I called Thee my future saviour until I knew the reality ; 2 I have now become pure in heart, saith Kabir, and my mind is happy.
Kabir is said to have uttered the following to a man whom he found committing an act of im morality.
Rawan had to leave the golden fortress and strongholds which he had made —
0 man, why actest thou as it pleaseth thyself ?
When Death cometh and catcheth thee by the hair, only God's name will save thee.
Death and life are the work of God ; this deceitful world is only an entanglement ;
Saith Kabir, they who have the elixir of God in their hearts shall ultimately be saved.
The body likened to a village, the soul to its headman, and the senses to its agriculturists.
The body is a village ; the soul placed therein is its headman ; five husbandmen dwell in it —
The senses — eyes, nose, ear, tongue, and touch — which obey not my orders.
KABIR'S HYMNS 251
O father, I shall no longer dwell in this village ;
The accountants called Chitr and Gupt ask for an account of every moment of mine,
So when Dharmraj calleth for my account, there will be a heavy balance against me.
The five husbandmen will then have all fled, and the bailiffs will arrest the soul.
Saith Kabir, hear, O holy men, settle your accounts on the field ; l
Pardon for this once thy slave, so that he may not have to return to this terrible ocean.
A Bairagi who had come from Dwaraka told Kabir he had seen God there, and he asked him to go there too, and he would also see God. Upon this the following colloquy occurred.
O Bairagi, no one hath seen the Fearless One ; Can the Fearless One be obtained without fearing Him ?
' Certainly not.' 2 O Bairagi, if man were to see the Lord present, he would
feel fear ;
He who obeyeth God's order is without fear — ' Certainly.'
O Bairagi, though all people are imbued with hypocrisy,
Practise it not thou before God — ' Certainly not.'
O Bairagi, men set not covetousness aside ;
Egoism hath destroyed the body — ' Certainly.'
O Bairagi, the fire of care hath burnt the body,
But thou shall escape from it if thou deaden thy feelings —
' Certainly.'
Without a true guru there can be no contempt of the
world, O Bairagi,
Even though everybody desire it — ' Certainly.'
And shall easily obtain God — ' Certainly.'
Saith Kabir, O Bairagi, address one prayer to God,
To take thee over the terrible ocean — ' Certainly.'
Krishan was one day going to visit Duryodhan, but he heard that Duryodhan was then holding court. Krishan, in order to avoid the regal cere monial and entertainments connected therewith, re mained the night with Vidur. Next day when Krishan and Duryodhan met, the latter upbraided him in a friendly manner for not having gone straight to him. The following is Krishan's reply :— -
0 king, who would go to thee ?
1 have seen such affection on Vidur's part that the poor man pleaseth me.
Beholding thine elephants, thou hast been lost in error and hast not recognized God.
I consider Vidur's water as nectar in comparison with thy milk.
I got vegetables without condiment, but to me they were equal to khir, and the night passed in Vidur's singing God's praises.
Kabir 's God is joyous and happy, and payeth no atten tion to anybody's caste.
SLOKS
The following two sloks in the Rag Maru are attributed to Kabir. The battle referred to is perhaps intended to represent man's struggle with his evil passions. These are the only lines in the Granth Sahib relating to war.
When the drums sound aloud, the conspicuous warriors fall wounded ; 1
KABIR'S HYMNS 253
The brave have entered the battle-field ; now is the time for combat.
Recognize him as a hero who fighteth for the love of his religion ;
He may die cut in pieces, but will never desert the battle field.
• The following was a sharp remonstrance addressed to some men of high rank.
You have forgotten your religion, O madmen ; you have forgotten your religion.
You fill your bellies, you sleep like beasts, you have lost your human births ;
You have never associated with saints, but have adopted false occupations ;
You wander like dogs, pigs, and ravens ;
You deem yourselves great and others small ; 1
I have seen you going to hell in thought, word, and deed.
The lustful, the wrathful, the deceitful, the dissemblers,2 and the idlers,
Pass their time in doing evil and never remember God.
Saith Kabir, fools, blockheads, and pagans reflect not ;
They know not God's name ; how shall they be saved ?
Men should remember God and not be led astray by worldly pleasures.
Remember God or thou shalt repent it ;
0 sinful soul, thou practisest avarice, but thou shalt depart to-day or to-morrow.
Through thine attachment to avarice and being led astray by mammon, thou hast wasted thy life.
Be not proud of thy wealth and youth ; they dissolve like paper.
