God’s gatekeepers,
when will you mend your ways?

God’s gatekeepers are delusional in their hubris that they own God, and are entitled to allow or deny access to devotees; despite the terrible curse suffered by Jay and Vijay, Vishnu’s own dvarpals for denying entry to the Sanatkumaras.

Since God is omnipresent and infinite, how could He be confined to the tiny garbhagriha of a temple? If God is nirakar, and the idols or icons merely artefacts to help the fickle mind focus, why is a visit to a temple and ritualistic worship with shodashopachar or panchopachar such a compelling need for many devotees? Is it owing to the smart marketing of holy places with an eye on the tangible benefits of religious tourism for the custodians and servitors of God?

Why do the rich and the powerful enjoy the privileged access to the holy presence, but the poor and the downtrodden are kept at a distance? Who are those who are denied entry, and what do they feel about it?

In a previous blog (http://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2023/06/rathayatra-when-puri-becomes-vast-temple.html ), I had mentioned a brief Sambalpuri couplet about a low-caste devotee’s anguish upon denial of entry to Shreemandira, Puri. A dear friend read my blog and shared a Gurbani Mo Ko Tu Na Bisar, an abhang (hymn) by Sant Namdev which is included in Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Harjinder Singh Ji (Sri Nagar Wale) has rendered it poignantly for which the link is:

https://youtu.be/ycybuoFfPI8?si=ppW5oMIJ7yfCgyBE

Sant Namdev was a medieval saint-poet of Maharashtra. A devotee of Vitthala (Krishna), he has composed about 4000 devotional poems which are still very popular.

(India Post, Government of India, Stamp of India, 1970)

Namdev ‘became the foremost exponent of the Varkari Panth (“Pilgrims’ Path”). The school is known for its expression of bhakti (devotion) and for its freedom from caste restrictions in a religious setting.’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Sixty-one of Bhagat Namdev’s hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Mo Ko Tu Na Bisar

Mo Ko Tu Na Bisar, a short devotional song, is deeply moving.

Thus sang Sant Namdev in this touching song:

“Do not forget me, O Lord. The priests were furious; calling me low-caste, they chased me away from the temple. Didn’t they dishonour you by abusing me? What may I do now, O Vitthala, my father? O, Lord, you are kind, compassionate, and all-powerful; but what use if you liberate me after my death, who will get to know of it, O Lord?”

The concluding line brings in the dramatic climax:

“Faer Dheea Dhaehura Namae Ko Panddeean Ko Pishhavarala “

After being abused and thrown out, Namdev went behind the temple and continued to sing his prayer; and the Merciful Lord swivelled the temple to face Namdev, turning His back on the Pandits!

The lyrics of this song are soulful. A prayer to God, the Omnipotent One, yet addressed as Tu (not Tum or Aap) in the opening line signalling the unique, intimate bond between the Divine and the devotee, and further reinforced later in the song when Namdev asks: Keha Karo Baap Beethula? O Vitthala, O Father, what may I do now, he asks as a distressed son would seek guidance from his father. Do not forget me, O Rameiya, he sings. Ram, the avatar becomes so close a kin that He is affectionately called Rameiya, a rather informal address! In Adi Granth, Rameiya would refer not to the puranic god of Hindus but to the nirakar, nirgun Divine as the Mool Mantra provides.

How about the ‘miracle’? Did the temple really turn around? That is a banal query. Namdev willed the deity and the temple to turn towards him. It is the vision that matters!

The song is humble yet vocal, prayerful yet critical of the unbecoming conduct of the Pandits. Namdev does not condemn the Pandits; as a son of God he is incapable of harbouring animosity towards other children of God. He only rues their bharam or misguided notions of God, and suggests ever so gently that they should mend their ways and stop dishonouring the very God they profess and pretend to serve.

The lyrics in Gurmukhi and English translation are given in Endnotes.[i]

Lyrics

I do not know Marathi, yet wished to read this song in Marathi to get a feel of Namdev’s voice in his own language. I could not locate the lyrics, but got English transliteration of the song in Hindi. Maybe, this song was translated to Punjabi and included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

I quote the climactic couplet from this poem:

de.ul ke pīchhe naama allarv pukāre

jidar-jidar naama udar de.ul hī phīre

If I have got the wrong song, my Marathi and Punjabi friends will surely lead me to the original song.

