Kabir Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate Kabir, a revered poet and saint. It is believed that the mystic saint was born in 1398 A.D in present-day Varanasi. His birth anniversary is celebrated every year on the full moon day in the month of Jyeshtha, which falls in May or June in the Gregorian calendar. This year Kabir Jayanti falls on June 22. Kabir Das is known for his simple but profound poetry. He promoted self-reflection and social harmony.
Today Kabir’s couplets are a part of the government-run school curriculum. Kabir’s poems were in Sadhukkadi, a dialect which borrows from Braj Bhasha, Awadhi, and Bhojpuri. With time the poems and couplets were translated into other languages.
Kabir’s legacy is carried by Kabir Panth, a religious community based on Kabir’s philosophy of ritual-free devotion, nonviolence, aparigraha (being non-materialistic), and Satya (eternal truth).
Interesting Facts About Sant Kabir
- The exact details of Kabir’s birth and upbringing are unknown. As per a popular legend he was born to a Hindu couple and abandoned before being raised by a Muslim weaver couple.
- Kabir was a weaver and he often used weaving metaphors in his poetry to convey spiritual truths.
- Kabir’s poems were translated into English by Rabindranath Tagore.
- Kabir’s verses are added to Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism.
- Kabir’s mausoleum is in Maghar, Uttar Pradesh.
Famous Couplets By Sant Kabir
- “Bura jo dekhan main chala, bura na milia koy. Jo dil khoja aapna, mujhse bura na koy.(When I started to look for evil, I couldn’t find any. When I started to look inside my heart, I found out that I am the evilest.)”
- “Nindak niyare rakhiye, angan kuti chhaway. Bin paani, sabun bina, nirmal kare subhaye.(Keep critics close to you, they polish your character in the courtyard. Without water or soap, they cleanse and adorn.”
- “Man ke hare hare hai, man ke jeete jeet. Kahe Kabir hari paaiye, man hi ki parateet.(Those who are defeated by the mind are truly defeated, And those who conquer the mind are victorious. Kabir says, one attains God through the realization of the mind itself.)”
- Mala ferat jug bhaya, phira na man ka fer. Kar ka manka daar de, man ka manka fer.(Rotating the rosary beads, ages have passed by, Yet the turning of the mind has not ceased. Let go of the mind’s obsession with actions, And turn the mind towards contemplation.)
- Jab tu aaya jagat mein, log hanse tu roye. Aisi karni na karo, peeche hanse sab koy.(When we are born, everyone laughs but you cry. In your lifetime do such good deeds that when you die people mourn you and cry.)
- Pothi parhi parhi jag mua, pandit bhaya na koy. Ḍhai akhar prem ka, paṛhe so paṇḍit hoy.(Reading books, the world died, No one became a scholar. Understanding the essence of love, Only those who read become scholars).
