Sant Kabir Das

संत कबीर दास – Sant Kabir Das

कबीर दास भारत के महान कवि और समाज सुधारक थे। वे हिन्दी साहित्य के विद्दान थे। कबीर दास के नाम का अर्थ महानता से है अर्थात वे भारत के महानतम कवियों में से एक थे।जब भी भारत में धर्म, भाषा, संस्कृति की चर्चा होती है तो कबीर दास जी का नाम का जिक्र सबसे पहले होता है क्योंकि कबीर दास जी ने अपने दोहों के माध्यम से भारतीय संस्कृति को दर्शाया है|

इसके साथ ही उन्होनें जीवन के कई ऐसे उपदेश दिए हैं जिन्हें अपनाकर दर्शवादी बन सकते हैं इसके साथ ही कबीर दास ने अपने दोहों से समाज में फैली कुरोतियों को दूर करने की कोशिश की है और भेदभाव को मिटाया है। वहीं कबीर पंथी धार्मिक समुदाय के लोग कबीर के सिद्धांतो और उनके उपदेशों को अपनी जीवन का आधार मानते हैं।

संत कबीर दास जीवनी – Sant Kabir Das Biography

नाम – संत कबीरदास (Kabir Das)

जन्म – 1398

जन्म स्थान – लहरतारा ताल, काशी

मृत्यु – 1518

मृत्यु स्थान – मगहर, उत्तर प्रदेश

माता का नाम – नीमा

पिता का नाम – नीरू

पत्नी का नाम – लोई

पुत्र का नाम – कमाल

पुत्री का नाम – कमाली

कर्म भूमि – काशी, बनारस

कार्य क्षेत्र – समाज सुधारक, कवि, सूत काटकर कपड़ा बनाना

मुख्य रचनाएं – साखी, सबद, रमैनी

भाषा – अवधी, सधुक्कड़ी, पंचमेल खिचड़ी

शिक्षा – निरक्षर

नागरिकता – भारतीय

कबीर दास के दोहे –  Kabir Ke Dohe 

कबीर दास जी के द्धारा कहे गए दोहे इस प्रकार हैं।

जिन खोजा तिन पाइया, गहरे पानी पैठ,

मैं बपुरा बूडन डरा, रहा किनारे बैठ

इस दोहे से कबीर दास जी का कहने का अर्थ है कि जो लोग कोशिश करते हैं, वे लोग कुछ न कुछ वैसे ही पा ही लेते हैं जैसे कोई मेहनत करने वाला गोताखोर गहरे पानी में जाता है और कुछ ले कर आता है।

पोथी पढ़ि पढ़ि जग मुआ, पंडित भया न कोय,

ढाई आखर प्रेम का, पढ़े सो पंडित होय।

कबीर दास जी के कहे गए उपदेश वाकई प्रेरणा दायक हैं इसके साथ ही कबीर दास ने अपने उपदेशों को समस्त मानव जाति को सही मार्ग पर चलने की प्रेरणा भी दी इसके साथ ही अपने उपदेशों के द्धारा समाज में फैली बुराइयों का कड़ा विरोध जताया और आदर्श समाज की स्थापन पर बल दिया इसके साथ ही कबीर दास जी के उपदेश हर किसी के मन में एक नई ऊर्जा का संचार करते हैं

जाति जुलाहा नाम कबीरा

बनि बनि फिरो उदासी।

वहीं अगर कबीर पन्थियों की माने तो कबीर दास, काशी में लहरतारा तालाब में एक कमल के फूल के ऊपर उत्पन्न हुए थे।

मसि कागद छूवो नहीं, क़लम गही नहिं हाथ।

आपको बता दें कि कबीरदास जी ने खुद ग्रंथ नहीं लिखे वे उपदेशों को दोहों को मुंह से बोलते थे जिसके बाद उनके शिष्यों ने उसे लिख लिया।

हम कासी में प्रकट भये हैं, रामानन्द चेताये।

कबीरदास जी किसी धर्म को नहीं मानते थे बल्कि वे सभी धर्मों की अच्छे विचारों को आत्मसात करते थे।

यही वजह है कि कबीरदास जी ने हिंदु-मुसलमान का भेदभाव मिटा कर हिंदू-भक्तों और मुसलमान फक़ीरों के साथ सत्संग किया और दोनों धर्मों से अच्छी विचारों को ग्रहण कर लिया।