Here is the song.[ii]

Comments

Subject for Blog

A friend asked: Curious - how do you pick on a subject?

My reply: A dear friend shared a Gurbani which I loved. That was my first ever reading of Namdev! Isn't it fascinating that a mediaeval Sant who sang in Marathi reached me through an English translation of Punjabi?

Namdev's Prayers - written version

Comment by a friend: If I'm not mistaken the only authentic written record of Bhagat Namdev's writings is in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Miracles

Comments by P. Rangarajan, a friend:

U have alluded to the 'miracle'. There are many such tales. It is mean to dismiss them as mere hogwash.

After all, in that milieu, who would have concocted such a story, one which is a slap in the face for those in authority ?

Perhaps such stories are apocryphal, but may be people were really struck by the shining devotion / nobility of the protagonist and moved to immortalize it through such tales.

Man must Rebel

Comments by Kedar C Rout, a friend and a voracious reader:

Man must rebel to get his due...! There is no escape...!! In one fundamental sense, human history is the history of rebels.. and Namdev was rebelling through his verses against the atrocious caste system.

Albert Camus famously said 'I rebel therefore I exist'.. in The Rebel. Man rebels against many layers... parents, family, caste, class, own country, an  empire...Kafka rebelled against his  domineering father( The Metamorphosis) and against the overpowering bureaucracy in...The Trial and The Castle. Lady Chatterley (Constance Reid) rebelled against her husband (Sir Clifford Chatterley)... Lady Chatterley's Lover- DH Lawrence, Mrinalini rebelled against her family (Mrinaliner Chitthi- Tagore) Gandhi/Mandela rebelled agaist imperial rulers, Martin Luther King( jr) rebelled against American white supremacist.... and today Palestinians are rebelling against Israelis..

In our own country we hear rebelling voices in many corners....

Rebel is universal (and perhaps eternal)....!!!

Temple that swivelled!

A reader suggested that it was the Sri Krishna temple at Udupi that swivelled. Another reader confirmed it:

"The entry to the Lord Srikrishna temple in Udupi temple is from the backside and the presiding deity is worshipped through  a window. It is believed that the Lord turned to face the window to give Darshan to a devotee who was denied entry."

I have not visited this temple. 

---

[i] (Source: https://www.searchgurbani.com/amrit-keertan/shabad/16586/Mo-Ko-Thoon-Na-Bisaar-Thoo-Na-Bisaar )

 

Mo Ko Thoon Na Bisaar Thoo Na Bisaar
ਮੋ ਕਉ ਤੂੰ ਨ ਬਿਸਾਰਿ ਤੂ ਨ ਬਿਸਾਰਿ ॥

This shabad is by Bhagat Namdev in Raag Malar on Page 842
in Section 'Hor Beanth Shabad' of Amrit Keertan Gutka.

ਮਲਾਰ ॥

Malar ||

Malaar:

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੧
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਮੋ ਕਉ ਤੂੰ ਨ ਬਿਸਾਰਿ ਤੂ ਨ ਬਿਸਾਰਿ ॥

Mo Ko Thoon N Bisar Thoo N Bisar ||

Please do not forget me; please do not forget me,

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੨
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਤੂ ਨ ਬਿਸਾਰੇ ਰਾਮਈਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Thoo N Bisarae Rameea ||1|| Rehao ||

Please do not forget me, O Lord. ||1||Pause||

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੩
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਆਲਾਵੰਤੀ ਇਹੁ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਜੋ ਹੈ ਮੁਝ ਊਪਰਿ ਸਭ ਕੋਪਿਲਾ ॥

Alavanthee Eihu Bhram Jo Hai Mujh Oopar Sabh Kopila ||

The temple priests have doubts about this, and everyone is furious with me.