When Death cometh and seizeth thee by the hair and knocketh thee down, on that day shalt thou be powerless.
Thou hast not remembered God, or worshipped Him, or shown mercy to His creatures, therefore shalt thou be smitten on the mouth.
When Dharmraj asketh for thine account, what face shalt thou show him ?
Saith Kabir, hear, ye good men, ye shall be saved in the company of the holy.
The condition of him who has obtained salvation during life.
KEDARA
They who abandon praise as well as blame, who reject honour as well as dishonour,
Who consider iron and gold the same, are the image of God —
Few, 0 Lord, are Thy servants !
They who abandon lust, wrath, covetousness, and worldly love behold God's feet.
What are called the qualities of impulse, ignorance, and goodness are all contained in Thy Maya.
Only they who understand the fourth degree, have obtained the supreme position ;
They never entertain love for pilgrimages, fasting, or for the religious ceremonies, purifications, and austerities of the superstitious.
By meditating on God, avarice, worldly love, and doubt depart ;
The darkness of the mansion in which the lamp of divine knowledge burneth is dispelled ;
Its owner abideth completely fearless, and his doubts have rled ; saith Kabir, I am his slave.5
The saint deals in holiness and is thus emancipated during life.
Some deal in bronze and copper, others in cloves and betel-nut ;
KABIR'S HYMNS 255
The saints deal in God's name ; that is my merchandise.
O dealers in the name of God,
The priceless diamond hath come to hand, and worldly thoughts have fled.
They whom the True One attached to truth, remain attached to it ; truth is their occupation.
They dispatched a load of the true thing, and it reached God the storekeeper.
God is Himself the gem, the jewel, and the precious stone ; He is Himself the jeweller ;
He is in every direction immovable ;
He setteth everything in motion ;
He is a permanent dealer.
0 man, make thy heart the ox, meditation the road, fill thy sack with divine knowledge, and load it on the ox ;
Saith Kabir, hear, O saints, my goods have arrived at their destination.
The following was addressed to a Jogi who forti fied himself for his austerities by potations of wine.
O ignorant and stupid brawler,1 reverse thy breath and direct it to thy brain ;
Then turn thy brain into a furnace, draw the nectareous stream, and thou shalt become divinely intoxicated.
O brother, call upon God for assistance.
0 saints, ever drink this wine so difficult to obtain, and your thirst shall easily be quenched.
In the fear of God is love ; he who knoweth this shall obtain God's elixir, my brother.
Ambrosia is in every heart ; God giveth it to whom soever He pleaseth.
There is one city ; * it hath nine gates ;
Restrain thy wandering mind from issuing by them.
After the exercise of the ira, pingla, and sukhmana, the tenth gate openeth and the mind becometh intoxicated.
When the soul obtaineth the fully fearless dignity, suffering is at an end, saith Kabir deliberately.
Turning from the way of the world I have obtained this wine, a cup of which causeth divine intoxication.
Religious instruction addressed to a dissolute fop.
Thou who art saturated with lust, wrath, and covetous- ness, knowest not the way of the One God.
Thine eyes are burst, thou seest nothing, thou art drowned even without water.
Why walkest thou so foppishly ?
Thou art a compound of bones, skin, and filth, and saturated with evil odour.
Thou repeatest not God's name ; in what doubts hast thou gone astray ? Death is not far from thee.
Whatever efforts thou makest to preserve thy body, shall it last when thy term of life is complete ?
Nothing resulteth from thine efforts ; what can any mortal do ?
If it be God's will, man shall meet a true guru and repeat the One name.
Thou livest in a house of sand and puffest out thy body, O simpleton.
Saith Kabir, they, however clever, who remember not God are lost.
The following was addressed to the same person.
Crooked thy turban,1 crooked thy gait,2 thou beginnest to eat betel ; 3
Thou hast naught to do with the love and service of God ; thou sayest ' I have business in court '.
Thou hast forgotten God in thy pride ;
Ever gazing on thy gold and thy very beautiful women thou deemest them permanent ;
KABIR'S HYMNS 257
Thy life passeth away in covetousness, falsehood, sin, and great arrogance. Saith Kabir, Death will attack thee at last, O fool.
Kabir reminds a worldly person of his death.
Having beaten thy drum for four days, thou shalt depart.
With all thine earnings, thy ready money, and thy buried treasures, thou shalt take nothing with thee.
Thy dear wife will sit and weep in the portico ; thy mother will go as far as the gate with thee ;
All thy friends and relations will accompany thee to the burning-ground ; but thy soul shall depart alone.