कबीरदास जी का विवाह और बच्चे – Kabir Das Life History

कबीरदास जी का विवाह वनखेड़ी बैरागी की कन्या ”लोई” के साथ हुआ था। विवाह के बाद दोनों को संतान का सुख मिला कबीरदास जी के बेटे का नाम कमाल था जबकि बेटी का नाम कमाली था।

वहीं इन लोगों को परिवरिश करने के लिए कबीरदास जी को अपने करघे पर काफी काम करना पड़ता था। जिससे घर साधु-संतों का आना-जाना लगा रहता था।

वहीं उनके ग्रंथ साहब के एक श्लोक से अनुमान लगााया जाता है उनका पुत्र कमाल कबीर दास जी के मत का विरोधी था।

करीब दास जी की विशेषताएं – Sant Kabir Information

करीब दास जी को कई भाषाओं का ज्ञान था वे साधु-संतों के साथ कई जगह भ्रमण पर जाते रहते थे इसलिए उन्हें कई भाषाओं का ज्ञान हो गया था। इसके साथ ही कबीरदास अपने विचारो और अनुभवों को व्यक्त करने के लिए स्थानीय भाषा के शब्दों का इस्तेमाल करते थे। कबीर दास जी की भाषा को ‘सधुक्कड़ी’ भी कहा जाता है।

कबीर अपनी स्थानीय भाषा में लोगो को समझाते थे और उपदेश देते थे। इसके साथ ही वे जगह-जगह पर उदाहरण देकर अपनी बातों को लोगो के अंतरमन तक पहुंचाने की कोशिश करते थे। कबीर के वाणी को साखी, सबद और रमैनी तीनो रूपों में लिखा गया है। जो ‘बीजक’ के नाम से प्रसिद्ध है। कबीर ग्रन्थावली में भी उनकी रचनाएं का संग्रह देखने को मिलता है।

कबीर ने गुरु का स्थान भगवान से बढ़कर बताया है। कबीरदास ने एक जगह पर गुरु को कुम्हार का उदाहरण देते हुए समझाया है कि – जो मिटटी के बर्तन के समान अपने शिष्य को ठोक-पीटकर सुघड़ पात्र में बदल देता है।

कबीर दास हमेशा सत्य बोलने वाले निडर और निर्भाक व्यक्ति थे। वे कटु सत्य भी कहने से नहीं बिल्कुल भी नहीं हिचकिचाते थे।

कबीर दास के ग्रंथ – Kabir Granthavali

कबीरदास के नाम से मिले ग्रंथों की संख्या अलग-अलग लेखों के मुताबिक अलग – अलग हैं वहीं एच.एच. विल्सन की माने तो कबीर के नाम पर 8 ग्रंथ हैं। जबिक विशप जी.एच. वेस्टकॉट ने कबीर के 84 ग्रंथों की लिस्ट जारी की है वहीं रामदास गौड ने `हिंदुत्व’ में 71 किताबें गिनाईं हैं।

कबीर दास जी की साहित्यिक देन – Kabir Book

कबीर की वाणी का संग्रह `बीजक’ – Bijak के नाम से मशहूर हैं इसके भी तीन हिस्से हैं- रमैनी, सबद और सारवी यह पंजाबी, राजस्थानी, खड़ी बोली, अवधी, पूरबी, ब्रजभाषा समेत कई भाषाओं की खिचड़ी है।

कबीरदास जी का मानना था कि इंसान के सबसे पास उसके माता-पिता, दोस्त और मित्र रहते हैं इसलिए वे परमात्मा को भी इसी दृष्टि से देखते हैं

कबीर दास जी की मृत्यु- Sant Kabir Death

कबीर दास जी ने अपना पूरा जीवन काशी में ही गुजारा लेकिन वह मरने के समय मगहर चले गए थे। ऐसा माना जाता है उस समय लोग मानते थे कि मगहर में मरने से नरक मिलता है और काशी में प्राण त्यागने से स्वर्ग की प्राप्ति होती है।

वहीं कबीर को जब अपने आखिरी समय का अंदेशा हो गया था तब वे लोगों की इस धारणा को तोड़ने के मगहर चले गए।

ये भी कहा जाता है कि कबीर के शत्रुओं ने उनको मगहर जाने के लिए मजबूर किया था।

वे चाहते थे कि कबीर की मुक्ति न हो पाए, लेकिन कबीर तो काशी मरन से नहीं, राम की भक्ति से मुक्ति पाना चाहते थे।

“जौ काशी तन तजै कबीरा

तो रामै कौन निहोटा।”