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੪
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਸੂਦੁ ਸੂਦੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਾਰਿ ਉਠਾਇਓ ਕਹਾ ਕਰਉ ਬਾਪ ਬੀਠੁਲਾ ॥੧॥

Soodh Soodh Kar Mar Outhaeiou Keha Karo Bap Beethula ||1||

Calling me low-caste and untouchable, they beat me and drove me out; what should I do now, O Beloved Father Lord? ||1||

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੫
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਮੂਏ ਹੂਏ ਜਉ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਦੇਹੁਗੇ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਕੋਇਲਾ ॥

Mooeae Hooeae Jo Mukath Dhaehugae Mukath N Janai Koeila ||

If You liberate me after I am dead, no one will know that I am liberated.

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੬
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਏ ਪੰਡੀਆ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਢੇਢ ਕਹਤ ਤੇਰੀ ਪੈਜ ਪਿਛੰਉਡੀ ਹੋਇਲਾ ॥੨॥

Eae Panddeea Mo Ko Dtaedt Kehath Thaeree Paij Pishhanouddee Hoeila ||2||

These Pandits, these religious scholars, call me low-born; when they say this, they tarnish Your honor as well. ||2||

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੭
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਤੂ ਜੁ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਲੁ ਕਹੀਅਤੁ ਹੈਂ ਅਤਿਭੁਜ ਭਇਓ ਅਪਾਰਲਾ ॥

Thoo J Dhaeial Kirapal Keheeath Hain Athibhuj Bhaeiou Aparala ||

You are called kind and compassionate; the power of Your Arm is absolutely unrivalled.

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੮
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

ਫੇਰਿ ਦੀਆ ਦੇਹੁਰਾ ਨਾਮੇ ਕਉ ਪੰਡੀਅਨ ਕਉ ਪਿਛਵਾਰਲਾ ॥੩॥੨॥

Faer Dheea Dhaehura Namae Ko Panddeean Ko Pishhavarala ||3||2||

The Lord turned the temple around to face Naam Dayv; He turned His back on the Brahmins. ||3||2||

ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਟਕਾ: ਪੰਨਾ ੮੪੨ ਪੰ. ੯
Raag Malar Bhagat Namdev

 

[ii] https://sufinama.org/dakni-sufi-kavya/namdev-dakni-sufi-kavya-2

 

hiin diin jaat morī pañDhrī ke raayā

aisā tum ne naama darjī kāykū banāyā

Taal binā leke naamā de.ul meñ gayā

puujā karte bahan unne bāhar Dhakāyā

de.ul ke pīchhe naama allarv pukāre

jidar-jidar naama udar de.ul hī phīre

naanā varn gvā unkā ek varn duudh

tum kahā ke bahān ham kahā ke suud

man mero suī tan mero dhāga

khechar-jī ke charan par naama siñpī laagā

 My Note

The word 'deul' meaning a temple derives from Sanskrit 'dev' (a divine being). While mandir is also a popular word for temple, deul being the habitation of a dev may be more apt. Hindi has both the words - deval and mandir. In Odia, deula means a temple, and also refers to the Kalinga architecture for temples - Shikhar Deula, Pidha Deula, Khakhara Deula, etc. Interesting to note that Sant Namdev used the word deul and SGSS retained the word!

 

Waiting for G

The Queue

They had been in the queue for more than an hour, and it looked like it would take an hour or more for darshan. When he felt rather tired and a little irritable, he chided himself:

You are not Waiting for Godot, but for G. Call it by whatever name- God, Guru, or Guru Granth Sahib- you are seeking the blessings of the Divine. In Becket’s absurd play, Godot’s arrival is promised but in vain; here the merciful Guru is ready and waiting, and you will soon be ushered into his holy presence. Do not be impatient. Many others, some of them much older and frailer than you, are in the queue ahead long before you. Your turn will come in due course.

Of course, like all Indians he had much experience of waiting, and waiting long – to finish college, get a job, get married, the first car, the first trip abroad, own house, over and above the routine wait for a bus, train, movie ticket, a gas connection, etc. He had trained himself to be patient and cool while waiting. No point in fretting and fuming for that did not ripen the tender mangoes on the tree, cook the rice faster, or bring in the cool showers before time, he always reminded himself.

Spouse was very keen to visit this holy place though of a religion other than their own. Isn’t God everywhere, at our prayer alcove at home, at the temple so very near our house, in fact in the very air we breathe, he had asked? But spouse was determined, and no highfalutin philosophy would budge her from her resolve to visit this famous place of pilgrimage. Travel, stay, and transport would cost 40k or more, he mentioned, but even that argument failed.

