D.R.Bhagat
The period from 14th to 17th century was a period of Bhakti movement in India especially in North and Central India. Many saints born during this period preached their idea of devotion to one God. The prominent saints of this movement were Ramanand, Ravi Das, Sur Das, Meera Bai, Namdev, Guru Nanak and Kabir. Among all these great saints, the appearance and disappearance of Kabir Ji was a mystery. He appeared on a lotus flower in a pond called Lehar Tara Talab in Varanasi and left the world in Maghar now in Gorakhpur without leaving his body. He was brought up by Neeru and Neema, the Muslim weavers of Varanasi. He is also regarded as the most revolutionary saint of the Bhakti movement. Ramanand was his Guru. He being brought up in a low caste family had to face much humiliation in the hands of orthodox Brahmins while preaching his ideology.
Kabir was a great mystic poet. He preached his ideology through his poetry. The language of his poetry was straightforward and understandable by the common people. His verses were direct revelation of truth and full of spirituality. He believed in simple life full of purity. He was against false rituals and superstitions of both Hindu and Muslim religions which have no relevance with the enrichment of the human soul.He said that both are ignorant of realty. He satirically denounced Brahmins and Mullahs and thus won the hearts of poor people who were the victims of their exploitation. He preached that the salvation cannot be attained by mere performing of the rituals. It is possible by following the path of truth and spirituality. He has criticised the Idol worship.The leaders of both religions complained to Secunder Lodhi about his open criticism of the religions and he was subjected to torture and was ordered to be killed. He was tied and put in a burning fire, he was bundled and thrown in Ganga and also put before a mad elephant but he survived every time. At last Secunder Lodhi recognised his spiritual power and bowed before him. Regarding the search of God he says “mo ko kahan dhunro re bande”
He says where the people are searching for Me? I am beside you. I am neither in temples nor in mosque. I am neither in rites nor in ceremonies. He believed that all the wealth of three worlds resides in the goodness of the heart. Mercy and forgiveness are the jewels of a spiritual soul. A human being who considers all the creatures of the world as his own and practises righteousness remaining passive in the affairs of the world can attain the immortality. He said that the true worship of God is from inside of the heart and not by chanting from mouth. He has criticised the caste system prevailing in Hindu society. He said that if I am having blood in my veins it is not that an upper caste Brahmin is having milk in his veins. He said that nobody is small or great on account of his birth. He said that a saint has no caste which is evident fromhis following hymn
” Santan jaat na puchho nirguniyan”
He says that a priest, a warrior, tradesman and people of all castes are seeking God alike. Hindu and Muslims alike have achieved that end. Where the caste matters? He preaches that God is not confined to any territory and expresses as under
“Jo Khuda masjid vasat hai”
He says if God is in the anymosque or temple, then who is looking after this world outside. He says look within your heart and you will find both Karim and Ram. All the men and women of the world are His living form. He says Kabir is the child of Ram and Allah. Kabir preached the principle of Ahimsa. He says that sacrificing animals in the name of God is not religious but a non pardonable sin. He also criticised the Pandits who preached that one can get rid of all the sins by having a bath in Ganga water. He once offered a pot containing water of Ganga to a Brahmin but the Brahmin refused to accept as the pot and water had become impure due to the touch of a low caste man(Kabir). On this he tells them that if the water of Ganga could not protect the pot from becoming impure how can it purify our souls from all evils. He also disapproved the belief that if a person dies at Kashi he will get a seat in paradise and if one dies in Maghar(Gorakhpur) he will go to hell after death. Hence he himself moved to Maghar during his last days of life to prove the futility of this belief.
Though Kabir was an unlettered person, yet his literary work and his life is a subject matter of research of several scholars. His compositions figure in the most holy book of Sikhism “Guru Granth Sahib.”This scripture contains the hymns of many saints of Bhakti and Sufi movement but Kabir’s contribution is the largest. Kabir Bijak, Kabir Granthawali and Anurag Sagar are some of his most revered works. In his writings the illustrations of moral and spiritual truth are found in incidents of everyday life.
Once Guru Gorakhnath asked Kabir “When did you become ascetic?” Kabir replied “When He who has many forms had not yet begun his play and the world was not spread out, when there was no Guru and no disciple and the supreme One was alone.
“The legacy of Kabir is being forwarded by Kabir panthies whose spiritual seat is at Varanasi and whose number is estimated at one crore. His teachings are also being preached by spiritual sects like Sant Mat, Radha Soami and Sahib Bandagi and many others as his teachings are much more relevant today when the man is in trouble due to his materialistic approach.
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