Kabir Das: Selected Verse with Explanations

 

Introduction

Kabir was one of the most influential mystic poets of medieval India and a central figure of the Bhakti movement. Traditionally believed to have been born in Varanasi and raised in a family of Muslim weavers, Kabir occupies a unique position between Hindu and Islamic spiritual traditions. His poetry reflects a deep engagement with both Bhakti (devotional Hinduism) and Sufi mysticism, yet he strongly rejected sectarian identities and ritualistic practices.

Kabir’s compositions are primarily found in the Bijak, the Kabir Granthavali, and in the Adi Granth of the Sikhs. Written in simple vernacular Hindi (often called Sadhukkari), his verses are direct, aphoristic, and rich in metaphor. He criticized empty religious formalism, caste discrimination, idol worship, and dogmatic theology. Instead, he emphasized inner purity, personal devotion, and the realization of a formless God (Nirguna Brahman).

Verse 1

 मोको कहाँ ढूँढ़े बंदे, मैं तो तेरे पास में।

ना तीरथ में, ना मूरत में, ना एकांत निवास में।
ना मैं मंदिर में, ना मैं मस्जिद में, ना काबे कैलाश में।

ना मैं जप में, ना मैं तप में, ना मैं व्रत-उपास में।
ना मैं क्रिया-क्रम में रहता, ना ही योग संन्यास में।

नहीं प्राण में नहीं पिंड में, ना ब्रह्मांड आकाश में।
ना मैं त्रिकुटी भंवर में, सब स्वांसों के स्वास में।

खोजी होए तो तुरत मिलिहौं, पल भर की ही तलाश में।
कहै कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, सब स्वांसों के स्वास में॥

 

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.
Kabîr says, "O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath."

Explanation: This poem by Kabir Das conveys the idea that God is not found in external rituals, religious places, or formal spiritual practices. Kabir rejects the belief that God resides only in temples, mosques, pilgrimages, idols, fasting, chanting, yoga, or renunciation. He criticizes outward religious formalities and sectarian divisions.

Instead, the poet emphasizes that the Divine exists within every human being — in every breath and in inner consciousness. God is not distant or hidden in sacred geography but is immediately accessible to anyone who sincerely seeks with true awareness.

The central message of the poem is that spiritual realization comes through inner awakening, not through external ceremonies. If a seeker looks within with genuine devotion and understanding, God can be realized instantly.

Verse-2

संतन जात ना पूछो निरगुनियाँ।
साध ब्राहमन साध छत्तरी, साधै जाती बनियाँ।
साधनमां छत्तीस कौम है, टेढी तोर पुछनियाँ।
साधै नाऊ साधै धोबी, साधै जाति है बरियाँ।
साधनमां रैदास संत है, सुपच ऋषि सों भंगिया।
हिंदू-तुर्क दुई दीन बने हैं, कछू ना पहचानियाँ॥

It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs; 
For the priest, the warrior, the tradesman, and all the thirty-six castes, alike are seeking for God.
It is but folly to ask what the caste of a saint may be;
The barber has sought God, the washerwoman, and the carpenter--
Even Raidas was a seeker after God.
The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by caste.
Hindus and Moslems alike have achieved that End, where remains no mark of distinction.

 Verse 8

इस घट अंतर बाग़-बग़ीचे, इसी में सिरजनहारा।

इस घट अंतर सात समुंदर, इसी में नौ लख तारा।

इस घट अंतर पारस मोती, इसी में परखन हारा।

इस घट अंतर अनहद गरजै, इसी में उठत फुहारा।

कहत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, इसी में साँई हमारा॥

WITHIN this earthen vessel are bowers and groves, and within it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
And within this vessel the Eternal soundeth, and the spring wells up.
Kabîr says: "Listen tome, my Friend! My beloved Lord is within."