That is how they were in the middle of a very long queue early in the morning at the Golden Temple, Amritsar. After checking in at the hotel the previous evening, he had asked, ‘What is a good time to visit the temple? Is the queue very long?’

‘Morning is the best hour. It is a week-day today, no special festival and hence not much rush, you would have a hassle-free darshan,’ informed the concierge.

They had got up at 4.00 AM, showered, hailed a cab, walked from the drop off point to the temple, taken a token bathe by sprinkling on their head water of the holy tank, and joined the queue at 5.30 AM. The weather was pleasant, the air salubrious, and the prayer from the sanctum sanctorum reverberated throughout the vast temple complex and beyond from loudspeakers hoisted on numerous poles and pillars. Many devotees waited in the jumbo queue – 10 shoulders-wide but miraculously expanding to accommodate 15 or more when the number of devotees peaked. No single file since devotees were here to offer prayers, not to gawk at Monalisa at the Louvre or to buy a Big Mac.

We are about 80 metres from the sanctum sanctorum, he made a guess, with the tail of the queue about 100 metres behind and lengthening every minute.

The large clock on top of an adjacent building showed the time – 6.45 AM. The queue had been moving since the last half-an-hour but by inches, the progress managed manually by Sevadars through the ancient but time-tested system of a large bamboo pole used as a manual drop gate permitting or blocking onward progress of the devotees.

He was startled when something soft and cool crawled up his left foreleg, and peering through the mass of bodies found a child of two at play on the floor secure between the sturdy legs of his grandfather and further fortified by those of his grandma. He nudged spouse to look down and whispered, ‘Isn’t that a huge risk? A little stampede could be fatal.’ But the grandparents were confident that the grace of Guru would keep the little child and all others safe and blessed.

Intermittently, a few young mothers with infants cradled on a single arm used the other shoulder to shove and pierce through the crowd, and amazingly the mass of flesh gave way heeding the determination and ferocity of a tigress to protect her cub.

A few metres ahead, a young man with a four-year child perched on his shoulders was denied the privilege accorded to the young mothers with infants, and a fight broke out, angry words were hurled and it appeared likely that fisticuffs would commence. Luckily, the tall and burly Sevadars with their fierce stare chastened the unruly ones and things became quiet and monotonous again.

Darshan

O God, when shall we be blessed to enter your sanctum sanctorum, when will you give darshan, he prayed?

The priests conducting the morning rituals began a new prayer and the lyrics in Gurmukhi and translation in English flashed on the TV screens, with a few devotees singing those well-known prayers a step ahead of the official priests. A few Kabir songs, a few by Guru Ram Das and other saints followed, each song calling upon the devout to a life of virtue and rectitude, to break free from the fetters of the illusory world and to sing the glory of Wahe Guru Ji. He recalled Gagan Mein Thal, the beautiful prayer composed by Guru Nanak at Jagannath temple, Puri during his udasi.[i] That prayer is sung during the evening rituals, though.

At last, they were at the check-gate and when it was lifted walked up a few steps to enter the holy abode and joined the ceremonial, soulful prayer. They folded their palms, closed their eyes, and offered their salutations to God, and after three minutes or less in the holy presence were ever so gently nudged out.

It was 8.55 AM. It took us three and a half hours, he stated. Thank God, we had a great darshan; faith conquers all odds and difficulties and even infirm devotees make the trip to Vaishno Devi, Badrinath, Kedarnath, and Amarnath, spouse quipped, ruling out any further discussion on the travails of waiting.

Langar

Guru Nanak had introduced langar where all visitors regardless of religion, caste, gender, or class are served free hot meals. The langar service at Harmandir Sahib operates round the clock every day of the year and feeds 50000 to 100000 visitors daily.

They joined the langar and partook the simple but delicious prasad, marvelling at the efficiency of the non-stop service managed mostly by volunteers, from cooking to serving to cleaning the utensils. A boy volunteer served drinking water to the seated devotees by pressing the lever of a jugad water-dispenser donated by a Gurudwara in Abu Dhabi.

Waiting: A Test & A Sermon

About a week after return home, he was reminded of the visit.

How was it?

