Kabir Das - Shaila Suta

Volumes have been written about Kabir Das, much historical research has gone into his life story, many colorful legends have been woven around him. Our purpose here is to look into the heart of this mahatma in order to evoke bhakti in our own hearts, to lift our minds into the rarefied realms of God-awareness.

Kabir’s Life

Kabir Das is supposed to have been born around the year 1398 and lived to the ripe age of 120. He was found by the side of the lake Lahartara near Kashi by a pious Muslim couple called Neema and Neeru who were weavers by tradition. Kabir learnt the hereditary craft, but his mind was naturally inclined to prayer and contemplation.

Though Kabir is said to have married twice, many of his poems are addressed to his wife Lois, who shared his spiritual vision. He is known to have had two children, a boy named Kamaal and a girl Kamaali.

Mantra Deeksha

As Kabir’s spiritual practices intensified and the need for a guru was felt, he approached Swami Ramananda, who was well-known for his liberal and reformist views. But he was rejected, perhaps because of his Muslim background. However, Kabir’s yearning was so great that he lay down on the steps of the Ganges, in the darkness before dawn, when Swami Ramananda would come there for his holy dip in the river. The Swami stepped on him unawares and recoiled, saying "Rama Rama". To Kabir, that was mantra deeksha and he held on to the name of the Lord for the rest of his life.

Kabir lived in Kashi for the best part of his life, but moved away to a nearby town Maghar, where he spent his last days. When the end came, a dispute arose among his Hindu and Muslim followers about the way the last rites should be performed. Upon lifting the shroud, they found to their amazement, a heap of flowers in place of Kabir’s mortal body.

The followers of Kabir called themselves Kabir Panthis. Many compilations of his prolific compositions are available, the most famous of them being Beejak.

Guru Bhakti

Kabir Das accorded a very high place for the Guru, whom he considered indispensable for progress in the spiritual path. There is a famous doha or couplet that every seeker is familiar with, wherein he says that if God and Guru appear before him together, he would bow down to the Guru first, because it was he who showed him God. In another couplet, he says that even if he converted the entire earth into paper, all the trees into pens and the waters of the seven seas into ink, it would not be enough to describe the greatness of the Guru. The value of a Guru is so great that, even if you were to offer your head on a platter, it would be considered cheap. Delving into his poetry dealing with this topic can be a very chastening experience.

Tame do na samahi

When ‘I’ was there, Guru (the Lord) was not there, now Guru (the Lord) is there, ‘I’ am not. The path of love (devotion) is narrow, ‘two’ cannot walk there.

Kabir’s Rama

He memorized ra, ma – only two.

According to Kabir, it is not necessary to purify the mind first, because the moment the name of Rama enters the heart, all the six sins (desire, anger, greed, delusion, vanity and jealousy) are washed away. He ridicules those who utter the name of the Lord with the lips alone, japa is to be done deep within oneself, penetrating the very essence of its import.

Kabir’s Rama is not the Rama of the puranas, not the Rama with form. His Rama is beyond words, beyond all conceptualizing, beyond the known and the unknown. Only a rare few can reach Him. With deep devotion, when you keep doing japa, thinking of Rama alone, you attain His very nature. The highest advaitic Truth is indicated by Rama.

The Final Consummation

Rama is within you, like the fragrance in a flower, like oil in the sesame seed.

Anata kahun mat jay

Your Lord is in you, don’t search for Him elsewhere, if you understand rightly, stay at home, close your eyes and see Him.

Mai bhi ho gayi lal

Wherever I look, I see the hue of my Beloved, I went looking for His radiance and became transformed into it myself.

The experience is something that cannot, ever, be described. How can a dumb man explain the taste of the jaggery he has enjoyed.

Kahai kaun much svad

On Religious Intolerance

Kabir came down heavily on religious fanatics who insisted on their own forms of worship and rituals, breeding hatred and violence. The Hindus say Rama is to be loved, the Muslims say Rahman is to be worshipped, they fight with each other, but none knows the true secret of the matter. He preached against the priestcraft in each religion which insisted on external observances alone. He fought against all that was unspiritual in religion. He spoke of purity of mind and the living God in every man and woman.

Relentlessly and consistently Kabir exposed the hypocrisy endemic in society. He lashed out at the uncultured brutes in the garb of saints, with mala and tilak, clean-shaven, but intent on their worldly gains. He unleashed his sarcasm and ridicule at the superstitions and blind beliefs of the day.

Father and Son

Kabir’s son Kamaal also grew up to be a great devotee. One of the most beautiful play on words and ideas can be seen in their conversational exchange in poetry.

Kabir:

Sabut baca na koi

Seeing the inexorable movement of the grinding stones. Kabir started weeping, for none can escape whole, caught between the two stones.

Kamaal:

So kyon pisa jay

Seeing the movement of the grinding stones, Kamaal started laughing, for one who sticks on to the central axle will never be crushed by the stones.

© `Tapovan Prasad’ (April 2002) published by Chinmaya Mission, No.2, 13th Avenue, Harrington Road, Chetput, Chennai 600 031. Email: tapowan@vsnl.net. Reprinted with permission.

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