Explanation: In these lines  Kabir Das expresses the mystical idea that the entire universe exists within the human body and soul. Kabir uses symbolic imagery to explain that within this “body” (घट), there are gardens, oceans, countless stars, precious jewels, and even the Creator Himself. These images represent spiritual richness, divine presence, and infinite consciousness within every human being.

He further refers to the “अनहद नाद” (unstruck divine sound), suggesting an inner spiritual vibration experienced through deep meditation. The poem emphasizes that God is not outside in the physical world but resides within the self.

The central message is that true spiritual realization comes from inner exploration. The Divine (Sāīñ) is present within us, and by turning inward, one can discover the ultimate truth and unity with God.

Verse 12

हंसा करो पुरातन बात

कोन देस से आया हंसा उतरना कोने घाट

कहाँ हंंसा बिसराम किया है कहाँ लगाए आस

अबही हंंसा चेत सबेरा चलो हमारे साथ

संसय-सोक वहाँ नहि व्यापै नही काल कै त्रास

हिआँ मदन-बन फूल रहे हैं आवे सोहं बास

मन भँवरा जहँ अरूझ रहे है सुख की ना अभीलास

From what land do you come, O Swan? to what shore will you fly?

Where would you take your rest, O Swan, and what do you seek?
Even this morning, O Swan, awake, arise, follow me!
There is a land where no doubt nor sorrow have rule: where the terror of Death is no more.
There the woods of spring are a-bloom, and the fragrant scent "He is I" is borne on the wind:
There the bee of the heart is deeply immersed, and desires no other joy.

Explanation: In this poem, Kabir uses the metaphor of a “hansa” (swan) to represent the human soul. The swan is portrayed as a traveler who has come from an unknown land and must eventually return. Through a series of reflective questions, Kabir asks: From which country has the soul come? At which shore will it depart? Where does it find rest, and where does it place its hope?

Kabir urges the soul to awaken before it is too late (“now it is dawn, come with us”). This symbolizes spiritual awakening. He invites the seeker to move toward a higher spiritual realm where there is no doubt, sorrow, fear, or the terror of death (“where suspicion and grief do not exist, nor the fear of time”).

The poem contrasts this eternal realm with the worldly domain described as a garden of desire (“madan-ban”), where flowers of attraction bloom and the fragrance of ego (“soham”) spreads. Here, the mind is compared to a bee entangled in these flowers, absorbed in worldly pleasures and desires, unaware of true spiritual bliss.

Overall, the poem conveys Kabir’s central message:
Human life is temporary, and the soul must awaken from worldly attachments and seek union with the Divine. True peace lies beyond material desires, in spiritual realization.

Explanation in Hindi: ऐ हंस, अपनी पुरानी कहानी सुनाओ. तुम किस देश से आए हो, ऐ हंस! और किस घाट उतरोगे. तुम कहाँ आराम करोगे, ऐ हंस! और तुम्हें किसकी खोज है. अभी सवेरा है, ऐ हंस! अब तो चेत जाओ और हमारे साथ चलो, एक ऐसी जगह है जहाँ शोक और संशय का नाम नहीं है, मौत का डर नहीं है. वहाँ कामदेव का बन फूल रहा है और ब्रहम के साथ जीव की अभिन्नता की सुगंध फैली हुई है; वहाँ मन का भँवरा मस्ती में गुन्जन कर रहा है. इसके बाद किसी और सुख की अभिलाषा नहीं है.

Verse 53

कौन मुरली शब्द सुन आनंद भयौ

जोत जर बिन बाती

बिना मूल के कमल प्रगट भयौ

फुलवा फूलत भाँति भाँती

जैसे चकोर चन्द्रमा चितवै

जैसे चातृक स्वाँती

तैसे सन्त सुरत के हो के

हो गये जनम सँघाती

WHAT is that flute whose music thrills me with joy?

The flame burns without a lamp;

The lotus blossoms without a root; 
Flowers bloom in clusters;
The moon-bird is devoted to the moon;
With all its heart the rain-bird longs for the shower of rain;
But upon whose love does the Lover concentrate His entire life?

