Bhagat Kabir (1398-?) (ਕਬੀਰ) was one of the foremost radicals of the Bhakti Movement era who broke away from the Bhakti school of thought along with 14 others to establish a separate spiritual paradigm. In hindsight, these 15 mavericks were hampered by the otherworldliness of the Bhakti credo, the residues of which they were unable to shake off. This disallowed them from enjoining wholehearted involvement in the empirical world and nearly nullified their humanist stance after their deaths. From Guru Nanak onwards, the Sikh Gurus up until Guru Arjan collated their surviving writings and incorporated them in the Guru Granth. The principle they followed was one of compare and contrast with the most conspicuous difference being the Gurus rejection of renunciation. However, this is not to claim that the compositions of these 15 were outright dismissed. Their importance lies in their obviation of religious dogma and their clear-cut stance against the fallacious Pujari cliques.
Verse:
Kabir’s verse on Ang. 1350 of the Guru Granth has been continually misinterpreted to allege that he was an adherent of Hindu/Islamic soteriology.
ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹੁ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
“Do not insult the Vedas and the Biblical Books by calling them false. False are they who do not study them…”
-Guru Granth, 1350.
Consecutive lines are misinterpreted to justify the stance that Sikhi espouses vegetarianism.
ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਮੁਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
“If there is one Lord and Master in all Beings, then why kill a hen”?
-Ibid.
It is crucial to note here that Kabir himself proclaims:
ਬੇਦ ਕੀ ਪੁਤ੍ਰੀ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਸਾਂਕਲ ਜੇਵਰੀ ਲੈ ਹੈ ਆਈ ॥੧॥ ਆਪਨ ਨਗਰੁ ਆਪ ਤੇ ਬਾਧਿਆ ॥ ਮੋਹ ਕੈ ਫਾਧਿ ਕਾਲ ਸਰੁ ਸਾਂਧਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਕਟੀ ਨ ਕਟੈ ਤੂਟਿ ਨਹ ਜਾਈ ॥ ਸਾ ਸਾਪਨਿ ਹੋਇ ਜਗ ਕਉ ਖਾਈ ॥੨॥ ਹਮ ਦੇਖਤ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਲੂਟਿਆ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਮੈ ਰਾਮ ਕਹਿ ਛੂਟਿਆ ॥੩॥੩੦॥
“The Simritees emanate from the Vedas. They chain the seeker with hollow ritualism and obliterate their intelligence. Their strength is such that neither can they be cut off nor do they depart by themselves. The Simritees and their counterparts are serpents. They consume their followers after strangling them. I bear witness to these serpents plundering the world. Kabir has only escaped through divine mercy.”
-Guru Granth, 329.
Is Kabir contradicting himself here? Or are we being misled by vested interests? Let us look at the original verse in Gurmukhi:
ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹੁ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਮੁਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
ਮੁਲਾਂ ਕਹਹੁ ਨਿਆਉ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥
ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥
ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥੨॥
ਕਿਆ ਉਜੂ ਪਾਕੁ ਕੀਆ ਮੁਹੁ ਧੋਇਆ ਕਿਆ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਸਿਰੁ ਲਾਇਆ ॥
ਜਉ ਦਿਲ ਮਹਿ ਕਪਟੁ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਹੁ ਕਿਆ ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
ਤੂੰ ਨਾਪਾਕੁ ਪਾਕੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੂਝਿਆ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਮਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥
ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਤੇ ਚੂਕਾ ਦੋਜਕ ਸਿਉ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥੪॥
The established practice here, in Gurudwaras particularly, is to relate convoluted tales of dubious origins to explain Kabir’s seemingly contradictory stance. However, the Gurus established a salient principle namely:
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਾਇ ॥
“The Guru’s Bani (teachings) can only be comprehended through the Bani itself…”
-Guru Granth, 1346.
What are we to make of Kabir’s words in light of the above? The relevant Gurbani formulas to utilize here are:
-Rahaao sans Rahaao.
Rahaao:
The Rahaao principle is applicable wherever it is mentioned. For this verse, it is mentioned in the first half:
ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਕਹਹੁ ਮਤ ਝੂਠੇ ਝੂਠਾ ਜੋ ਨ ਬਿਚਾਰੈ ॥
ਜਉ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਏਕੁ ਖੁਦਾਇ ਕਹਤ ਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਮੁਰਗੀ ਮਾਰੈ ॥੧॥
ਮੁਲਾਂ ਕਹਹੁ ਨਿਆਉ ਖੁਦਾਈ ॥
ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The Rahaao verse is the gist with the Gurus emphasizing that all simplifications translate the Rahaao line first and foremost. In this case it is:
ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
“Your mind’s doubts have still not been dispelled.”