कबीरदास जी एक महान कवि और समाज सुधारक थे। इन्होनें अपने साहित्य से लोगों को सही मार्ग पर चलने की प्रेरणा दी इसके साथ ही समाज में फैली कुरोतियों पर जमकर प्रहार किया है। कबीरदास जी सादा जीवन जीने में यकीन रखते थे वे अहिंसा, सत्य, सदाचार गुणों के प्रशंसक थे।

कबीर दास जी का योगदान – Kabir Works

कबीर दास जी ने अपने लेखन से समाज में फैली कुरोतियों को दूर किया है इसके साथ ही सामाजिक भेदभाव और आर्थिक शोषण के खिलाफ विरोध किया है।

संत कबीर दास – Sant Kabir Das

Kabir Das (IAST: Kabīr[1]) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced Hinduism's Bhakti movement and his verses are found in Sikhism's scripture Guru Granth Sahib.[2][3][4] His early life was in a Muslim family, but he was strongly influenced by his teacher, the Hindu bhakti leader Ramananda.[2] Kabir was born in the Indian city of Varanasi but spent most of his life in the city of Faridabad near Delhi.

Kabir is known for being critical of both Hinduism and Islam, stating followers of both were misguided by the Vedas and Quran, and questioning their meaningless rites of initiation such as the sacred thread and circumcision respectively.[2][5] During his lifetime, he was threatened by both Hindus and Muslims for his views.[6]:4 When he died, both Hindus and Muslims he had inspired claimed him as theirs.[3]

Kabir suggested that Truth, which he often called Raam, is with the person who is on the path of righteousness, considered all creatures on earth as his own self, and who is passively detached from the affairs of the world.[3] To know the Truth, suggested Kabir, drop the "I" or the ego. [6]:4 Kabir's legacy survives and continues through the Kabir panth ("Path of Kabir"), a religious community that recognises him as its founder and is one of the Sant Mat sects. Its members are known as Kabir panthis.[7]

Contents

1 Early life and background

2 Poetry

2.1 Authenticity

2.2 Philosophy

2.3 Influence of Islam

2.4 Persecution and social impact

3 Legacy

3.1 Kabir, Guru Nanak and the Guru Granth Sahib

4 Kabir's poetry today

5 Criticism

6 See also

7 References

8 Further reading

9 External links

Early life and background

The years of Kabir's birth and death are unclear.[8][9] Some historians favour 1398–1448 as the period Kabir lived,[10][11] while others favour 1440–1518.[12][2][13]

Many legends, inconsistent in their details, exist about his birth family and early life. According to one version, Kabir was born to a Brahmin unwed mother in Varanasi, by a seedless conception and delivered through the palm of her hand,[6]:5 who then abandoned him in a basket floating in a pond, and baby Kabir was picked up and then raised by a Muslim family.[6]:4–5[2] However, modern scholarship has abandoned these legends for lack of historical evidence, and Kabir is widely accepted to have been born and brought up in a family of Muslim weavers.[6]:3–5 According to the Indologist Wendy Doniger, Kabir was born into a Muslim family and various birth legends attempt to "drag Kabir back over the line from Muslim to Hindu".[14]

Some scholars state that Kabir's parents may have been recent converts to Islam, they and Kabir were likely unaware of Islamic orthodox tradition, and are likely to have been following the Nath (Shiva Yogi) school of Hinduism. This view, while contested by other scholars, has been summarized by Charlotte Vaudeville as follows:

Circumcised or not, Kabir was officially a musalman, though it appears likely that some form of Nathism was his ancestral tradition. This alone would explain his relative ignorance of Islamic tenets, his remarkable acquaintance with Tantric-yoga practices and his lavish use of its esoteric jargon [in his poems]. He appears far more conversant with Nath-panthi basic attitudes and philosophy than with the Islamic orthodox tradition.

— Charlotte Vaudeville on Kabir (1974), [15]

Kabir is widely believed to have become one of the many disciples of the Bhakti poet-sant Swami Ramananda in Varanasi, known for devotional Vaishnavism with a strong bent to monist Advaita philosophy teaching that God was inside every person, everything.[3][16][17] Early texts about his life place him with Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism as well as the Sufi tradition of Islam.[18] According to Irfan Habib, the two manuscript versions of the Persian text Dabistan-i-Mazahib are the earliest known texts with biographical information about Kabir.[19] The Dabistan-i-Mazahib states Kabir is a "Bairagi" (Vaishnava yogi) and states he is a disciple of Ramanand (the text refers to him repeatedly as "Gang"). In addition, it states that Kabir is a monotheist and his God is "Rama".[19]

