Monday, April 23, 2007

Kabir.



And how could I forget Kabir Das; the Mystic,Seer, Poet; whose simple yet profound Dohas(couplets) and poetry made so much sense to me when I read them at my Hindi lessons at school. ( while most else did not!) His spirituality is a resplendent example of Bhakthi Yoga but I see Jnana Yoga( The Yoga of Knowledge. More on this later..) embedded in his Bhakthi as well. His poetry is replete with Vedanta philosophy. This makes him all the more fascinating.


Popular legend has it that Kabir was born a Hindu and raised Muslim, the fact remains that both Hindus and Muslims revered him, while the former considered him a Bhakti saint the latter called him a Sufi.


His work has to be read in the original or better still, heard sung, for the beauty to be appreciated but I give you a translation( By Rabindranath Tagore) of one of the poems I love. 'Bande' means friend not servant ,actually. Do not understand why Tagore translated it as Servant, maybe because 'band' is Hindi means 'bound'

and 'bande' could be one who is bonded' or a servant?


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 MeinNa Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Mein Prakuti Prawar Gufa MeinNahin Swasan Ki Swans Mein
Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho Mein To Hun Viswas Mein


O servant where dost thou seek me
O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
Lo ! I am beside thee.
I am neither in temple nor in mosque: I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash:
Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me: thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabir says, ' O Sadhu ! God is the breath of all breath.'


For more on Kabir click here




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You said, "The Hindi is 'Bande' which means one who is bonded."



I think you are mistaken.

Bande is used in the sense of person/friend/pal/dude/guy!
(I suspect Bande is a rude dialect form of Bandhu.)

So the first line should read:
Where do you seek me, pal? I am right next to you.

Bindu said...

You are absolutely correct. In fact I realised that just after I paoted it. Then could'nt get around to doing it. I'll make the correction right away. Thank you, Bande!