Who is asking, please? God, or my inner voice?

The query is important, not the querist, said the voice.

We had a good darshan.

Good?

Well, a very good darshan.

Still sore about the long wait?

Not really, but I wish I had known about the length of the wait.

Why didn’t you check? The AI-powered Assistant on your phone would have told you that the average wait is from half an hour on a lucky day to about 3.5 hours on a rush day.

How would the Sevadars know how many devotees would come on a certain day or at a particular hour? Didn’t you come all on a sudden? Add two to the impromptu crowd.

I get it. But could there be a ‘Guidance’ booklet, as for ‘The Queue’ at the Wimbledon, and upon joining the queue a ticket with a number and time stamp? (He had not gone to the Wimbledon, but had seen on TV tennis enthusiasts pitching tents for the night for an early lead at The Queue.) Could the queue not be in single file?

Darshan is not a sport, a movie, or a ticketed show. God has great patience, and does not run out of time. All devotees who arrive are ushered into his presence. How often have you waited long?

Decades ago, half a day to withdraw 500 rupees from my bank account. Years ago, a four-hour wait in summer outside the American Embassy, New Delhi for a Visa, and the application rejected for unknown reason. For the recent UK Visa, two and a half hours wait at an overcrowded Metro station in New Delhi; no bhajans or soothing music, only the tense faces of the visa aspirants, some with their infants on strollers, and the grave, non-smiling VFS assistants at the counters scrutinising the bunch of documents.

Do you know that for an Akhand Path at Harmandir Sahib, the wait is for a year or more; for Udayasthaman Pooja at Guruvayur temple, the current wait time is 6 to 8 years?

Devotees of Lord Ayyappan keep a fast and a strict penance for 41 days and trek 46 kms to Sabarimala temple; Kawadiyas walk several hundred kms to carry holy water to Baidyanath Dham. Have you not seen the mannat devotees who visit Sharada Mata at Maihar, Madhya Pradesh performing prostrate salutations during the entire journey from home disregarding the hot sun and the scalding metal road?

How long did people queue during Note-bandi, and how many kilometres did the poor workers walk during Covid lockdown from Surat or Mumbai to their home in UP or Bihar? How many succumbed to those arduous tasks?

How long did India wait for independence? Remember the traumatic Partition March?

Waiting Mindfully

Think Positive. Count all your blessings, especially the ones that you received while waiting for the darshan.

What may they be, he asked, even at the risk of sounding a little rude?

How many times do you pray to God daily?

Once daily, or in a week, maybe.

How many times did you pray to God that day?

All the time I was in the queue, I kept praying, ‘O God, when will you usher me into your presence?’

While waiting what other thoughts crossed your mind? State of your country, the world, Russia-Ukraine, or Israel-Hamas war?

None, God, God, and none other than God.

That was mindful prayer, don’t you agree?

How often do you join satsang?

Maybe a few times a year when I attend special kathas or events.

Didn’t you join the satsang that day with thousands of devotees?

Yes, I did. Also listened to the prayers all the time. More than I do on a normal day.

When did you have your last TMT?

Not lately.

That day, you stood firm despite the shoving and pushing (a free full-body massage!) for long which equals five or more back-to-back TMTs at zero cost. You are quite fit. Your kidneys are also fine. You could manage without going to the loo for four hours.

Waiting for God is not meaningless and futile. It tests, exercises, and rejuvenates your body, mind, and soul.

Longest Wait

David Beckham waited for 13 hours in the queue to pay respects to Queen Elizabeth II lying in state.

Exodus began before Moses, continued after him, and took 80 years including 40 years in the desert for the Jews to reach Mount Sinai and Israel, the Promised Land.

Tarakasura stood for 1000 years on one foot to obtain his boon; Ahilya waited for a yuga for Lord Rama to release her from the curse; Jaya and Vijay, Vishnu’s own security guards waited for three yugas or 38,88,000 human years for their curse to end!

You did not wait that long for God! Stay Blessed.

***

Postscript

Comments by Geetika Kalha

"Just FYI . One does not go to the Golden temple to get darshan.. there is no concept of Granth Sahib giving darshan ..( Darshan is given ..not taken)
Idea is to bow before the Guru Granth Sahib ji in respect and to listen to the Bani contained in it . The latter being the most important."

