Kabir (1398 or 1440-1518)

Kabir Das was an Indian mystic poet and saint who lived in the 15th century. His poems impacted Hinduism’s Bhakti movement, and his verses may be found in Sikhism’s scripture Guru Granth Sahib. 

• He was born near Benaras to a Brahmin widow who abandoned him after his birth and raised him in the home of a Muslim weaver, according to legend
• Kabir was raised by a Muslim family after being born into a Hindu family. He was a Ramananda disciple.
• He is one of the most revered Bhakti saints, and his teachings have influenced people from all walks of life.
• Through his views and conceptions about God, he sparked a massive reform movement.
• He was a Nirguna saint who publicly criticized major religions such as Hinduism and Islam for their traditional teachings.
• He had an inquisitive mind and learned a lot about Hinduism in Benaras.
• Ramananda initiated him into the deeper knowledge of Hindu and Muslim religious and philosophical principles, and he became conversant with Islamic teachings.
• He severely condemned idol worship, pilgrimages, ceremonies, and the caste system, particularly the practice of untouchability, and emphasized man’s equality before God.
• Kabir’s purpose was to preach a religion of love that would bring people of all castes and creeds together.
• He was well-versed in yogic techniques and believed that devotion to God was a powerful method of salvation. He exhorted his disciples to have a clean heart, free of harshness, deceit, dishonesty, and insincerity, in order to be saved.
• For actual understanding, he did not consider asceticism or book knowledge to be important. He also did not believe it was necessary to give up a householder’s life in order to live a saintly life.
• Kabir’s goal was to bring Hindus and Muslims together and promote peace between them.
• He described Hindus and Muslims as “pots of the same clay,” emphasizing the intrinsic oneness of all religions. Rama and Allah, temple and mosque, were all the same to him.
• Kabir is the greatest mystic saint, and his devotees are known as Kabirpanthis.
• Some of his most significant students included Raidas (a tanner), Guru Nanak (a Khatri trader), and Dhanna (a Jat peasant).
• His writings are collected in the well-known book Bijak.

Poetry of Kabir

• Kabir’s poems were written in a variety of dialects of Hindi, including Braj, Bhojpuri, and Awadhi.
• They cover a wide range of topics and encourage a passionate commitment to God.
• Kabir’s lyrics were written in simple Hindi terms. The majority of his work dealt with dedication, mysticism, and discipline.
• Kabir Das, a famous mystic poet and one of India’s top spiritual poets, has provided his philosophical thoughts to improve people’s lives.
• People’s attitudes toward kindness have shifted as a result of his theory of oneness with God and Karma as a true Dharma.
• Both Hindu Bhakti and Muslim Sufi concepts are fulfilled in his love and devotion to God.
• Kabir Bijak, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi Granth, Adi Granth (Sikh), and Kabir Granthawali(Rajasthan) are literary works featuring compositions credited to Kabir

Kabir Panth

• The Kabir Panth (“Path of Kabir”), a religious society that claims Kabir as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects, perpetuates Kabir’s tradition.
• This society arose in various parts of India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, centuries after Kabir’s death.
• Kabir Panthis has an all-encompassing formula for Love, Humility, Compassion, and Unity-based on these basic ideas.
• A Bhakta is a Kabir Panthi layperson, while priests are addressed with the honorific title of Mahant.
• In Benares, there are two temples devoted to Kabir. One is kept by Hindus, while the other is maintained by Muslims.
• According to some researchers, this school is associated with Vaishnavism and has universalist overtones.