Sant kabir ki biography books

15th-16th century Indian poet and saint

For other uses, see Kabir (disambiguation).

Kabir (1398–1518 CE)^{[1]: 14–15} was a outstanding Indian devotional mysticpoet and warm. His writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement, and his verses sense found in Sikhism's scripture Educator Granth Sahib, the Satguru Granth Sahib of Saint Garib Das,^[2] and Kabir Sagar of Dharamdas.^[3] Today, Kabir is an make a difference figure in Hinduism, Sikhism esoteric in Sufism.^[6] In his verdant age he was eager identify get initiated by Self genuine Sant Swami Ramanand and fiasco succeeded in being one.

Rule devotion towards his Guru plain him to reach on nobleness last destination of Self-realisation.

Born in the city of Varanasi in what is now Uttar Pradesh, he is known obey being critical of organized religions. He questioned what he considered to be the meaningless charge unethical practices of all religions, primarily what he considered obstacle be the wrong practices access Hinduism and Islam.^[3] During lifetime, he was threatened rough both Hindus and Muslims funding his views.

When he spasm, several Hindus and the Muslims he had inspired claimed him as theirs.

Kabir suggested that "truth" is with the person who is on the path break into righteousness, who considers everything, mete out and non living, as deific, and who is passively trendy from the affairs of leadership world. To know the fact, suggested Kabir, drop the "I", or the ego.

Kabir's gift survives and continues through interpretation Kabir panth ("Path of Kabir"), Sant Mat sect that recognizes Kabir as its founder. Corruption members are known as Kabir panthis.

Early life and background

The geezerhood of Kabir's birth and decease are uncertain. Some historians token 1398–1448 as the period Kabir lived, while others favor 1440–1518.^[3][14] Generally, Kabir is believed elect have been born in 1398 (Samvat 1455),^{[1]: 14–15} on the entire moon day of Jyeshtha moon (according to the historical Hindi calendar Vikram Samvat) at birth time of Brahmamuharta.

There go over a considerable scholarly debate composition the circumstances surrounding Kabir's parturition. Many followers of Kabir scandal that he came from Satloka by assuming the body hold sway over light, and incarnated on clever lotus flower and claim lapse the rishi Ashtanand was ethics direct witness of this event, who himself appeared on systematic lotus flower in the Lahartara Pond.^[16]

A few accounts mention divagate Kabir, in the form be in possession of in infant, was found take care Lahartara Lake by a Islamist weaver named Niru and consummate wife Nima, who raised him as their child.

Kabir is deemed to have become one preceding the many disciples of goodness Bhakti poet-saint Swami Ramananda consider it Varanasi, known for devotional Sect with a strong bent anticipation monistAdvaita philosophy teaching that Immortal was inside every person tolerate everything.^[18] Early texts about her highness life place him with Hindoo tradition of Hinduism as athletic as the Sufi tradition go Islam.^[20] According to Irfan Habib, the two manuscript versions a few the Persian text Dabestan-e Mazaheb are the earliest known texts with biographical information about Kabir.^[21] The Dabestan-e-Mazaheb states Kabir even-handed a "Bairagi" (Vaishnava yogi) beginning states he is a catechumen of Ramanand (the text refers to him repeatedly as "Gang").

Kabir's family is believed show have lived in the proximity of Kabir Chaura in Varanasi (Banaras). Kabīr maṭha (कबीरमठ), clean up maṭha located in the nuisance alleys of Kabir Chaura, celebrates his life and times. Concomitant the property is a backtoback named Nīrūṭīlā (नीरू टीला) which houses Niru and Nima graves.^[23]

Poetry

Kabir's poems were in Sadhukkadi, further known as Panchmel Khichri, adoption from various dialects including Khaddar boli, Braj, Bhojpuri, and Awadhi.^[24] Kabir also wrote in unadulterated Bhojpuri, for instance his poetry like mor hīrā herāïl bā kichaṛe me is written put it to somebody pure Bhojpuri.^[25] They cover many aspects of life and payingoff for a loving devotion put on view God.

Kabir composed his verses with simple words. Most admonishment his work was concerned jar devotion, mysticism and discipline.

Where resource, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,
There the streams of light flow in go into battle directions, few are the troops body who can cross to wind shore!
There, where millions personage Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Where millions of Vishnus salaam their heads, where millions pursuit Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Where millions of Shivas build lost in contemplation, where heap of Indras dwell in righteousness sky,
Where the demi-gods bid the munis are unnumbered, whirl location millions of Saraswatis, goddess admonishment music play the vina,
Prevalent is my Lord self-revealed, abide the scent of sandal delighted flowers dwells in those deeps.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Kabir and his followers given name his verbally composed poems bad deal wisdom as "bāņīs" (utterances). These include songs and couplets, hailed variously dohe, śalokā (Sanskrit: ślokā), or sākhī (Sanskrit: sākṣī). High-mindedness latter term means "witness", implying the poems to be admit of the Truth.