Thanks, Geetika for your coments. Much appreciated. Devotees across religions believe tthat a visit to a holy place happens only with the grace of God.

Comments by Kedar Rout

The last portion has interesting facts... many people waiting for long to realise their respective dreams...

Not long ago ( in October, 23) I along with Aditi visited Golden Temple, Amritsar... had langar also..

I had read Beckett's Waiting for Godot many years back.. Recently seen a drama also (thanks to YouTube). Life is also, in a sense, waiting for.... (something/someone)... finally waiting for Nirvana /Moksha (if you are a Hindu/ Buddhist)..

Beckett's absurdity of life (at a deeper level) is comparable to Hindu view of Maya(Upanishad) which was further articulated by Schopenhauer,  Nietzsche and Hermann Hesse (all German)...

---

[i] Link for my previous blog Lord Jagannath and Guru Nanak:

https://pkdash-author.blogspot.com/2023/05/lord-jagannatha-and-guru-nanak.html

 

Thus Spoke Kabir

कहे कबीर सुनो भाई साधो

Kabir composed no epic; only dohe, sakhi, and pada. To feed the family, his body toiled at a loom in the dingy quarters of a narrow by lane of Kashi’s poorest area; but his spirit soared high above; he drank from the waters of Assi Ghat, and took in the soul-nourishing fragrance of the choicest flowers of diverse religions and faiths that invigorated the air of the ancient religious city. Kashi was teeming with wise men, mendicants, sants and sufis; and a lesser man would not have dared to share his wisdom, but Kabir had a voice that boomed with the conviction of truth, could not be stifled, and still rings loud centuries after he is gone.

If you are a Kabir fan like this blogger, you may have enjoyed Kabir’s dohe and vani by many excellent singers, and may have noted that some of these songs on You Tube have clocked millions of ‘views.’ Why are these songs so popular – the excellence of the singer, the beauty of the poetry, or the deep philosophical musings of Kabir, the Sant-Kavi? Kabir’s thoughts resonate even today because of his poetic genius of presenting the essence of religion and life with utter simplicity and brevity.

Kabir: An Enigma

Kabir is a much-loved devotional poet, but his life is shrouded in mystery. Was he a Hindu or a Muslim? Did he preach a different faith or initiate a new sect? He is eloquent about his religiosity, but silent about his religion.  

His compositions – dohe, sakhis, and songs – tell much about his thoughts and beliefs. The first compilation of Kabir’s songs was made by his disciple Dharam Das in 1463, during Kabir’s lifetime. Kabir’s hymns – 240 dohe and 227 padas - were included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Kabir: A Heretic?

Was Kabir a heretic? Well, his dohe and songs, have a lot that greatly annoyed both Hindus and Muslims of his time, and Kabir suffered persecution including calumny and physical violence from both.

He laughed at the Hindus for their idol-worship:

लोगा ऐसे बावरे , पाहन पूजन जायँ ।

घर की चकिया काहे न पूजै जेहि का पीसा खायँ ।

People (Hindus) are so stupid that they worship stone idols. Why not worship the grinding stone at home which feeds them, he asked?

He was equally critical of the rituals of Muslims:

मुल्ला होकर बांग जो देवे

क्या तेरा साहब  बहरा है ।

*किडी के पग नेवर बाजे

सो भी साहब सुनता है ।

O Mulla, why do you scream like an over-zealous cock in the morning, is your god deaf? Don’t you know that God listens even to the faintest, subtle jingle from an insect’s anklets?

Someone later changed kidi (insect or worm) to chinti (ant)!

Kabir’s Ram is not Ramayana’s hero, the son of Dasharath; but nirgun, nirakar in sync with the Upanishadic concept of the Supreme Being. Kabir is neither a jogi (a follower of Gorakhnath), nor a Hindu, nor a Muslim; his God is in everyone.