Explanation: In this poem, Kabir describes the experience of spiritual awakening and divine realization through symbolic imagery. He speaks of hearing a mysterious “flute sound” that fills the soul with deep joy. This sound represents the inner, divine music — the spiritual call that awakens the seeker.

Kabir then refers to a light that burns without a wick and a lotus that blooms without roots. These paradoxical images symbolize the self-existent and eternal nature of divine truth. The spiritual light does not depend on any material source, and true enlightenment arises beyond worldly foundations.

The blooming flowers of many kinds represent the blossoming of spiritual virtues and inner happiness after realization. Kabir compares the devotee’s intense focus on God to the chakor bird gazing at the moon and the chatak bird longing only for the pure Swati raindrop. These images express unwavering devotion and single-minded love for the Divine.

In the final lines, Kabir suggests that when a saint concentrates fully on God, the soul becomes eternally united with the Divine. This union removes separation and brings lasting spiritual companionship and bliss.

Overall, the poem conveys Kabir’s central message that true joy and fulfillment come from inner spiritual realization and complete devotion to God.

Explanation in Hindi:  यह कौन सी मुरली बज रही है जिसे सुनकर मैं आनंद-विभोर हो गया. बत्ती नहीं है लेकिन ज्योति जल रही है. जड़ नहीं है लेकिन कमल खिल रहा है. रंग-बिरंगे फूल हँस रहे हैं. जैसे चकोर चंद्रमा को देखता है और चातक स्वांति कि बूँद की आस लगाए रहता है वैसे ही उससे प्रेम (सुरत) हो जाने पर मेरा संतों में जन्म-भर का सथ हो गया है.

Verse 69

जो खोदाय मसजीद बसतु है और मुलुक कहै केरा

तीरथ-मूरत राम-निवासी बाहर करे को हेरा

पूरब दिसा हरी कौ बासा पच्छिम अलह मुकामा

दिल में खोज दिल हि में खोजौ इहैं करीमा-रामा

जेते औरत-मरद उपानी सो सब रूप तुम्हारा

'कबीर' पोगड़ा अलह-राम का सो गुरू पीर हमारा

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

 Explanation: In this poem, Kabir challenges narrow religious beliefs and external forms of worship. He questions the idea that God resides only in a mosque, asking: If God (Khuda) lives only in the mosque, then who governs the rest of the world? Similarly, he questions the Hindu belief that God resides only in temples and idols.

Kabir criticizes the tendency of people to search for God in specific directions — Hindus believing that God lives in the East, and Muslims thinking that Allah resides in the West (Mecca). Through this contrast, Kabir exposes the limitations of sectarian thinking.

He then offers his central message: God should be searched for within one’s own heart — “Search in the heart, search within the heart; there resides both Karim and Ram.” By using both Islamic (Karim, Allah) and Hindu (Ram, Hari) names for God, Kabir emphasizes the unity of the Divine beyond religious divisions.

In the concluding lines, Kabir states that all men and women are manifestations of the same Divine form. Therefore, the true spiritual guide (Guru or Pir) is the one who understands and teaches this unity of Allah and Ram.

Explanation in Hindi: अगर ख़ुदा सिर्फ़ मस्जिद में बसता है तो यह दुनिया किसकी है. अगर राम सिर्फ़ तीर्थ स्थानों की मूर्तियों में दिखाई देता है तो फिर उस स्थान के बाहर क्या हो रहा है. हरि पूरब में बसता है और अल्लाह का बास पश्चिम में है. मैं कहता हूँ अपने दिल में झाँक कर देखो करीम और राम दोनों यहाँ मिलेंगे. औरत और मर्द उसकी जीती जागती तस्वीरें हैं, वह सब तुम्हारे अपने रूप हैं. ‘कबीर’ अल्लाह और राम दोनों का बालक है और वही हमारा गुरू है, वही हमारा पीर है.