Jeevan Darshan: Short Stories
Kabir Saheb Ke Jeevan Darshan
Kabir Saheb Ke Jeevan Darshan
Short Stories
Swami Ramanand’s Mansik Pooja
One day, Swami Ramanand was performing a mansik pooja, his disciples were waiting for him outside of his hut as he was performing the ritual. During mansik poojas, the pujaree (person performing the ritual) performs the ritual in his mind through meditation. Swami Ramanand performed the snaan (ritual bath) of an idol of Lord Krishna and changed the idol’s robes. He placed a holy crown on the idol when he realized that he forgot to put the maalaa (necklace). He thought to himself:
“If I remove the crown, I must perform the snaan again and the auspicious time for the ritual will have passed and I will not be able to perform the ritual; but, if I do not put the maalaa I will have not completed the ritual properly. What should I do?”
Kabir Saheb said from outside the hut:
“Oh Swami, untie the maalaa by removing the closing bead, then place it on the idol and tie it back”
Swami Ramanand was surprised to hear Kabir Saheb’s voice, he took the advice and performed his pooja.
Buffalo reads the Vedas
Once, Swami Ramanand along with all his followers had made a trip all the way to South India to a small locality known as Totadri. There, he had held satsang and given pravachan (sermon). After the satsang, Swami Ramanand had arranged for bhojan (food) for all of his followers and disciples; however, many followers coming from different castes and sects had attended this satsang and the Brahmins who adhered to the caste system refused to eat which those of lower castes. Swami Ramanand did not know what to do; he did not want to upset any of his followers so he declared that those who would be able to recite verses from the Vedas would eat together and those who would not would eat together. He knew that only the Brahmins would be able to recite the Vedas as those from the lower castes were illiterate; moreover, the Shudras and untouchables would not even be allowed to see the pages of the Vedas at that time.
On hearing this, Kabir Saheb thought to teach the Brahmins a lesson. When it was his turn to recite the Vedas, Kabir Saheb said:
“This buffalo shall recite the Vedas on my behalf.”
On seeing this the Brahmins laughed and took it to be nothing but a joke but they were very surprised on hearing the buffalo actually recite and explain the verses of the Vedas! That day, all the followers ate together side by side. When they returned back to Kashi, Swami Ramanand had decided that from now on, he would no longer discriminate against caste and status and would allow anybody to become his disciples; furthermore, he would now teach his disciples the same thing.
Camels on the Road
When Kabir Saheb was brought into the court of the Emperor, Sikandar Lodi, for the first time, the Emperor had said:
“I had summoned you in the morning but you have come in the evening; why have you taken so long to come?”
Kabir Saheb told the Emperor that on his way to the court, he had seen a miracle, he saw a thousand camels travelling on a road as narrow as the breadth of a needle. The Emperor pondered this for a while before saying:
“This is impossible, how can this be so?”
Kabir Saheb said:
“Oh Emperor, on such a road, the entire expansion from the immense skies to the vast earth can be seen as well as the great sun and moon which, let alone a camel, makes even an elephant look small. Is my pupil, through which the image of the camels had travelled, not indeed as small as a needle point?”
The Pandit of Jagnath
As Kabir Saheb became more and more popular, the local Brahmins would conspire and make plans to defame him. One day, to prove himself, Kabir Saheb went to the market holding a liquor bottle with his arms around a woman who happened to in fact be one of his chaste devotees. Amidst the crowd, Kabir Saheb behaved as a drunkard and as such, the people thought that he was a fake and not a real Sadhu. Even his devotees lowered their gaze thinking that he had gone mad. Like this, Kabir Saheb managed to gather a crowd and lead them to the court of Raja Veer Singh Baghela. On seeing Kabir Saheb in such a state, the King was surprised; he did not even go greet Kabir Saheb but instead called upon his guards to have him sent out. As the crowd was watching, Kabir Saheb then decided the time was right; he poured out the contents of the liquor bottle, which in fact happened to be water, onto his feet. On seeing this the King questioned him:
“Oh Saheb, why have you poured out this bottle onto your feet?”
