Royal Kabir....
Had gayi, anahad gaya, raha Kabira hoy.
Behaddi maidaan me, raha Kabira soy.
A brief on Kabir's Life
Kabir is one of the greatest mystic poets in the world. Although he was not a liturate person, as he has said -
Masi Kagad chhuyo nahee, kalam gahee nahi haath.
Chariu jug ko mahaatam, mukhahi janaayo baat.
He used to speak in Poetry (Dohe, Shabad and Ramainee- Type of poetry and songs). All those were collected and written by his followers after his death. They started a new religion called KabirPanth although Kabir always criticized any kind of panth. Though there have been much research on Kabir’s life but a authentic biography is not available, but based on kabirpanathi and other books, 16th century seems to be his visiting century at this place. Kabirpanthees say that he was not born as normal child but was here by God’s will and was found on a lotus flower by a childless couple who took him as their own child and took good care of it. Others say that he was an illegitimate child which was thrown near Lahartara pond in Kashi and was adopted by Neeru and Neema- a Julaha (weaver) couple by caste. It is said so many times in his poetry that he was a Julaha that it seems to be true. This caste was newly converted to Islam Religion (Hindu weavers are called kori). So it had an impact of its old culture and was also familier with new religion. Though Julaha are Muslim, but he has so much knowledge of Hindu mythology and rituls that it seems true that this caste was Hindu but was later converted in Islam. But as said earlier, nothing can be said for sure.
He was well versed in all Hindu customs and was familiar with Nathpanth. Though he didn’t write down his sayings by his own, so we can't tell by sure which pad was said earlier and which later. His followers later documented all things. If we read carefully, we can find a sequence in his sayings. This would be like – Nathpanthi Yoga and Kundalini, the achievement of those panths– Prema Bhakti – pain of being in Love with GOD and ultimately being one with HIM. His most beautiful and powerful poetry is where he sings about love, pain and meeting with HIM. If we compare the pads about Yoga and it’s achievement process, the pads where he denies all religion even Yoga and scolds all people for following rituals, we can see what is the sequence among them. At one place he says that going to highest is through Kundalini, at another place he says about Nathpanthi Mudras, and again he scolds yogis for being limited in Yoga and says it would give temperory high. It was like he did one thing, then he felt it was not ultimate, then he tried next and so on until he got that ultimate joy which mystics call GOD-Realization. In my opinion, his poetry on love and ultimate experience are of the utmost importance aithough we can’t deny the importance of the paths he went first like Yoga, because it made a solid ground for Kabir to become truly Kabir. He didn’t go out for the search of GOD. He was doing his family’s business which was handloom business and he did all work what a family man does. It is said that when he started his homily, people teased him that he was NIGURA ( without Guru) and he was not eligible to do it.
Then he went to Ramanand, but he denied him because he was a Muslim. It is said that Kabir went to stairs of Ganga and remained lying there in morning when it was time when Ramanand used to come to Ganga. He had his feet upon Kabir and he cried “Ram, Ram”. Kabir said with pleasure that he got that mantra from Ramanad and now he was disiple of Ramanand. Ramanand was impressed by this holy person’s faith and he gave initiation to him. So it is said that Ramanad was Kabir’s Guru.
Kashee me ham prakaT bhaye hain, Ramanand chetaye.
And..
Bhalee bhai jo Guru milya, nahi to hoti haani.
Deepak diShTi patang jyo, padata puree jaani.
(It was for my good that I met to Guru, otherwise I could get lost like a moth falls in fire).
How and what he got from his Guru, nobody knows because he didn’t follow Ramanand’s philosophy completely. He had rich expeirence of Yoga, and he got mixed prema-bhakti with it. He has a different way to say things. Most of his pads differ in tone and content due to various ways he tried to get GOD-Realization. He used to do his family work as a nomal person but not as a profitability point of view.
Musi musi rowe kabeer ki maai,
E barik kaise jeevihe khudaai.
( Mother weeps and says how this boy would earn his living.)
And Kabir was absorbed in his meditation and busy to find his love.
Tananaa bunanaa tajyo kabir,
Ram Nam likhi liyo sharir.
(I left all spinning and looming, I have written his name all over the body.)
He got married and had two children. But he is always against the women and lust.
Naree to ham bhee kari, paaya nahi vichaar.
Jab payaa tab pariharee, naree badaa vikaar.
(I lived/married with a woman. At that time, I didn’t have sense. When I got sense, I left her.)
Naree ki jhaai parat, andhaa hot bhujang.
Kabiraa tinaki kaun gati, nit naree ke sang.
(Old belief is that a snake gets blind when a pregnant woman is nearby. Kabir says that even a snake gets blind in shedow of a woman, what you expect from a person who always remains with woman).
Though it should be against only lust and not against a particular gender, but as Tulsidas said once – “Samarath ko nahi dos gusaai”. (Once someone becomes famous, people don’t see his or her fault). So people don't mind Kabir's this statement.
Had gayi, anahad gaya, raha Kabira hoy.
Behaddi maidaan me, raha Kabira soy.
A brief on Kabir's Life
Kabir is one of the greatest mystic poets in the world. Although he was not a liturate person, as he has said -
Masi Kagad chhuyo nahee, kalam gahee nahi haath.