Some legends assert that Kabir never married and led a celibate's life. Most scholars conclude from historical literature that this legend is also untrue, that Kabir was likely married, his wife probably was named Dhania, they had at least one son named Kamal and a daughter named Kamali.[20]

Kabir's family is believed to have lived in the locality of Kabir Chaura in Varanasi. Kabīr maṭha (कबीरमठ), a maṭha located in the back alleys of Kabir Chaura, celebrates his life and times.[21] Accompanying the property is a house named Nīrūṭīlā (नीरू टीला) which houses Niru and Nima graves.[22]

Poetry

Indian postage stamp portraying Kabir, 1952

Kabir's poems were in vernacular Hindi, borrowing from various dialects including Braj.[23] They cover various aspects of life and call for a loving devotion for God.[24] Kabir composed his verses with simple Hindi words. Most of his work were concerned with devotion, mysticism and discipline.[25]

Where spring, the lord of seasons reigneth, there the unstruck music sounds of itself,

There the streams of light flow in all directions, few are the men who can cross to that shore!

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,

Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads, where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,

Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation, where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,

Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered, where millions of Saraswatis, goddess of music play the vina,

There is my Lord self-revealed, and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

— Kabir, II.57, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore[26]

Kabir and his followers named his verbally composed poems of wisdom as "bāņīs" (utterances). These include songs and couplets, called variously dohe, śalokā (Sanskrit: ślokā), or sākhī (Sanskrit: sākşī). The latter term means "witness", implying the poems to be evidence of the Truth.[27]

Literary works with compositions attributed to Kabir include Kabir Bijak, Kabir Parachai, Sakhi Granth, Adi Granth (Sikh), and Kabir Granthawali (Rajasthan).[28] However, except for Adi Granth, significantly different versions of these texts exist and it is unclear which one is more original; for example, Kabir Bijak exists in two major recensions.[29] The most in depth scholarly analysis of various versions and translations are credited to Charlotte Vaudeville, the 20th century French scholar on Kabir.[29]

Kabir's poems were verbally composed in the 15th century and transmitted viva voce through the 17th century. Kabir Bijak was compiled and written down for the first time in the 17th century.[30] Scholars state that this form of transmission, over geography and across generations bred change, interpolation and corruption of the poems.[30] Furthermore, whole songs were creatively fabricated and new couplets inserted by unknown authors and attributed to Kabir, not because of dishonesty but out of respect for him and the creative exuberance of anonymous oral tradition found in Indian literary works.[30] Scholars have sought to establish poetry that truly came from Kabir and its historicity value.[31]

Authenticity

Numerous poems are attributed to Kabir, but scholars now doubt the authenticity of many songs credited to him.[32]

Rabindranath Tagore's English translation and compilation One Hundred Poems of Kabir was first published in 1915, and has been a classic reprinted and widely circulated particularly in the West.[33][34] Scholars believe only six[35] of its hundred poems are authentic,[36] and they have questioned whether Tagore introduced then prevalent theological perspectives onto Kabir, as he translated poems in early 20th century that he presumed to be of Kabir's.[37] The unauthentic poems, nevertheless belong to the Bhakti movement in medieval India, and may be by admirers of Kabir who lived later.[33]

Philosophy

Some commentators suggest Kabir's philosophy to be a syncretic synthesis of Hinduism and Islam, but scholars widely state that this is false and a misunderstanding of Kabir.[38] He adopted their terminology and concepts, but vigorously criticized them both.[39][40] He questioned the need for any holy book, as stated in Kabir Granthavali as follows:

Reading book after book the whole world died,

and none ever became learned!

But understanding the root matter is what made them gain the knowledge!

— Kabir Granthavali, XXXIII.3, Translated by Charlotte Vaudeville[41]

Many scholars interpret Kabir's philosophy to be questioning the need for religion, rather than attempting to propose either Hindu-Muslim unity or an independent synthesis of a new religious tradition.[42] Kabir rejected the hypocrisy and misguided rituals evident in various religious practices of his day, including those in Islam and Hinduism.[42]

Saints I've seen both ways.

Hindus and Muslims don't want discipline, they want tasty food.

The Hindu keeps the eleventh-day fast, eating chestnuts and milk.

He curbs his grain but not his brain, and breaks his fast with meat.

The Turk [Muslim] prays daily, fasts once a year, and crows "God!, God!" like a cock.

What heaven is reserved for people who kill chickens in the dark?

Instead of kindness and compassion, they've cast out all desire.

One kills with a chop, one lets the blood drop, in both houses burns the same fire.