Kabir Saheb replied:
“A very clumsy devotee in the temple of Jagnath of Puri in Odissa had been cooking rice and happened to drop his vessel. The vessel landed onto his feet and burned him so he prayed and I relieved him of his suffering by pouring out this water onto my feet.”
The King sent out his men to verify whether or not this had actually happened. When they returned, they confirmed that a pundit in the temple of Jagnath had in fact spilled his vessel of boiling rice onto his feet but they were miraculously healed. On hearing this, the King and all the people who had seen the incident were amazed at the miracle of Kabir Saheb and no longer doubted his legitimacy.
Chaupaaee
Gopaal Paandaa So Atakaa Banaayo, Phootyo Hai Phatkaasoo Chatakaa Boojhaayo;
Kaahoo Na Taako Vo Yah Bhed Lahure, Kabeer Kabeer Kabeer Kahure.
The pundit of Jaganath, while boiling water, dropped his vessel and sustained burns on his feet which were relieved by Kabir Saheb;
No one had ever seen or heard such a miracle, recite ‘Kabir, Kabir, Kabir.’
(Kabeer Chaaleesaa 26)
Siv (Seu) and Samman
In a locality near Dehli called Hanspur lived two very faithful devotees of Kabir Saheb, Bhakt Samman and his wife, Neki Devi; they also had a son, Siv. They had completely devoted their time to the service of Saints and holy men and would always offer food for them to eat before eating themselves. One day, Kabir Saheb thought to pay them a visit along with some of his followers. On receiving this good news, Samman and Neki realised that there was no food in the house to feed the Saints. Then, Samman and his son, Siv, decided that the only option was to steal some grains. In the night, they had gone to steal from a local merchant’s mill, they entered the mill and stole enough grains to feed the Saints but it so happened that as they were leaving, Siv was caught by the mill’s owner. The merchant had bound him in chains to a pillar, when Samman went to see Siv after the merchant had left, his son told him:
“Oh father, I cannot escape! In the morning they will see my face and this news will spread; people will say that Kabir Saheb’s devotees have become thieves. Sever my head from my body so that they will not be able to recognize me and our family’s honour and the good name of Kabir Saheb can be saved.”
Samman decided to do as his son had said and cut his head off and brought it home. In the morning, the merchant saw the dead body and realized that the thief would no longer be identifiable so he cast the body on the street. Meanwhile, the Saints had come to the home of Samman and Neki who had prepared their meals. Kabir Saheb, who already knew the situation, asked Samman and Neki to join them but the two knew that there was only enough to feed the Saints and so they refused. Kabir Saheb persisted, he asked them to at least allow their son Siv come join them:
Saakhee
Gareeb: – Aao Siv Jeem Lo, Yah Parashaad Ati Prem;
Sheesh Katat Hain Choron Ke, Saadhun Ke Nitya Kshem.
Come Siv and partake loveingly of this holy meal;
Thieves are beheaded but Sadhus (devotees) always remain well and safe.
– Sant Garibdas Ji (Kabeer Kasautee)
On having said this, the head came back to life and answered the call of Kabir Saheb saying:
“Oh Sadguru, my head is here is in this house when my body is cast on the street, how shall I partake in this meal with you?”
Immediately, the body of Siv sprung to life and ran to the home of Samman and Neki to the severed head of Siv and reattached it. For this act of devotion, Kabir Saheb had forgiven the three disciples. The three devotees came to eat along with the Saints and there was no lack of food, the merchant’s stolen grains had also been restored.
Saakhee
Sadguru Ko Kyaa Deejiye, Dene Ko Kuchh Naay;
Siv Ke Sir Ko Santiyo, Sevyo Sees Chadhaay.
What can I give You Oh Sadguru, there is nothing to offer;
In the service of Saints, Siv went so far as to offer his head.
– Sant Garibdas Ji