KABIR DAS ___ THE SPIRITUAL POET

 

          KABIR DAS  ___ THE SPIRITUAL POET

             Kabir Das was one of the five key spiritual poets during the Bhakti movement that emerged between the 7^th and 18^th centuries. Other prominent names of this movement are Mirabai, Ramanuja, Ramanand, Guru Nanak and Mirabai.

           

             Kabir Das , born in 1398, died in 1518. He was a social reformer , had deep spiritual wisdom and expressed his views in simple songs and couplets.

 

            His  emphasis was on devotion and love for God.

           

            He was in no way an orthodox saint.

           

            Look at the following song quoted by Osho in his book The Divine Melody. The title of the song is “Jab main bhula re bhai”.

 

“O Brother: when I was forgetful,

My true Guru showed me the Way.

Then I left all rites and ceremonies.

I bathed no more in the holy water:

Then I learned that it was I alone who was mad,

And the whole world beside me was sane;

And I had disturbed these wise people.

From that time forth I knew no more how to roll

In the dust to obeisance:

I do not ring the temple bell:

I do not set the idol on the throne:

I do not worship the image with flowers.

It is not the austerities that mortify the flesh

which are pleasing to the Lord.

When you leave off your clothes and kill your senses,

You do not please the Lord.

The man who is kind and who practices righteousness,

Who remains positive amidst the affairs of the world,

Who considers all creatures on earth as his own self,

He attains the Immortal Being, the true God is ever with him.

Kabir says: ‘He attains the true Name whose words are pure,

And who is free from pride and conceit.’

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Kabir Jayanti

 G.R.Kanwal

11 June 2025