In light of the latter, what is Kabir saying?
“Your mind’s doubts have still not been dispelled.”
Why have they not been dispelled? Now come the first lines:
“The Indic and Abrahamic Books vilify (our) intellects as being false. But false are they who do not comprehend matters for themselves. Indeed, if one Lord and Master is said to be in all then tell me why you slay your hen in the name of faith”?
How does Kabir deduce that the individual who he is conversing with practices ritual sacrifice? Further:
“Tell me if this is a Divine Being’s justice? Your mind’s doubts have still not been dispelled.”
Rahaao sans Rahaao:
What exactly is the “justice” being referred to here and how does this correspond with ritual sacrifice?
ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥
ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥੨॥
ਕਿਆ ਉਜੂ ਪਾਕੁ ਕੀਆ ਮੁਹੁ ਧੋਇਆ ਕਿਆ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਸਿਰੁ ਲਾਇਆ ॥
ਜਉ ਦਿਲ ਮਹਿ ਕਪਟੁ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਹੁ ਕਿਆ ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
ਤੂੰ ਨਾਪਾਕੁ ਪਾਕੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੂਝਿਆ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਮਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥
ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਤੇ ਚੂਕਾ ਦੋਜਕ ਸਿਉ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥੪॥
Our concern, for now, is primarily with:
ਪਕਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਆਨਿਆ ਦੇਹ ਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਕਉ ਬਿਸਮਿਲਿ ਕੀਆ ॥
ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪ ਅਨਾਹਤ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਹੁ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਕਿਆ ਕੀਆ ॥੨॥
“You catch a breathing creature and bring it home. Chanting your credo, you slit its neck. But you have performed halal only on a body born from dust. The soul is said to be eternal. Your sacrifice, then, is essentially pointless.”
A perfect omnipresent and omniscient Creator who resides in every soul can be accused of hypocrisy if they mandate ritualistic sacrifice. Who is one dedicating the sacrifice to (vegetarian/non-vegetarian)? Is not the Creator already permeating the sacrificial victim’s soul? Why the conspicuous performance?
ਕਿਆ ਉਜੂ ਪਾਕੁ ਕੀਆ ਮੁਹੁ ਧੋਇਆ ਕਿਆ ਮਸੀਤਿ ਸਿਰੁ ਲਾਇਆ ॥
ਜਉ ਦਿਲ ਮਹਿ ਕਪਟੁ ਨਿਵਾਜ ਗੁਜਾਰਹੁ ਕਿਆ ਹਜ ਕਾਬੈ ਜਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
“For if your Maker, as per your Books and their Books, is omniscient and omnipresent than what good are your ritualistic prayers and pilgrims? Where are your virtues and where is your pure heart?”
ਤੂੰ ਨਾਪਾਕੁ ਪਾਕੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੂਝਿਆ ਤਿਸ ਕਾ ਮਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥
ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਤੇ ਚੂਕਾ ਦੋਜਕ ਸਿਉ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੪॥੪॥
“Whatever Books you read and how many times you read them, you are still impure. Let alone the Maker, you dream of paradise but your way is paved to hell.”
What then is Kabir saying in a nutshell?
“The Abrahamic and Indic scriptures deride the human intellect. But they who do not use their intellect for introspection, they are truly worthy of derision. The scriptures and their keepers talk of a perfect God permeating each and every living Being. Yet they perform ritual sacrifices of animated and non-animated Beings, claiming this is the will of God. Tell me, where is the justice in all this? For if God permeates, then is he not aware of what is being done? Why then does he push you into delusions in his name? What are you sacrificing? Dust and more dust?
The soul you claim to be eternal. Tell me then what have you sacrificed to God? Dust and dust alone? If your Maker is omnipresent and omniscient then why do you undertake pilgrims and perform prayers for special favors? Where are your virtues and where is your pure heart? Whatever religious Books you read and how many times, you will still be impure for they mislead you. Whatever delusion of paradise you follow, it is but hell.”
If indeed Kabir had desired to sanctify the mentioned scriptures, he would have utilized ਨਾ rather than the more specific ਮਤ.