Turks and Hindus have one way, the 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[43]

In Bijak, Kabir mocks the practice of praying to avatars such as Buddha of Buddhism, by asserting "don't call the master Buddha, he didn't put down devils".[44][45] Kabir urged people to look within and consider all human beings as manifestation of God's living forms:

If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong?

If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage,

then who is there to know what happens without?

Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West.

Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram;

All the men and women of the world are His living forms.

Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.

— Kabir, III.2, Translated by Rabindranath Tagore[46]

Charlotte Vaudeville states that the philosophy of Kabir and other sants of the Bhakti movement is the seeking of the Absolute. The notion of this Absolute is nirguna which, writes Vaudeville, is same as "the Upanishadic concept of the Brahman-Atman and the monistic Advaita interpretation of the Vedantic tradition, which denies any distinction between the soul [within a human being] and God, and urges man to recognize within himself his true divine nature".[47] Vaudeville notes that this philosophy of Kabir and other Bhakti sants is self-contradictory, because if God is within, then that would be a call to abolish all external bhakti. This inconsistency in Kabir's teaching may have been differentiating "union with God" from the concept of "merging into God, or Oneness in all beings". Alternatively, states Vaudeville, the saguna prema-bhakti (tender devotion) may have been prepositioned as the journey towards self-realization of the nirguna Brahman, a universality beyond monotheism.[48]

David N. Lorenzen and Adrián Muñoz trace these ideas of God in Kabir's philosophy as nirguna Brahman to those in Adi Shankara's theories on Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism, albeit with some differences.[49]

Influence of Islam

Lorenzen in his review of Kabir's philosophy and poetry writes, "the extent to which Kabir borrowed elements from Islam is controversial. Many recent scholars have argued that he simply rejected Islam and took almost all his ideas and beliefs from the Hindu tradition. Contemporary Kabir Panth sadhus make roughly the same argument. Most of the vocabulary used in his songs and verses are borrowed directly from the Hindu tradition. Nonetheless, it is hard not to see the influence of Islam in his insistence on devotion to a single God, a god Kabir most often calls Ram".[49]

Some scholars state that the sexual imagery in some of Kabir's poems reflect a mystic Sufi Islam influence, wherein Kabir inverts the traditional Sufi representation of a God-woman and devotee-man longing for a union, and instead uses the imagery of Lord-husband and devotee-bride.[50] Other scholars, in contrast, state that it is unclear if Sufi ideas influenced Bhakti sants like Kabir or it was vice versa, suggesting that they probably co-developed through mutual interaction.[51]

Kabir left Islam, states Ronald McGregor, but that does not mean Kabir adopted Hindu beliefs.[4] Kabir, nevertheless, criticized practices such as killing and eating a cow by Muslims, in a manner Hindus criticized those practices:

We have searched the turaki Dharam (Turk's religion, Islam), these teachers throw many thunderbolts,

Recklessly they display boundless pride while explaining their own aims, they kill cows.

How can they kill the mother, whose milk they drink like that of a wet nurse?

The young and the old drink milk pudding, but these fools eat the cow's body.

These morons know nothing, they wander about in ignorance,

Without looking into one's heart, how can one reach paradise?

— Kabir, Ramaini 1, Translated by David Lorenzen[52]

Persecution and social impact

Kabir's couplets suggest he was persecuted for his views, while he was alive. He stated, for example,

Saints I see the world is mad.

If I tell the truth they rush to beat me,

if I lie they trust me.

— Kabir, Shabad - 4, [53]

Kabir response to persecution and slander was to welcome it. He called the slanderer a friend, expressed gratefulness for the slander, for it brought him closer. to his god.[54] Winand Callewaert translates a poem attributed to Kabir in the warrior-ascetic Dadupanthi tradition within Hinduism, as follows:[55]

Keep the slanderer near you, build him a hut in your courtyard —

For, without soap or water, he will scrub your character clean.

— Kabir, Sākhī 23.4, [55]

The legends about Kabir describe him as the underdog who nevertheless is victorious in trials by a Sultan, a Brahmin, a Qazi, a merchant, a god or a goddess. The ideological messages in the legends appealed to the poor and oppressed. According to David Lorenzen, legends about Kabir reflect a "protest against social discrimination and economic exploitation", they present the perspective of the poor and powerless, not the rich and powerful.[56] However, many scholars doubt that these legends of persecution are authentic, point to the lack of any corroborating evidence, consider it unlikely that a Muslim Sultan would take orders from Hindu Brahmins or Kabir's own mother demanded that the Sultan punish Kabir, and question the historicity of the legends on Kabir.[57]