Syllabus:
GS1: Indian Culture – Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
Context:
Recently, the Prime Minister paid heartfelt tributes to Sant Kabir Das on his birth anniversary.
More on the News
- The year 2025 marked the 648th birth anniversary of saint Kabir Das.
- Kabir Jayanti, also known as Kabir Prakat Diwas, commemorates the birth anniversary of Sant Kabir Das.
Kabir Das
- He was born in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, with some stories suggesting he was born to a Brahmin mother but raised by a Muslim weaver, a beautiful illustration of the merging of religious influences in his life. He was a Ramananda disciple.
- He was a Nirguna saint who openly criticized the orthodox practices of both Hinduism and Islam.
- Ramananda introduced him to the deeper religious and philosophical principles of both Hinduism and Islam, making him well-versed in Islamic teachings.
- The writings of Kabir Das, also known as ‘bhajans’ and ‘dohas’, advocated for social equality, religious harmony, and spirituality, and were known to have influenced the Bhakti movement in India.
- His work includes Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthavali, and Anurag Sagar; a large number of Kabir’s works were compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, and placed in the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib.
- He was skilled in yogic practices and believed that devotion to God was a strong path to salvation. He urged his followers to maintain a pure heart, free from cruelty, deceit, dishonesty, and insincerity.
- He described Hindus and Muslims as “pots made from the same clay,” highlighting the fundamental unity of all religions. To him, Rama and Allah, temple and mosque, held equal significance.
- Some of his most significant students included Raidas (a tanner), Guru Nanak (a Khatri trader), and Dhanna (a Jat peasant).