International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)

Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081

Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

A Study on Ideals of Kabir Das and His Contribution in Human Unity

Vinod Dhakde
Research Scholar

Abstract: Famous as a pioneer of the liberal social system, Saint Kabir Das was one of the major
indices of the medieval Bhakti movement. Although permanent evidence is not available, according
to most beliefs, the poet Kabir Das was born in Kashi (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) in the mid-15th
century. The details of Kabir's life is still unknown till date. As far as recorded, there are stories of
Kabir's birth mystery has a similar trail found in Biblical texts. Among his most famous writings are
his Doha or couplets and poems that sometimes refer the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib. Kabir
was deeply focused on his spiritual knowledge. In Davistan in Mosinfani and Aineakbari in Abu'l-
Fazur, he is called "Muwahid" or "Believer of God." He criticized both Hinduism and Islam, the
former as per him being misinterpretation of the Vedas. He frequently questioned meaningless
rituals such as sacred threads and circumcision. Kabir is a brave pioneer, a great pioneer in the
unification of the Hindu and Muslim communities of India, an apostle of human faith, and taught
that God has been revealed to all of humanity. Although his life is a mystery and lesser known, his
contribution as a social and religious reformer has become a promoter of social progress and laid a
solid foundation for modern society. However, the implementation of Kabir's philosophy is still
incomplete and uninterpreted. With the inspiration of this gap, the current review of Kabir Das's
ideals and contributions to human unity takes into account the legendary saint's theory and view of
human unity as an important element of a stable and constructive society.

Keywords: ideals of kabir das, kabir's ideals on human unity, 15th century bhakti movement, kabir’s
philosophies

Kabir Das, these problems exist. Therefore,

1. Introduction this review attempts to rejuvenate Kabir's
ideals of Human Unity that he considered as
The current society where we all are living the bedrock of peaceful and constructive
these days is considered to have progressed society. At the beginning, the primary areas
and has abundant space of inclusion and should be described as background to bring
liberalism. Yet, we find facts still now that better understandability to the review
reveals abundant instances of discriminations, discussed later in this paper.
injustice and lack of morality among people
to erupt violence and severe conflicts. This 1.1 Life of Kabir Das and His Evolution
context certainly make us look back to the as a Saint Poet
historic personalities and reforms that took
place to uplift people and the society from Kabir, a 15th-century identity, belonged to the
their downtrodden state. One such personality Julaha society, who led his life on hard work
is Kabir Das, known to be the central figure to sustain himself and his family. He was not
of 15th century Bhakti Movement, where he a traditional saint who were away from social
along with many other profound progressive liabilities [12]. Theories about his birth are
philosophers, Tulsidas, Surdas, Meerabai and contradictory, making it difficult to draw any
others protested on society's backwardness conclusions. Saint Kabir Das was the son of a
and rigidity in the name of caste differences, Brahmin woman, according to popular belief.
belief in God and moral values. Even today, His mother abandoned him as a baby leaving
although not as consistent as the days of him near a water reservoir. A Muslim weaver
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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

named Niru from Banaras discovered him and principles, he was opposed to the caste
took him home. His wife raised the youngster structure imposed by the Hindu community,
as if he were her own son. Kabir was the as well as the idea of worshipping divine
name given to the child. idols. In against, he promoted Vedantic Atman
He had gone to Meghar near the end of his notions. He was a supporter of the Sufi's
life, despite the fact that he lived in Kashi, to simple lifestyle. Check out his poems and
dispute the traditional notion that "to die in two-line lines known as Dohas, which speak
Kashi would deserve admittance to heaven to his mind and spirit, to get a good sense of
and to die in Meghar would lead to hell." sant Kabir's philosophy.
Kabir lacked a scientific education but was a
revolutionary with wise ideas. He aspired to 1.3 Bhakti Movement and Role played
become a chela (disciple) of Ramananda, a by Kabir Das
well-known saint in Varanasi, to satisfy his
spiritual thirst. According to Khajinat al- The Bhakti movement was where the vast
Asafiya, Kabir was taught by a Sufi pir named Vedantic vision's full ramifications were
Shaikh Taqqi. Kabir's teaching and clearly revealed. The basic message of this
philosophy are heavily influenced by Sufism. massive religious movement was twofold:
In Varanasi, there is a neighbourhood called first, caste (and group) issues are
Kabir Chaura that is thought to be where he meaningless; whoever is devoted to God is
grew up [15]. God's blessed. Second, it was unanimously
His ideas were both practical and affirmed that pure selfless devotion (bhakti),
unconventional. He was a saint, poet, mystic, not ceremonies or knowledge (jnana), is the
profound thinker, social reformer, and other true religion or path to God [13].
things all rolled into one [12]. He was a In his role in the Bhakti Movement of the
common man who spoke the common man's 15th century, Kabir taught to follow the road
dialect, walked with them, taught them, and of equality and harmony. Kabir raised
lived like them. His occupation was weaving, awareness about the need to eliminate
and his life aim was to weave the human discrimination in society. Mahatma Gandhi,
civilization into a "well-knit human network" Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Dr. Bhim Rao
in all of its dimensions. Ambedkar, Ram Manohar Lohia are among
others [11], all followed the same beliefs.
1.2 Philosophies and Teachings of Kabir Kabir pushed for syncretism (the mixing of
Das religions), which he believes will assist to
alleviate societal inequity. Love, honesty,
Kabir's poetry reflects his personal truth, faith in oneself, fostering reflection, and
philosophy on life. His writings were mostly other simple characteristics were emphasised
concerned with reincarnation and karma [11]. by Kabir. He campaigned against socio-
He was a firm believer in living a simple life. economic injustice.
He was a firm believer in the concept of Kabir was an outspoken opponent of caste.
God's oneness. He was a proponent of the He emphasised that everyone was created
'Koi bole Ram Ram Koi Khudai' concept. The equal in God's creation. He counselled his
primary goal was to transmit the word that followers to abandon unnatural habits such as
there is only one God who created this untouchability, high and low sentiments, and
beautiful universe, regardless of whether you so forth. He was also against idol prayers, as
shout the name of a Hindu God or a Muslim well as the worship of various gods and
God. When it came to Kabir Das' views and goddesses, as well as religious rituals and
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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

