the mysticism of kabir (great sufi saint and poet of India)

I have been listening to Kabir for quite some time now. You must be wondering listening or reading? well, I had read him during my school days (mostly to get good grades to top the class) and later on, on the internet (as one of the ways to kill some precious office time), but thanks to Beghum Abida Parveen (famous sufi singer from Pakistan) and Gulzaar (lyricist and poet) and Times Music for the wonderful album 'Gulzaar presents Kabir by Abeeda' , The Listening started. As they say if you find a rare jewel, a fountain of joy or something really special the best thing, one might not agree to it immediately, would be to share it with the world. So, here is my effort to do so and since the colloquial Hindi (also called sadhukhadi - a mix of Hindu, Bhojpuri, Braj Bhasha, Awadhi and Rajsthani which became popular during the bhakti and sufi movements in India) may not be commonly understood, a free translation is attempted. Please consider them as an attempt by a tiny earthen lamp to remove darkness to the best of his capacity when the sun has gone down on the western horizon.

sukhiya sab sansaar hai, khaye aur soye
dukhiya das kabir hai, jaage aur roye
look at the joy of the world
that eats, drinks and sleeps in peace
fated but is poor Kabir
stays awake and cries
(very beautiful couplet that shows the differences between the state (days and nights) of the seeker and of non-seekers. Kabir says, these people of the world are lucky, as compared to seekers like him. Guru Nagendranath Bhaduri of Bengal used to say " the people of the world are real renunciants, not me. I have only given up a few stones(property, diamonds etc.), metals(gold, silver), rupee notes and other comforts of the world for everlasting bliss . But these people have renounced the creator of all these things for a few comforts of the world"
Even Buddha wonders at his dissuader, a friend of his " My friend you must be of strong heart: for after seeing all three (old age, disease and death) you still can indulge in the pleasures of the world. My house is on fire (his mind is perturbed), and surely one can not be condemned for running (his act of leaving his kingdom, riches, post and his family in search of the truth) out of the house on fire."

jo kachhu kiya so tum kiya, main kachhu kiya nahin
kaha kahoon jo main kiya, tum hi the mujh mahin
what is done, is by you lord
none by me
if any i claim the otherwise
you only did through me

man laago yaar fakiri mein...( o mind! devote yourself to austerities)
bura bhala sab ko sun lijo
kar gujran garibi mein
रूखा सूखा खायीके ठंडा पानी पीयो |
देख परायी चोपदी मत लाल्चावे जीयो ||
कबीरा सो धन संचीये, जो आगे को होए|
शीश चढाये गठरी, जात न देखा कोए ||
akhir ye tan khaak milega
kyon phirta magroori mein
man laago yaar fakiri mein...

माला कहे है काठ की, तू क्यों फेरे मोहे |
मन का मनका फेर दे, सो तुरत मिला दूँ तोहे ||
कहे कबीर सुनो भाई साधो,
साहिब मिले सबुरी में
मन लागो यार फकीरी में |

kabira ret sindoor, ur kajar diya na jaye
nainan pritam ram raha, duja kahan samaye

karta tha to kyon raha, ab kahe pachtaye
bove ped babol ka, aam kahan se khaye

sahib sun sab hot hai, bande te kachhu nahin
rai te parvat kare, parvat rai mahin

jyon til mahin tel hai, jyon chakmak mein aag
tera sain tujhme base, jaag sake to jaag
like the hidden oil in the oilseed
and the fire in the firestone
the 'kingdom of lord' lies within you
realise this if you can

this is one thing that all regions unequivocally state -
know that the kingdom of God lies within you - Christ in New testament
al haq ( i am that) - bulleh shah, sufi saint
and kabir puts it in his inimitable style

Moko Kahan Dhundhere Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein

Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein
Na Ekant Niwas Mein
Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein
Na Kabe Kailas Mein
Mein To Tere Paas Mein Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein

Na Mein Jap Mein, Na Mein Tap Mein
Na Mein Barat Upaas Mein
Na Mein Kiriya Karm Mein Rehta
Nahin Jog Sanyas Mein
Nahin Pran Mein Nahin Pind Mein
Na Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Mein Prakuti Prawar Gufa Mein
Nahin Swasan Ki Swans Mein

Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon
Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Mein To Hun Viswas Mein

ah ! need no explanation...what realisation...what truth !!
nainan(eye) ki kar kothdi, putli(iris) palang(bed) bichaye
palkon(eyelid) ki chit darke, pi(beloved) ko liya rijhaye

nainan antar aao to, nain jhamp tohe lyun
na main dekhun aur ko, na tohe dekhan jyun

mala(rosary) to phire kar(hand) mein, jeebh(toungue) phire mukh maahin
man(mind) bapu chahun(everywhere) dis phire, yeh to sumiran naahin

what kind of prayer is this
with the mind scattered and disturbed?
only the tongue moves in the mouth,
mechanically the rosary is revolved.


mati(clay) kahe kumhaar(potter) se, tu kyon raunden mohe
ek din aisa ayega main raundoongi(grind) tohe

at the inevitability of time-i wonder,
the diligent potter ploughs the clay
of which he is made up of
and would sure return to one day

yeh tan(body) vish(poison) ki belari(creeper), guru amrit(nectar) ki khaan(reservoir)
shish(head) diye guru mile, phir bhi sasti(cheap bargain) jaan(know)

gods be praised
a cheap bargain i made today
traded my being dry and dead
for the elixir of teacher's grace

sab dharti(land) kaagad(paper) karoon, lekhan(quill) sab panraye(trees)
saat samundra(ocean) ki syahi(ink) karun, guru gun (virtues/grace) likha na jaye
the greatness and kindness of a satguru (teacher) is explained here

the greatness of my teacher
mere words can describe not
even if use all landmass as canvass
and all oceans and ink pot

jab lag naata jagat (world) ka, tab lag bhagati (devotion) na hoye
naata (ties) tode hari bhaje, bhagat kahave soye

till the ties of the corporeal tie us
no devotion could percolate our hearts
he only is a devotee true
all ties of delusion who ruthlessly cuts


jab main tha hari nahin, ab hari hai main naahin
jab andhiyara mit gaya, deepak der kamanhi
There is another version of it. I dont know which is correct but both convey beautiful meanings themselves
jab main tha hari nahin, ab hari hai main naahin
prem gali ati saankri, tate do na samahin.

don't be surprised, seeing one pair of footsteps
on the wet sand covered narrow street.
we can not walk side by side here as two;
our beings get merged, what to say of feet

now the Lord has filled up the spaces
where ego used to hide
can they ever co-exist
darkness and light ?

souun (sleep) to sapne milun, jagun to man manhi
lochan ratein sab ghadi, bisurat (separated) kabhun nahi

meet me in my dreams when asleep
within the privacy of my heart when awake.
ever in the range of the inner eye,
let me not for a minute be separate.


साधू कहावत कठीन है , ऊंचा पेड़ खुजूर |
चढ़े तो चाखे प्रेम रस , गीरे तो चकनाचूर ||

to be a saint is no task easy
like the tall palm tree, the path lies
reach the top and taste the fruit,
or fall and shatter into pieces.


sadhoo bhooka bhav(feeling) ka, dhaan (money) ka bhooka nahin
jo dhan ka bhooka (hungry) hoye, wo to sadhoo (saint) nahin

the saint craves not for lucre,
feelings, his only bait.
one who feeds on money,
call him any but saint.


mariye (to die) to mar jayiye choot pade janjal(farce)
aisa marna kya bhala din mein sau(hundred) sau bar

echoes the same spirit as - cowards die many times

'tis better that death be embraced once
and the farce of life be got rid of
than numerous times a day
of fear, humiliation and death thereof.

bhala(good) hua meri matki(pot) phooti re
main to pania(water) bharan se chooti re

kabir talks about death, the routine of life and activities we do to sustain our body in form of allegory of a broken pot.

thank you O Lord! for kindness
that this earthen pitcher is broken.
no more filling it up
no routine guards now and worries none

mali(gardener) awat dekh ke kaliyan(buds) karen pukaar(shout)
phool(flower) phool chun liye, kaal hamari baar (turn)

the tiny buds watch perturbed,
plucking of fully blossomed flowers.
today the gardener chooses them,
tommorrow, it is surely us.

bura(evil) jo dekhan main chala, bura na milya koi
jo dil (heart) khoja apna, ta mujh sa bura na koi

i looked at the world around
an evil one but, could not find,
gazing inwards realized, none worse
than the evil inside my mind.


shabad shabad har koi kahe, shabad(words) ke haath na paon,
ek shabad aoshudh(medicine) kare, ek shabad kir ghaav(wound)

no limbs or armory they have
these words, words all around
some do the anointment,
some inflict wounds profound.