Shiv Dayal Singh

Shiv Dayāl Seth Sahab (called "Soamiji Maharaj" by followers and devotees) was born 25 August 1818 (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) and died on 15 June 1878 (Agra). He was a Satguru of Sant Mat and Radhasoami tradition. Adherents believe him to be the incarnation of Supreme Being Radhasoami Sahab.

At the age of five, Shivdayāl Seth was sent to school where he learnt Hindi, Urdu, Persian and Gurumukhi. He also acquired a working knowledge of Arabic and Sanskrit. His father, Shri Dilwali Seth was a Sahejdhari Khatri and Nanak Panthi. His family including his father, mother, mother-in-law, sister and his wife Nārāini Devi (called "Rādhāji" by followers and devotees) were followers of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib of Hathras, India.

His marriage to Nārāini Devi (later known as Radha Ji), daughter of Izzat Rai of Faridabad was arranged at an early age. She was of a generous disposition and was very devoted to her husband. Shivdayāl was selected direct from school to act as a Persian expert to a government officer in Banda. As the job did not suit him, he gave it up and took another job as a teacher of Persian with a talukdar of Ballabhgarh estate. His spiritual cravings, however, were so intense that worldly attainments no longer attracted him and he gave up even this lucrative job. He returned home for devoting his entire time to religious pursuits.

After the death of Sant Tulsi, Shivdayāl practiced Surat Shabd Yoga for 15 years in almost total seclusion in a room within a room. He started holding satsang publicly on Vasant Panchami (a spring festival) in 1861, and continued for 17 years.

Shivdayāl originally referred to the Supreme Being with the names "Sat Nām" (True Name) and "Anāmi" (Nameless). The term Rādhā Swāmi ("Rādhā"="Soul" and "Soami"="Lord", hence "Lord of the Soul") was used after Salig Rām became a disciple. The yoga system taught by Shivdayāl SAHAB is known as Surat Shabd Yoga.

Shivdayāl has described the secret of divine and True Name (Sat Nam).

His bani (poetical compositions) and sayings from satsang were published in two books after he left his mortal coil. Both are called Sār Bachan or Sār Vachan (meaning 'essential utterances') :

• Sār Vachan Vartik (Sar Bachan in prose)
• Sār Vachan Chhand Band (Sar Bachan in verse)

Sār Vachan Vartik is in two parts: part one being an introduction written by Rai Saligram and part two compiled of notes taken from the discourses of Shivdayāl, which he delivered in satsang up to 1878. They cover important teachings of the faith.

His poems in Sār Vachan Chhand Band are replete with emotional appeal - a successful blending of popular poetic expressions from different languages of north India such as, Khari-Boli, Awadhi, Brijbhasha, Rajasthani and Gurumukhi.

After gracious Huzur Soami ji Maharaj left his mortal coil, second guru was Huzur Maharaj. This lineage of guru continues even now and the holy Spiritual current of Radhasoami sahab soami ji maharaj is still present in Dayalbagh, Agra itself. The Parent and real lineage of Radhasoami Mat is the Dayalbagh Satsang. Present guru Maharaj of Dayalbagh is Revered Prof Prem Saran Satsangi Sahab, who is retired academic Dean of IIT Delhi and a world renowned System Scientist and Physicist.