Pipa was a prince belonging to a kingdom which forms the modern
Jhalawar District of
Rajasthan. He renounced his royal title and chose to lead a spiritual life. During his lifetime he composed many hymns in praise of the Almighty. One of these has been included in the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism.
Pipa was a great devotee of Goddess Bhavani. It is believed that the goddess appeared in his dream and asked him to visit Varanasi and seek wisdom from a revered saint named Ramanand. Abiding by the dream, he visited Sage Ramanand. The interaction with the saint formed the basis of Pipa’s decision to renounce his throne and live the life of a saint. He was accompanied by his wife Sita on his way to Dwaraka, the land where Lord Krishna is believed to have spent his final years. Pipa used to offer his worship daily at the famous Dwarkadhish Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Krishna. This temple still bears testimony to his daily visits in the form of an annual fair celebrated in his honor.
During the course of his spiritual endeavor, Papi is believed to have encountered the Lord. Following this incident he started living in a jungle, spending most of his time meditating and serving people. Gradually he gave up idol worship owing to his new belief that God is formless and cannot be represented by stone images. Papi composed many hymns in praise of the lord and sang them along with his wife for seeking alms. The money he received was put to the service of the poor.
Out of his numerous compositions only two collections, named Shri Pipaji Bani and Sarab Gutka, still exist. A monastery called Pipa Math was built in Dwarka in his honor.