जोगी गोरख गोरख करई , हिन्दू राम-नाम उच्चरई । 

मुसलमान कहे एक खुदाई ,

कबीरा को स्वामी घट -घट रह्यो समाई ।

 

सोई पीर है  जो जाने पर पीर

As per a legend, Muslim clerics complained to Badshah Sikandar Lodi about Kabir’s heretical claim to miraculous powers, and recommended the death penalty for him. When Kabir was presented in chains before the Badshah, Kabir stood in silence. The Kazi shouted at him, ‘Kaafir, why haven’t you bowed to the Badshah?’ Kabir, cool and composed, replied with the following doha:

कबिरा सोई पीर है जो जाने पर पीर ।

जो पर पीर न जानई सो काफ़िर बेपीर ।

One who feels the pain and sorrow of others is a true Pir (saint), one who doesn’t is no Pir but a kaafir (heretic).

Gandhi’s favourite hymn Vaishnava jana toh tene kahiye je pir parai jane re borrows the phrase from Kabir’s doha.

Kabir was hated even more because he was an unlettered, low-caste, poor weaver. How dare he make fun of the time-honoured religious practices of Hindus and Muslims and preach new truths? Only after his death, and owing to his immense popularity with the masses, both religions staked claim to appropriate his legacy with Hindus regarding him as a Vaishnava Sant Kavi, and the Muslims hailing him as a Sufi Pir.

Dispute after Death

Death at Kashi ensures moksha (liberation), and that at Maghar takes you to hell, believed the Hindus. Being the iconoclast that he was, Kabir travelled from Kashi to die at Maghar. That was his last laugh at the silliness of such superstitions.

As per a legend, when Kabir died, both Hindus and Musims fought for his body which miraculously vanished and under the shroud was found only flowers which the disputants divided equally, with the Hindus cremating it at Kashi and making a samadhi, and the Muslims burying it at Maghar where Kabir’s mausoleum is still present.

Famous Dohe and Padas

A selection from his most popular dohe and padas is given below:

On Guru’s Importance

गुरु गोविन्द दोऊ खड़े, काके लागूं पांय ।

बलिहारी गुरु आपने गोविन्द दियो बताय ।।

A graphic image – both Govind (not Krishna, but Kabir’s nirgun, nirakar God), and Guru are before the devotee, whose feet should he touch first? A difficult choice. Kabir suggests, it’s better to first bow before one’s Guru, for he is the one who has led the disciple to find God.

Essential Oneness of Hinduism and Islam

काबा फिर कासी भया, राम भया रे रहीम ।

मोट चून मैदा भया, बैठि कबीरा जीम ।।

Once you realise, O Kabir, that there is no distinction between Kaaba and Kashi, or Ram and Rahim; the coarse atta of gross reality transforms to delectable fine maida of divinity.

On Total Surrender to God

‘कबीर’ कूता राम का, मुतिया मेरा नाउँ ।

गले राम की जेवड़ी, जित खैंवे तित जाउँ ।।

Kabir is Ram’s dog. My name is Mutiya, on my neck is Ram’s belt, and I go wherever he pulls me.

Divine Spark: Fire in the Wood

साहिब तेरी साहिबी, सब घट रही समाय ।

ज्यों मेंहदी के पात में, लाली लखी न जाय ।।

Just as red colour is contained within mehendi leaves but is not visible; God is inside of everyone, but invisible.

On Impermanence/Transitoriness of Life

पानी केरा बुदबुदा, अस मानस की जात ।

देखत ही छिप जायेगा, ज्यों सारा परभात ।।

Human life is short-lived like water bubbles, and disappears like stars upon the arrival of morning.

On Introspection

बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा न मिलिया कोय ।

जो दिल खोज्यो आपना, मुझसा बुरा न कोय ।।

Why waste time and energy if finding fault with others? Look inside yourself, you’d realise the need to reform yourself before counselling others.

On Humility

दास कहावन कठिन है, मैं दासन का दास ।

अब तो ऐसा होय रहूं, पांव तले की घास ।।

On Fleeting Youth

कबीर गर्व न कीजिए, इस जोबन की आस ।

टेसू फूला दिवस दस, खंखर भया पलस ।।

A striking metaphor, common-place but spectacular, a Flame-of-forest tree in blossom, and thereafter.