Chariu jug ko mahaatam, mukhahi janaayo baat.
He used to speak in Poetry (Dohe, Shabad and Ramainee- Type of poetry and songs). All those were collected and written by his followers after his death. They started a new religion called KabirPanth although Kabir always criticized any kind of panth. Though there have been much research on Kabir’s life but a authentic biography is not available, but based on kabirpanathi and other books, 16th century seems to be his visiting century at this place. Kabirpanthees say that he was not born as normal child but was here by God’s will and was found on a lotus flower by a childless couple who took him as their own child and took good care of it. Others say that he was an illegitimate child which was thrown near Lahartara pond in Kashi and was adopted by Neeru and Neema- a Julaha (weaver) couple by caste. It is said so many times in his poetry that he was a Julaha that it seems to be true. This caste was newly converted to Islam Religion (Hindu weavers are called kori). So it had an impact of its old culture and was also familier with new religion. Though Julaha are Muslim, but he has so much knowledge of Hindu mythology and rituls that it seems true that this caste was Hindu but was later converted in Islam. But as said earlier, nothing can be said for sure.
He was well versed in all Hindu customs and was familiar with Nathpanth. Though he didn’t write down his sayings by his own, so we can't tell by sure which pad was said earlier and which later. His followers later documented all things. If we read carefully, we can find a sequence in his sayings. This would be like – Nathpanthi Yoga and Kundalini, the achievement of those panths– Prema Bhakti – pain of being in Love with GOD and ultimately being one with HIM. His most beautiful and powerful poetry is where he sings about love, pain and meeting with HIM. If we compare the pads about Yoga and it’s achievement process, the pads where he denies all religion even Yoga and scolds all people for following rituals, we can see what is the sequence among them. At one place he says that going to highest is through Kundalini, at another place he says about Nathpanthi Mudras, and again he scolds yogis for being limited in Yoga and says it would give temperory high. It was like he did one thing, then he felt it was not ultimate, then he tried next and so on until he got that ultimate joy which mystics call GOD-Realization. In my opinion, his poetry on love and ultimate experience are of the utmost importance aithough we can’t deny the importance of the paths he went first like Yoga, because it made a solid ground for Kabir to become truly Kabir. He didn’t go out for the search of GOD. He was doing his family’s business which was handloom business and he did all work what a family man does. It is said that when he started his homily, people teased him that he was NIGURA ( without Guru) and he was not eligible to do it.
Then he went to Ramanand, but he denied him because he was a Muslim. It is said that Kabir went to stairs of Ganga and remained lying there in morning when it was time when Ramanand used to come to Ganga. He had his feet upon Kabir and he cried “Ram, Ram”. Kabir said with pleasure that he got that mantra from Ramanad and now he was disiple of Ramanand. Ramanand was impressed by this holy person’s faith and he gave initiation to him. So it is said that Ramanad was Kabir’s Guru.
Kashee me ham prakaT bhaye hain, Ramanand chetaye.
And..
Bhalee bhai jo Guru milya, nahi to hoti haani.
Deepak diShTi patang jyo, padata puree jaani.
(It was for my good that I met to Guru, otherwise I could get lost like a moth falls in fire).
How and what he got from his Guru, nobody knows because he didn’t follow Ramanand’s philosophy completely. He had rich expeirence of Yoga, and he got mixed prema-bhakti with it. He has a different way to say things. Most of his pads differ in tone and content due to various ways he tried to get GOD-Realization. He used to do his family work as a nomal person but not as a profitability point of view.
Musi musi rowe kabeer ki maai,
E barik kaise jeevihe khudaai.
( Mother weeps and says how this boy would earn his living.)
And Kabir was absorbed in his meditation and busy to find his love.
Tananaa bunanaa tajyo kabir,
Ram Nam likhi liyo sharir.
(I left all spinning and looming, I have written his name all over the body.)
He got married and had two children. But he is always against the women and lust.
Naree to ham bhee kari, paaya nahi vichaar.
Jab payaa tab pariharee, naree badaa vikaar.
(I lived/married with a woman. At that time, I didn’t have sense. When I got sense, I left her.)
Naree ki jhaai parat, andhaa hot bhujang.
Kabiraa tinaki kaun gati, nit naree ke sang.
(Old belief is that a snake gets blind when a pregnant woman is nearby. Kabir says that even a snake gets blind in shedow of a woman, what you expect from a person who always remains with woman).
Though it should be against only lust and not against a particular gender, but as Tulsidas said once – “Samarath ko nahi dos gusaai”. (Once someone becomes famous, people don’t see his or her fault). So people don't mind Kabir's this statement.
5 comments:
Two such comments cant be coincidence. why saying stree as vikaar ?
@ Rakesh, I think Kabeer has been harsh in his statements about women. Maybe in his times, women were seen as an object of lust. In my opinion, a seeker or sadhak has to be vigilant and it is not a man or a woman, but opposite sex that distracts way too much when a sadhak is progressing. Still very sexist comment I would say, and coming from a Saint, it makes me really sad!
yes ... saint should not think like ordinary..
then what is difference between Kabir and Tulasi who made similar statement in Maanas.
I don't know honestly.....that is the reason I have been so angry with both of them...
i want to discuss over e mail.
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