Thou shalt not again behold thy sons, thy wealth, thy towns, and thy cities.
Saith Kabir, why remember not God ? thy life is passing in vain.
God's name is Kabir's sole property.
BHAIRO
The name of God is my wealth ;
I cannot tie it in a knot, or sell it for my livelihood.
The Name is my field, the Name is my garden ;
I Thy slave, 0 God, perform Thy service and seek Thy protection.
Thy name is my wealth, Thy name my capital ;
I know none but Thee.
Thy name is my kindred, Thy name my brethren,
Thy name my associates, who will assist me at the last moment.
Saith Kabir, I am a slave to him
Whom God keepeth in the world, but who is indifferent to it.
The following was addressed to a rich man who had offered Kabir money : —
Naked thou earnest and naked shalt thou depart ; None shall remain — not even kings or rulers.
I have the sovereign God as my nine treasures ; Thou hast the love of property, women, and wealth ; But they did not come with thee, nor shall they go with thee.
What availeth thee to have elephants tied at thy gate ? The fortress of Ceylon was made of gold, But what did the fool Rawan take with him ? Saith Kabir, meditate some good acts : The gambler shall depart with empty hands.
God alone is pure.
Impure is Brahma, impure is Indar ; Impure is the sun and impure the moon. This world is defiled with impurity ; Pure is God alone who hath neither end nor limit. Impure are the gods of the worlds ; Impure are nights, days, and months devoted to idolatry. Impure are pearls, impure are diamonds, Impure are wind, fire, and water ; Impure are Shiv, Shankar, and Mahesh ; l Impure are Sidhs, Sadhiks, and those who wear religious garbs ;
Impure are Jogis, and Jangams with their matted hair ; Impure is the body with the soul — Saith Kabir, only those who know God, Are pure and acceptable.
The following was addressed to a hypocritical Muhammadan priest who had advised Kabir to make a pilgrimage to Makka.
Make thy mind thy Kaaba, thy body its enclosing temple, Conscience 2 its prime teacher ; Then, O priest, call men to pray to that mosque Which hath ten gates.
KABIR'S HYMNS 259
Sacrifice1 wrath, doubt, and malice ; Make patience thine utterance of the five prayers. The Hindus and the Musalmans have the same Lord ; What can the Mulla, what can the Shaikh do for man ? Saith Kabir, I have become mad ;
Stealing my mind away from the world I have become blended with God.
Some one represented to Kabir that he was com pletely spoiled by his religious exercises. The following was his reply : —
When a stream is lost in the Ganges, It becometh as the Ganges itself ; Kabir is similarly lost in God by invoking Him ; I have become as the True One and need not go elsewhere. The perfume of the sandal is communicated to other trees ;
They then become as the sandal itself.
When the philosopher's stone is applied to copper,
It becometh gold ;
So Kabir having met the saints,
Hath become as God.
The following was addressed to some Brahmans who had attributed Kabir's contempt for their religious ceremonies to madness.
You wear tilaks on your foreheads, carry rosaries in your hands, and put on sectarial dresses :
People think that God is a plaything — If I am mad, 0 God, I am still Thine. How can people know my secret ? 2 I gather no leaves 3 and I worship no idol ;
S 2
Without devotion to God other worship is fruitless. I worship the True Guru, and ever and ever propitiate Him ;
For such service I shall obtain happiness in His court.
People say Kabir is mad,
But only God knoweth Kabir 's secret.
Kabir renounces both the Hindu and the Muham- madan priests.
Turning away from the world I have forgotten both caste and lineage ;
My weaving is now in the infinite silence.1
I have now no quarrel with any one ;
I have given up both the Pandits and the Mullas.
I weave clothes and I wear them myself ;
Where I see no pride 2 there I sing God's praises.
What the Pandits and the Mullas prescribed for me,
I have received no advantage from, and have abandoned.
My heart being pure 3 I have seen the Lord ;
Kabir having searched and searched himself, hath found God within him.
Kabir when reproached with his poverty replied : —
Nobody respecteth the poor man ;
He may make hundreds of thousands of efforts, but no one will heed him.
If a poor man go to a rich man,
The latter, though opposite him, will turn his back.
If a rich man go to a poor man,
The latter respecteth, yea, inviteth him ;
Yet the poor man and the rich man are brothers :—
God's design4 cannot be set aside.
Saith Kabir, it is he who is poor,
In whose heart the Name abideth not.