ceremonies. Kabir was a vehement opponent He always urged people to be sympathetic to

of hypocrisy and despised those who had two other living beings and to love
sets of norms. unconditionally. Kabir had decried that
He highlighted that love was the only means unbearable state of injustice, as he stated [15]
by which the entire human race could be
united in an unbreakable bond of brotherhood. Karni karni sab kahe, karni maahe bibek
He urged everyone to let go of animosity and Veha karni bahe jaan dey, jo nahin parkhe ek
continue to love one another. He emphasised
the importance of being in the company of That is, justice entails treating everyone
decent people who uphold ideals and ethics. equally, as taught by Sant Kabir in his
Kabir Das' writings, which include titles like couplets.
Kabir Granthawali, Bijak, Anurag Sagar, and
Sakhi Granth, had a significant impact on the Contribution of Kabir Das to the Nation
Bhakti movement. Guru Granth Sahib, the
scripture of Sikhism, contains his verses. He Saint Kabir Das, a mediaeval Indian saint
was best known for his 'Kabir Ke Dohe' [11] associated with the Bhakti and Sufi
two-line couplets. movements, is well-known in North India for
his Bhakti movement. In the Kashi area, his
life cycle is concentrated (also known as the
1.4 Essence of Kabir Das's Teachings as Banaras or Varanasi). He had a connection to
a Channel of Social Reform Julaha's weaving cast and employment. Along
with Farid, Ravidas, and Namdev, his
To everyone, Saint Kabir preached a simple significant contribution to the Bhakti
message of love and tolerance. His teachings Movement in India is regarded as a
were based on the belief in a single God. God, pioneering one. He was a saint of mixed
he believed, was unlimited, unbounded, pure, mystical character (Nath tradition, Sufism,
omniscient, and all-powerful. Kabir was a and bhakti), making him a unique religious
devout atheist who despised idol worship and figure in his own right. He said that true love
the caste system. According to studies of the and life are found on the path of pain.
Bhakti Movement's ambitions for a caste-free
society, Kabir and Tulsidas — two of the
movement's most prominent figures – wrote Kabir Das's works
poetry about "caste problems" [16].
Kabir's purpose was to preach a universal The books authored by Kabir Das are mostly
religion based on love. He felt it always that dohas and songs compilations. There are 72
faith without devotion was no devotion at all, works in all, with Rekhtas, Kabir Bijak, the
and that it should be joined by hymns Suknidhan, Mangal, Vasant, Sabdas, Sakhis,
glorifying the magic of Almighty God. Kabir and Holy Agams being some of the most
was the first saint to unite Hinduism and significant and well-known.
Islam [14]. "The Hindus pay regards to the
temple, the Muslims visit the mosque," Kabir Das' style of writing & language are
Yugalanand explains, "but Kabir visits the both simple and elegant. His dohas, which are
place where both gathered with no rages." rich of meaning and importance, were written
These two religions resemble two branches confidently and spontaneously by him. He
meeting in the middle, from which a sprout penned his words from the depths of his soul.
arises. In his modest dohas and couplets, he has
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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

