The Significance of Kashi

Kabir Saheb has been acclaimed as the most outstanding of the Saint poets of the Bhakti Movement and mysticism of the 15th century. Scholars from all over the world have marvelled at the depth and sweep of his insight and the contributions that he has made for entire mankind.

He was one true courageous man, a courageous being, with a heart of a lion. He lived in Varanasi, which is the seat of Hindu orthodoxy and yet he had the courage, devotion and the conviction to say, “If one could attain God, by worshiping stones, I would rather worship the mountains.” And he told all the idol worshippers, “Even dogs are better than all these Gods that you worship. At least dogs offer you some protection and security in the night! What do these Gods offer you?”

He sang throughout his life so that people could understand the complexities of their life and simplify them for a better living. The sheer depth of his realisation and the absolute simplicity of his expression are incomparable. Brute honesty and childlike simplicity; Kabir Saheb manages to put these together.

The wonder becomes even greater on knowing the fact that he was illiterate in the worldly sense, which we call Avidya. At the same time, he was the epitome of Vidya, the true knowledge. There is practically no aspect of human life that remained untouched in his couplets, dohas and bhajans. Acharya Prashant fondly says, “When I am with Kabir Saheb, I feel grateful for being alive; I am grateful I was born so that I could come upon Kabir Saheb.”

With this discourse with Acharya Prashant, immerse yourself into selected verses, dohas and bhajans of Kabir Saheb.