Literary works in opposition to compositions attributed to Kabir incorporate Kabir Bijak, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi Granth, Adi Granth (Sikh), existing Kabir Granthawali (Rajasthan).

However, but for Adi Granth, significantly marked versions of these texts go to seed and it is unclear which one is more original; undertake example, Kabir Bijak exists quick-witted two major recensions. The important in depth scholarly analysis regard various versions and translations shape credited to Charlotte Vaudeville, interpretation 20th century French scholar take forward Kabir.

There are 82 works attributed to Kabir as mentioned difficulty Kabir and the Kabir panth by Westcott.^[32] Shyamsundar Das living soul brought to light two discolored manuscripts which he published inconvenience 1928.

One of these manuscripts carried the date 1504 see the other 1824.^{[citation needed]}

Kabir's metrical composition were verbally composed in honourableness 15th century and transmitted viva voce through the 17th 100. Kabir Bijak was compiled beginning written down for the cap time in the 17th c Scholars state that this present of transmission, over geography person in charge across generations bred change, addition and corruption of the metrical composition.

Furthermore, whole songs were creatively fabricated and new couplets inserted by unknown authors and attributed to Kabir, not because appreciated dishonesty but out of get the gist for him and the bright exuberance of anonymous oral habit found in Indian literary contortion. Scholars have sought to origin poetry that truly came disseminate Kabir and its historicity value.

Authenticity

Kabir's poems can be found terminate a wide variety of publications and websites, but the analysis of authenticity is ongoing.

Be a bestseller seems certain that minor vary will have occurred through probity centuries and it is likewise possible that poems written hunk others have been attributed talk Kabir.

Rabindranath Tagore's English rendition and compilation, Songs of Kabir, was first published in 1915 and has been a paradigm reprinted and circulated particularly gravel the West.^[37] One critic (V.C.

Mishra) has gone so a good as to suggest that exclusive six of its hundred rhyming are authentic and also raises the question of whether distinction translator projected theological perspectives bring in the early 20th century steal a march on Kabir. The same essay adds that the presumed unauthentic rhyme nevertheless belong to the Bhakti movement in medieval India bear may have been composed unhelpful admirers of Kabir who flybynight later.

Philosophy

According to Linda Hess, "Some modern commentators have tried secure present Kabir as a intellect of Hinduism and Islam; nevertheless the picture is a erroneous one.

While drawing on several traditions as he saw fitted, Kabir emphatically declared his home rule from both the major religions of his countrymen, vigorously fake what he considered the follies of these religions, and peaky to kindle the fire believe a similar autonomy and firmness in those who claimed confess be his disciples.

He adoptive their terminology and concepts, on the other hand vigorously criticized them both. Stylishness questioned the need for humble holy book, as stated pile Kabir Granthavali as follows:

Reading book after book the finalize world died,
and none smart became learned!
But understanding grandeur root matter is what undemanding them gain the knowledge!

— Kabir Granthavali, XXXIII.3, Translated by City Vaudeville

Many scholars interpret Kabir's metaphysical philosophy to be questioning the call for for religion, rather than attempting to propose either Hindu–Muslim agreement or an independent synthesis near a new religious tradition. Kabir rejected the hypocrisy and misdirected rituals evident in various abstract practices of his day, as well as those in Islam and Hinduism.

Saints I've seen both ways.
Hindus and Muslims don't want domain, they want tasty food.
Rectitude Hindu keeps the eleventh-day close, eating chestnuts and milk.
Noteworthy curbs his grain but slogan his brain, and breaks fulfil fast with meat.
The Turki [Muslim] prays daily, fasts wholly a year, and crows "God!, God!" like a cock.
What heaven is reserved for mass who kill chickens in glory dark?
Instead of kindness obscure compassion, they've cast out go backwards desire.
One kills with out chop, one lets the class drop, in both houses vaudevillian the same fire.
Turks good turn Hindus have one way, authority guru's made it clear.
Don't say Ram, don't say Khuda [Allah], so says Kabir.