condensed the essence of the entire world. His included the Kabir's principles of unity to be
words are both enlightening and encouraging. the constructive base of the society
eliminating conflicts or unrest. The great
2. Objective Bhakti saint identified discrimination as the
key factor of weak violent society.
The review article on Kabir's ideal on Human Alternately, Kabir taught love, integrity and
Unity is conceived and worked out equality of every mankind as the true spirit of
accordingly to provide sufficient insight on stable human community.
the relevance and validity of his guidelines
when judged with current day's societal Rajnandini Das (2016) [2] made a
conditions. The author expects the review to comparative study of Sankaradeva and Kabir
support for the necessary societal Das, the two the greatest reformers of India.
development programs that His research analysed the context of the
incorporate/correct the existing difficulties, Bhakti movement in terms of the ideals
such as, poverty, racial/gender/religious preached by Sankara Deva and Kabir Das.
discrimination, injustice, etc. The study's main focus was their core outlook
of India's social life during the era, which had
clearly taken on a new dimension. Both of
3. Methodology
these great personalities, according to the
author, produced a steady idealism in society
The present review article on Ideals of Kabir
by erasing caste, religion, and community
Das and His Contribution in Human Unity is
divides and creating a united society. In
entirely composed based on the existing
Assam, Sankara Deva preached the Bhakti
authentic management and industrial
ideology to the people, teaching them the
governance updates and articles that are
principles of 'Love,' 'Tolerance,' and
published in acknowledged online
eventually Bhakti or 'devotion' towards the
portals/publications. Genuine facts and
Almighty God, according to the academics.
informations are gathered from trusted web
Sankara Deva wished to transform the
libraries and institute portals are thoroughly
Assamese society at the time in the spirit of
studied, sorted and selected based on their
Vaishnava Dharma, with Bhakti as the central
relevance.
preoccupation. Kabir Das, like many other
Vaishnavites, was a Vaishnavite. Nirguna
4. Literature Review Bhakti had a profound influence on him, and
he had a great faith and reverence for the truth
Suneet Varma (2014) [1] composed a Case beyond worldly affairs. Kabir Das defined his
Study on the influence of the Sant Kabir Das God as Nirguna, according to the author. He
who played a distinct role in 15th century attempted to prove Bhakti's superiority as the
Bhakti Movement of India. The author stated road to attaining Supreme Being.
the life and teachings of Kabir to follow
liberal ideals beyond the boundaries between In his paper, K. Shah (2017) [3] identified
various religious and caste groups. He was a Saint (Sant) Kabir Das as the most important
sharp protestant of sectarianism. Kabir, and notable poet of the Bhakti and Sufi
according to the author helped us realize the movements in North India. According to the
fissures in our own mind, the violence (gross study, he was the first Indian saint to bring
or subtle) and the dishonesties that we Hinduism and Islam together by providing a
commit and defend our ego. In his article he global way that was acceptable to both
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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

religions. The author mentions Kabir as a achieved through his teachings in the
reformer and critic who passionately opposes religious views, social discriminations and
ritualistic and austere approaches of belief in the existence of God as observed in
redemption. With his straightforward current days. Foremost vital ideals that
approach to all facets of human existence, he according to the author were most needed
publicly questioned all faiths and gave Indian even in today's world were protest against
philosophy a new path. caste system, sharing of love to every
mankind and religious integrity.
Prabira Sethy (2017) [4] attempted to
recreate Kabir's story by looking at where he Dr. R. Das (2018) [7] presented life, works
was born, who his family were, and other and Saint Kabir Das's role in I5th century
unknown information about his early life and Bhakti Movement of India. The study
development. This article covered Kabir's mentioned Ramananda as the fore-figure who
main philosophies about syncretism by provided the doctrines of Bhakti. However, it
melding the disparity of wealth, higher and was Kabir Das and his followers who
lower castes, Hindus and Muslims, and enhanced the movement actually. The
Hindus and Muslims by his statement to research discussed on Kabirdas's religious
maintain equality, love, compassion, and inclination as a prominent
coexistence to one another in place of enmity, Vaishnavite. Nirguna Bhakti had a profound
jealousy, egotism, fragmentation, and has influence on him, and he had a great faith and
shown the way for human beings to reverence for the truth beyond worldly affairs.
appreciate for one another. Kabir Das was referred to as a Bhakti Dharma
advocate. Pomposity and ego, he believed,
K. C. Sharma et al. (2017) [5] presented a were impediments on the way to union with
summarized comparison of Kabir, the eminent the Divine Soul. His teachings influenced
saint and contributor of North India's Bhakti both the Haves and the Have-Nots in society.
Movement with the influence of Sufi Certainly, the traditional society of his time
Movement, Nanak's teachings (Founder of presented him with difficulties. Kabir Das'
Sikhism) and life and philosophy of Shaikh teachings, on the other hand, had a universal
Noor-ud Din – the introductor of Rishi humanistic appeal, and he was able to bridge
Movement. Referring to the contemporary the Hindu-Muslim divide. His preachings and
historic backdrop where all these religious teachings brought a sense of peace to North
philosophies sprouted and spread in various India at a time when communities were
parts of India the authors inferred that the sole furious over societal give-and-take. Kabir Sas
concept of each of these ideals indicate was a devotee who regarded Rama' as a friend
towards integrated humanity, God as an and promoted Bhakti and a secular religion
unipotent entity and the vitality of love as a throughout society. He wished to improve
founding element of a constructive society. society through the Bhakti religion, which he
Further, the article described the philosophies believed could be agreeable to people of all
as inspired from their master that the disciples faiths.
of Kabir Das had developed and spread
afterwards. Himanshu Roy (2019) [8] gave an analysis
of the political context around Kabir's beliefs,
N. Dabhade (2018) [6] elaborated the which was a rhetoric of an alternative society
significance of Kabir Das's philosophies in at the time. Kabir's critique of the state,
the era when he lived and the reforms particularly judicial and revenue
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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