KABIR'S HYMNS 261
Worship God betimes.
When man serveth the guru and worshippeth God, It is only then he really hath a human body.1 Even the demigods 2 long for this body ; Therefore having obtained it, Worship God ; forget Him not ; That is the advantage of human birth. Before the disease of old age hath come upon thee, Before Death hath seized thy body, Before thy voice hath grown weak,
0 man, worship God.
If thou worship Him not now, when wilt thou, my brother ?
When the end cometh thou canst not do so.
Whatever thou doest, it is best to do now ;
Otherwise thou shalt not be saved, and shalt afterwards repent.
He is a worshipper whom God applieth to His worship ;
It is he who shall obtain the pure God.
The doors of his understanding shall open to him by meeting the guru,
And he shall not return again by the way of the womb.
This is thine opportunity, this thy time ;
Look into thy heart and reflect on this.
Saith Kabir, 0 man, whether thou win or lose,
1 have many times called out to thee.
In the following Kabir appears to mean that God resides in the brain.
The best knowledge abideth in the city of Shiv ; 3 Having obtained it there, meditate upon God*
• That is, it is only then his human birth is profitable.
Do thou meeting them contemplate God.
And thou shalt know this world and the next. Why should I kill myself performing works of pride ? My attention is fixed on the special place — the brain ; The name of the Sovereign God is my divine knowledge. He who hath closed his sphincter ani,1 Hath placed the moon above the sun.2 At the western gate the sun is hot ; 3 The breath then riseth to the brain from the spine. The western gate is closed by a rock ; 4 There is a window 5 over that rock. Over the window is the tenth gate — Saith Kabir, He who dwelleth there hath neither end nor limit.
Kabir gives his ideas of what a Mulla, a Qazi, and a superior of Jogis ought to be.
He is a Mulla who struggleth with his heart,
Who by the instruction of the guru contendeth with Death,
And crusheth Death's pride.
Salutation ever to that Mulla !
God is present ; why describe Him as distant ?
If thou restrain thy pugnacity, thou shalt obtain the
Beautiful One.
He is a Qazi who pondereth on his body, Who burneth it with divine fire,
And alloweth not his seed to drop even in his dreams — For such a Qazi there is no old age or death- He is an emperor 6 who knoweth how to draw up his two
breaths,7
KABIR'S HYMNS 263
Who recalleth his mind when it goeth abroad, who col- lecteth the army of breaths l in his brain —
Such a one is an emperor, and hath an umbrella over his head.
The Jogis cry out ' Gorakh, Gorakh ' ;
The Hindus repeat ' Ram, Ram ' ;
The Musalmans have Khuda,
But Kabir's God is the All-pervading.
The following hymn, which is a homily against idolatry, is said to have been composed by the fifth Guru from a theme of Kabir.
Vain is his devotion, Who saith a stone is God. Idle shall be his labour Who falleth at the feet of a stone. My God always speaketh ; 2 He bestoweth gifts on all living things. He who is blind knoweth not God who is within him ; He is led away by superstition, and entangleth others. A stone speaketh not, nor bestoweth gifts ; Vain are the ceremonies of idolaters and fruitless their service.
Say what advantage can be gained By anointing a corpse with sandal. If any one roll a corpse in the dirt, What harm can it do the corpse ? Saith Kabir, I proclaim with a loud voice- Understand me, ye infidels and pagans ; The love of other gods hath destroyed many homes, The saints of God are ever happy.
The universal influence of Maya and the means of counteracting it.
The fishes in the water are led by Maya ; 3
The moths round the lamp are influenced by Maya ; Through Maya the elephant feeleth lust ; Creeping things and bumble-bees 1 perish through Maya — My brethren, Maya is so bewitching That she illudeth all living beings — Birds and beasts are imbued with Maya ; She causeth great hardship to the honey-bees ; 2 Horses and camels are saturated with Maya ; The eighty-four Sidhs are the sport of Maya ; The six Jatis are the slaves of Maya ; So are the nine Naths, the sun, and the moon ; Penitents and the supreme Rikhis are lulled by Maya ; In the power of Maya are Death and his five messengers ;3 Dogs and jackals are imbued with Maya ; So are monkeys, leopards, lions, Cats, sheep, and foxes ; Trees and tubers are subject to Maya ; The demigods are saturated with Maya ; So are the ocean, the firmament, and the earth. Saith Kabir, he who hath a belly is subject to Maya ; But man shall be freed from her influence when he hath found a saint.