BHAI. JAM KA TRAAS NIKAT NA AAYI || O man! You concentrate on God’s worship and absorb yourself in Him. Then the fear of the god of death does not come near to you.

VA- VIDHIBADH SIMRAN KIJAI, SOHANG NAM AMI RAS PIJAI || The man, who recites the name of God in the proper manner as told by his Guru, only then, he can taste the elixir of God’s name.

RRA- RRARR MITI JAB HUYA NABERRA, KAHAI RAVIDASS KIYA AMAR GHAR DERA || After drinking the nectar of God’s name, the man gets liberation from all types of bondages. Ravidass says, he has become a resident of the God’s immortal abode.

SOHANG SHABAD MANN KIYA BASERA. MET DIYA CHOURASI KA PHERA || ONKAR BAVAN KA PANTIS MAIN JAPYO HAI SAR || SARV DEV SANTAN KO KARAI HAIN NAMASKAR || PANTIS MATRA PREM SE SIMRAIN HAIN NIJ DAS || JIN SIMREYO SO MUKAT HAIN KAHAI SADD RAVIDASS || ONKAR PANTIS MATRA PREM SE NISVASAR KAR JAP || RAVIDASS KAHAI JO SIMRATAI, MIT GAYE TINO TAP || ONKAR PANTIS MATRA PREM SE SIMRAN KIYO MANN VAIRAG || RAVIDASS KAHAI JO SIMRATAI, TIN KAI PURAN BHAG || PANTIS MATRA PREM SE SIMRATAI RAV PARKASH || RAVIDASS KAHAI JO SIMRATAI, MIT GAYE JAM KE TRAS || RAVIDASS SIMRAT RAMTAI RAM MAIN SAT SHABAD PARTIT || AMAR LOK JAYE BASYO, KAL KASHAT KO JEET || ONKAR SAPAT SLOKI MATRA, SAT KIYO JAGDISH || AMAR LOK VASA KIYA, KAL NAMAVAI SHEESH ||

If the word of God’s name occupies the mind of the man, then the man gets salvation. The praise of the omnipresent God has been described in thirty-five letters. All deities and demi-gods pay obeisance to saints. Ravidass says, the man who recites the name of God, as described in the thirty-five alphabet with full devotion, will attain emancipation. Ravidass says, who will remember and recite the name of God daily as written in the thirty-five alphabet, and then his three prominent sinful desires will be eradicated. By reciting the praise of God, according to the thirty-five letters, a man becomes fortunate because he achieves the state of non-attachment, says Ravidass. By reciting the name of God as described in the thirtyfive alphabet with devotion, the mind of the devotee will be enlightened with the spiritual knowledge. He will also get liberation from the god of death. The devotee who by remembering the name of God, explores and achieves the truth, he by overcoming all the sufferings of the death becomes a citizen of the immortal abode, says Ravidass. The man, who recites every word and vowel symbols of God’s name with full devotion, becomes the resident of the immortal abode of God and the lord of death bows his head before him.

He preached:

Madho abidiaa hit keen Bibek deep maleen

-O God! Man loves ignorance. The lamp of his knowledge has become dim.

The untouchables were strictly prohibited from reading Devnagri script. Even a glance of the devnagri letters by them could mean damage of eyes and as such blindness. It was all horrible. To save the ignorant people Guru Ji invented his own Gurmukhi alphabet consisting of 35 letters.

Nana Khiaan puraan bed bidh(i) Chautees akhar manhi

-The epic poems, the Purans and Veds of Brahma all are composed out of thirty four letters.

Education was spread by Guru Ji. The people of his community started learning. Giani Gurcharan Singh has written a book: Gurmukhi Akhar Bhagat Ravidass ne banaai. The author says that originally there are only 35 letters of the alphabet.

With a view to make education difficult the selfish people have increased the letters to 52. It proves that 35 letters of Gurmukhi alphabet have been coined by Guru Ravidass Ji. He has also mentioned in the book that untouchables were not allowed access to Devnagri script. He felt necessity of Gurmukhi script so that the untouchables could be educated. Before partition of India and Pakistan, a Lahore court had adjudicated that the gurmukhi alphabet was coined by Guru Ravidass Ji. He was not only religious leader but a literary luminary also. Dr. Krishna Kalsia, author: Guru Ravidass Kav Kala, has mentioned in the book that there is sole influence of Punjabi in Guru Ravidass bani. This also shows that Guru Ji has coined gurmukhi alphabet. The Indian Supreme Court agreed to the fact that Satguru Ravidass Ji coined the letters of the Gurmukhi alphabet. This case was re-opened for 4 times because of the contradiction of other casts in India, all the hearings had the same decision of the Supreme court: Satguru Ravidass Ji coined the 35 letters of the Gurmukhi alphabet. The hearings were in these 4 years: 1857, 1933, 1977, 1988.