Kabir Das Ka Itihaas, Jinke Harf Humesha Hi Rahe Hai Khaas!

 

Kahat Sant Kabir Das, “गुरु गोविंद दोऊ खड़े, काको लागूं पाय

बलिहारी गुरु आपकी, जिन गोविंद दियो बताय।” Remember that time when the day began in the school with this Dohe of Kabir Das? Well, if you do not–we do not judge. Here are the details around the life of Kabir Das for everyone and anyone who wishes to know some more about him.

 

1.    In the 15th century, Sant Kabir was born in Kashi, Varanasi. The details about the life of Kabir are concealed in uncertainty. A spiritual person, he turned into a famous saint because he influenced traditions and culture.

 

2.    It is considered that he got all his spiritual training from his Guru, Ramananda. Initially, Ramananda did not agree to accept Kabir Das as his disciple.

 

3.    The story goes as Saint Kabir Das was lying on the steps of a pond once. He was reciting the mantra of “rama-rama” when Ramananda had gone to bathe in the morning, and Kabir came under his feet. Ramanand felt guilty, and Kabir Das urged him to accept him as his student.

 

4.    From Khazinat-ul-Asfiya (collection of famous Sufi saints biographies), it was found that Sufi Pir, Shaikh Taqqi, was also the teacher of Kabir. The teachings and philosophy of Kabir were also influenced by Sufism.

 

5.    It is widely believed that Kabir was born and brought up in a family of Muslim weavers.

 

6.    “Bada hua to kya hua, jaise ped khajoor, panthi ko chaya nahi, phal lage ati door.” Like in this one, in many of his Dohas, Kabir often has highlighted around castes. In this one, Kabir expresses his ideas on equality.

 

7.    He had composed his works in a style understandable by all, even after being illiterate. He had written his poems in Hindi but brought in other languages like Avadhi, Braj and Bhojpuri.

 

8.    He had written his Dohas very boldly and naturally. Each of his works is full of meanings and significance.

 

9.    He has compressed the sense of the whole world in his simple dohas and couplet. His sayings cannot be compared, thus inspiring and highly spiritual.

 

10. The books written by Kabir Das are generally collections of dohas and songs. 72 works of Kabir Das still exist today. These include Rekhta, Kabir Bijak, Sukhnidhan, Mangal, Vasant, Shabd, Sakhis and Holy Adams.

 

11.  There is a belief that Kabir had chosen his place of death in Maghar, located about 240 km away from Lucknow. He chose this place because of the myth surrounding it.

 

12.  The poetry of Kabir is also widely used in mainstream Indian Film Music. The title song of Jhini is an energetic track inspired by “the intricately woven blanket” of Kabir Das.

 

13.   The legacy of Kabir continues to be carried forward. Those who follow the “Path of Kabir” continue to preserve his works and words. This community was founded centuries after Kabir died, in various parts of India, over the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Its members, known as Kabir Panthis, are estimated to be around 9.6 million.

 

 

Kabir Mathha is located at the Kabir Chaura, Varanasi, and Lahartara in the back passageways. It is a hub where now saints are busy singing Kabir Ke Dohe.

 

 

One of the “Kabir Panthi” is the band Kabir Cafe by Neeraj Arya, who has taken a step to spread the message of Kabir in his spirit through soulful music.