administration, his utopia of Begumpura, an Kabir's rebellious voice and disregard for the
ideal village polity free of privately owned Brahmins' intellectual authority and
land, taxation, and unfairness, his secularism knowledge system, which was exceedingly
based on monotheism and syncretism with no exclusive in character, the religious
critique of patriarchy, or his idea of gender authorities were challenged to operationalize
parity were all discussed extensively. Along caste hierarchies. The author had linked
with his praxis in the private and public Kanwal Bharti's remarks, which stated that
domains, which were integrated rather than religious authority, like Kabir, were an issue
separate, were covered. for Ambedkar.

N. Samadder (2019) [9] analysed the life, 5. Findings and Conclusions

ideals and guidelines of Bhakti period saint
poet Kabir Das as a pioneer of social reforms The review as discussed above provides a
whose essence is still effective in current strong testimony on Saint Kabir's influence on
society. Kabir's institutionalisation of the society in removing its barriers. The
society as constructive, caste neutral, unified significant that the saint had experienced and
without any religious/social barriers was, protested were caste discrimination and
according to the author was the base to religious divide. Kabir's philosophical ideals
develop social awareness. Samadder argued shaped up on the basis on his disagreement
that Kabir's teachings of human morality, and practical suppressions that he actually
such as, good conduct, honesty, simplicity and faced. The review finds many contemporary
love were support of mankind's integrity. scholars to adopt Kabir's theory as a base
Also, his ideals of peace, non-violence and material to analyse on the current days'
determination to stand against corrupt social/governance/religious/moral problems.
social/ruling systems were as per the author Also, they have related the Saint's ideals with
the inspiration for the deciding on right and other significant reformers of his era (Shakara
wrong of the contemporary world. Deva, Shaikh Noor-ud Din, etc.) as well as
recent social theorists, such as, B. R.
Divya Jyoti (2021) [10] discussed on Kabir's Ambedkar. All these facts, altogether affirm
preachings of equality as found in his the relevance and validity of Kabir Das's
couplets. The research was expanded to philosophy on human unity through liberal
include them in the setting of India. The caste/religion neutral principles.
second key point explored in this dissertation
was Kabir's present relevance in his adamant
defiance to the caste system's hierarchy.
According to the report, Kabir had a
6. Recommendations and
significant influence on Ambedkar, as
evidenced by recent research by scholars like Suggestions
as Kanwal Bharti. The explanation, according
to the author, was that they were both victims When viewed in terms of current day's need
of the same socio-religious background. The and progresses, Kabir's ideals are obviously
Maulvies and Pundits, who were not only the logical and have modern aspects that should
religious heads of their different religions but be studied and compared in depth to identify
also responsible for enforcing the piety similar or authentic parameters to be
practices and the Varna system, were the incorporated/corrected in societal
acme of power hierarchies for Kabir. Through development programs. Particularly, the

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 International Journal For Global Academic & Scientific Research (IJGASR)
Volume 1, Issue No. 1, 2022 ISSN Number: 2583-3081
Frequency: Quarterly Doi: https://doi.org/10.55938/ijgasr.v1i1.8

issues regarding gender/racial/caste Kabirdas. Vol.-7. Issue-2. 2018.

discriminations, poverty, moral values, justice 8. Himanshu Roy: Political Ideas of
framework can be addressed with Kabir's Kabir. Medium (Deshmukh Patel).
ideals on human unity as a basic working. 2019.
9. Nita Samadder: Kabir Das – A Social
7. Bibliography Reformer (Hindi Research Article).
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India with Special Reference to

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