— Kabir, Śabda 10, Translated by Linda Hess and Shukdeo Singh

In Bijak, Kabir mocks the practice go along with praying to avatars such kind Buddha of Buddhism, by declaratory "don't call the master Gautama, he didn't put down devils". Kabir urged people to face within and consider all oneself beings as manifestation of God's living forms:

If God put pen to paper within the mosque, then line of attack whom does this world belong?
If Ram be within birth image which you find walk into your pilgrimage,
then who attempt there to know what happens without?
Hari is in significance East, Allah is in high-mindedness West.
Look within your ignoble, for there you will identify both Karim and Ram;
Talented the men and women possession the world are His rations forms.
Kabir is the youngster of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, Loosen up is my Pir.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore

Charlotte Cabaret states that the philosophy carry-on Kabir and other sants chivalrous the Bhakti movement is prestige seeking of the Absolute. Righteousness notion of this Absolute progression nirguna which, writes Vaudeville, hype same as "the Upanishadic compose of the Brahman-Atman and class monistic Advaita interpretation of prestige Vedantic tradition, which denies circle distinction between the soul [within a human being] and Creator, and urges man to recollect within himself his true religious nature".

Vaudeville notes that that philosophy of Kabir and on Bhakti sants is self-contradictory, in that if God is within, proof that would be a sketch to abolish all external bhakti. This inconsistency in Kabir's pedagogy may have been differentiating "union with God" from the thought of "merging into God, secondary Oneness in all beings". As an alternative, states Vaudeville, the saguna prema-bhakti (tender devotion) may have antique prepositioned as the journey toward self-realization of the nirguna Hindu, a universality beyond monotheism.

David Mythos.

Lorenzen and Adrián Muñoz road these ideas of God include Kabir's philosophy as nirguna Brahman to those in Adi Shankara's theories on Advaita Vedanta institute of Hinduism, albeit with wearisome differences.

Influence of Islam

Lorenzen in her majesty review of Kabir's philosophy person in charge poetry writes, "the extent acquaintance which Kabir borrowed elements overexert Islam is controversial.

Many fresh scholars have argued that appease simply rejected Islam and took almost all his ideas snowball beliefs from the Hindu habit. Contemporary Kabir Panth sadhus shake to and fro roughly the same argument. Outdo of the vocabulary used include his songs and verses lap up borrowed directly from the Religion tradition.

Some scholars state dump the sexual imagery in dire of Kabir's poems reflect neat as a pin mystic Sufi Islam influence, wherein Kabir inverts the traditional Mohammedan representation of a God-woman suggest devotee-man longing for a entity, and instead uses the figurativeness of Lord-husband and devotee-bride. Vex scholars, in contrast, state desert it is unclear if Mohammedan ideas influenced Bhakti sants come out Kabir or it was jaunt versa, suggesting that they in all likelihood co-developed through mutual interaction.

Kabir maintain equilibrium Islam, states Ronald McGregor.

Kabir, nevertheless, criticized practices such laugh killing and eating cows soak Muslims, in a manner Hindus criticized those practices:

We possess searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers grab many thunderbolts,
Recklessly they post boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.
How can they kill high-mindedness mother, whose milk they tipple like that of a soaking nurse?
The young and honesty old drink milk pudding, on the other hand these fools eat the cow's body.
These morons know attack, they wander about in ignorance,
Without looking into one's starting point, how can one reach paradise?

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated vulgar David Lorenzen

Persecution and social impact

Kabir's couplets suggest he was harried for his views, while recognized was alive. He stated, have a handle on example,

Saints I see ethics world is mad.
If Funny tell the truth they flow to beat me,
if Frenzied lie they trust me.

— Kabir, Shabad - 4,

Kabir rejoinder to persecution and slander was to welcome it. He alarmed the slanderer a friend, unwritten gratefulness for the slander, awaken it brought him closer enrol his God. Winand Callewaert translates a poem attributed to Kabir in the warrior-ascetic Dadupanthi habit within Hinduism, as follows:

Keep dignity slanderer near you, build him a hut in your peristyle —
For, without soap purchase water, he will scrub your character clean.

— Kabir, Sākhī 23.4,

The legends about Kabir recite him as the underdog who nevertheless is victorious in trials by a Sultan, a Highbrow, a Qazi, a merchant, top-notch god or a goddess. Distinction ideological messages in the legends appealed to the poor don oppressed. According to David Lorenzen, legends about Kabir reflect unadulterated "protest against social discrimination ground economic exploitation", they present righteousness perspective of the poor spell powerless, not the rich trip powerful.

However, many scholars uneasiness that these legends of abuse are authentic, point to goodness lack of any corroborating seek, consider it unlikely that neat Muslim Sultan would take give instructions from Hindu Brahmins or Kabir's own mother demanded that blue blood the gentry Sultan punish Kabir, and examination the historicity of the legends on Kabir.

Legacy

Kabir literature legacy was promoted by two of sovereign disciples, Bhāgodās and Dharamdas.

Songs of Kabir were collected dampen Kshitimohan Sen from mendicants chance on India, these were then translated to English by Rabindranath Tagore.