Bhakti Movement

Kabir is a continuum in the line of Sants and Pirs who shared their distilled wisdom with the masses. He is one of the leading lights of Bhakti movement in north India; and the predecessor of the famous 16^th century Bhakti poets – Guru Nanak, Tulsidas, Surdas, Dadu Dayal, Rahim Khankhana, and others. In Kabir’s poems, echoes can be heard of the Vedas, Upanishads, Buddha, Mahavir Jain, Adi Shankar, Ramanuja, Gorakhnath, Jaydev, Baba Farid, Namdev, and others.

Kabir was unlettered, but he shared his faith in simple devotion to realise the nirgun, nirakar god in crisp dohe and padas in the language and idiom of the common people. He was the saint who like a winnowing implement removed the chaff and presented the grains.

Hindi Poetry

Of the medieval Hindi poets, Kabir is the Adi Kavi. In the 15^th century, it was not fashionable to write in Hindi or khari boli since Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic were the preferred language of the Courts and the elites. But Kabir composed in the language of the people – khari boli, purbia, and unhesitatingly picked up words from Sanskrit, Urdu, Punjabi, and Marwadi.

Before Tulsidas, considered by many as the greatest Hindi poet ever, Kabir wrote in Hindi, the language of choice for the bhakti poets of the 16^th century and later.

Kabir Songs and Famous Singers

Several singers have soulful renditions of Kabir’s songs – Kumar Gandharv, Prahlad Tipania, Anup Jalota, Jagjit Singh, Sabnam Virmani, Abida Parveen, and many others. The very large viewership of these You Tube songs is an indication of the enduring popularity of Kabir’s timeless songs.

Kabir’s similes and metaphors

Simple, yet striking metaphors, picked up from everyday life which the common people can instantly relate to. No erudition or study of vyakarana or scriptures is required to get Kabir’s message. Kabir could be abstruse at times, possibly by choice, when handling deepest philosophical issues; but he consciously avoids poetic artifice. He speaks from his heart and effortlessly reaches the heart of his audience.   

Some of his most memorable metaphors are:

जाति न पूछो साधु की, पूछि लीजिए ज्ञान ।

मोल करो तलवार की, पड़ा रहन दो म्यान ।।

न्हाये धोये क्या हुआ, जो मन का मैल न जाय ।

मीन सदा जल में रहे, धोये बास न जाय ।

चलती चक्की देख के, दिया कबीरा रोय ।

दुइ पट भीतर आइके, साबुत गया न कोय ।।

जब मैं था तब गुरु नहीं, अब गुरु हैं मैं नाहिं।

प्रेम गली अति सांकरी, तामें दो न समाहिं।।

Kabirpanthis

Kabir did not set up any sect, but his disciples established Kabirpanth: the Path of Kabir. His disciple Surat Gopal set up the panth at Kashi, and the other disciple Dharam Das took it to Bilaspur, now in Chhattisgarh. Kabirpanthis admit both Hindus and Muslims and have no caste bar, but they have developed elaborate rituals including diksha, wearing janeu and kanthi – something Kabir is unlikely to have approved. That is how great saints are powerless against the affection and bhakti of their chelas and bhagats. Kabirpathis are teetotalers, vegetarians, and have an elaborate manual for right living and conduct.

Kabir means ‘Great’

Kabir in Arabic means great, and is a synonym for Allah. There is a story about his naming ceremony. Kazi, to name the child, opened the Quran, and the page that opened had Kabir. Maybe, since the boy was from a poor, low-caste julaha family, the Kazi did not think of Kabir as a fit name. He closed the holy book, and opened it a second time, and then a third time, and every time, the book opened at the same page. He had no choice but to name the boy Kabir. In a way, the Kazi’s hesitation was borne out and Kabir was infamous for his heretical dohe, shabads, and vanis during his lifetime. Only long after his demise was he reckoned as a voice that spoke the truth unafraid of the consequences.

Kabir’s philosophy, bhakti, and poetry continue to appeal to the hearts not only of Kabirpanthis but of people from other faiths and persuasions. That is how Kabir has fulfilled the import of his name: Kabir is Great.

A commemorative postage stamp on Kabir issued by India Post on 1st October 1952.

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Resources:

1.    Makers of Indian Literature: Kabir, Prabhakar Machwe, Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, Fourth Reprint: 2014

2.    Kabir Granthavali, Ed. By Dr. Shyamsundar Das, Vani Prakashan, New Delhi, Fourth Edition: 2022.

3.