Sant Kabir: The Antidote for Our Times
Few have come close to this luminous man of God when it comes to making an indelible mark on the folk spirituality of India. His distillation of divinity to its purest essence— beyond all identities of race, region, and religion, evoked through his piercing poetry— is precisely the call of our fractured times.
The extreme cultural and political polarization in the U.S., the increasing communal disharmony in India, the worsening of a perennial conflict in the Mideast, wars such as the one between Ukraine and Russia, and now, the military skirmishes between India and Pakistan, are signs of a humanity that seems to be regressing rather than progressing.
[Right] Shabnam Virmani, the Director of the Kabir Project, says, “Kabir has left behind for himself an identity that is impossible to define, pin down, or label.” (Photo: Speaking Tiger)
History has been fraught with similar challenges. It is for us to learn from the mistakes of the past, especially when a man, who had walked the planet six centuries back, had cautioned us against this kind of divisiveness borne out of insular identities and failure to know the essence of God as the one underlying truth behind all of creation. Through his timeless and inspired dohas, Sant Kabir reminded us of universal brotherhood, standing tall beyond the superficial divisions created by orthodox and fundamentalist forces within religions. Here are just a couple of them:
(No one reads the Vedas in the womb. No Turk is born circumcised. Dropped from the belly at birth, every man puts on his costume. The world was born from one mother. Which wisdom teaches separation?)
(A Hindu says, "I love Ram," a Muslim says, "I love Rahman." Both fight and die without knowing the truth.)
(Hari is in the East, Allah is in the West. Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram.)
Note: Kabir’s verses were originally composed in a mix of Avadhi, Braj, and regional Hindi dialects, and were transmitted orally, so there are sometimes multiple versions of the same verse.
Sometimes Kabir resorted to crude and direct language to shock and shake humanity out of its deeply entrenched divisions:
It’s all one skin and bone
One piss and shit
One blood, one meat
From one drop, a universe.
Who’s Brahmin? Who’s Shudra?
A seeker, poet, mystic, and saint. Also, a rebel and a revolutionary.
Kabir, the formidable 15th-century figure, defied the norms of his time by challenging Hindu and Muslim orthodoxy to uncover a universal truth that transcended religious and cultural divisions. His radical critique of religious dogma, caste discrimination, and social injustice formed the core of his message: a call for unity and spiritual awakening that transcended the boundaries of sectarianism.
Kabir’s emphasis on the inner discovery of the divine, free from external rituals and superficial distinctions, has resonated deeply with Hindus, Sikhs, Sufi Muslims, and Dalits alike. Kabir’s message remains profoundly relevant today, as identity politics and religious conflict continue to tear apart humanity.
[Left] Painting of Kabir Das (seated near the centre of the frame), his son Kamal (attendant with the fly-whisk; standing to the right), and two of his disciples kneeling on the left– namely Surat Gopal (kneeling left) and Dharam Das (kneeling right). The artwork was located at the Kabir Chaura in Banaras (Varanasi). (Photo: Wikicommons)
My journey to Kabir
My journey towards Kabir began as part of my broader spiritual quest. Raised in a Hindu family that emphasized philosophy and rationality over rigid dogma, I was taught the importance of universal tolerance and respect for all paths of spirituality.
During my undergraduate years at the University of Southern California, I shared my desire to remain spiritual while respecting all religions with Reverend James Burklo, Associate Dean of Religious Life at the university. In response, he simply said, “You are like Kabir.” Though I had known Kabir’s name since childhood, I knew little about his life or philosophy. Reverend Burklo’s comparison sparked my curiosity, prompting me to explore Kabir’s teachings further.
I began by watching Shabnam Virmani’s TED Talk, where she shared her journey of discovering Kabir’s profound teachings. Virmani, a documentary filmmaker and artist in residence at the Srishti School of Art in Bangalore, has been instrumental in preserving Kabir’s legacy through the Kabir Project. She explains, “Kabir has left behind for himself an identity that is impossible to define, pin down, or label. He is claimed by upper-caste Hindus who see Upanishads and Vedanta echoed in him; he is very dear to lower-caste Dalits who gain dignity and selfhood in his voice. Kabir also speaks intimately to the Sikhs, Sufis, and Buddhists. He is a secular icon for many atheist activists who make slogans from his couplets.”
Kabir’s ability to transcend all religious, social, and cultural boundaries fascinated me. I realized that his message of unity, love, and inner discovery had the potential to bridge the divides that still plague the world today.
Kabir’s life and teachings
To deepen my understanding of Kabir’s philosophy, I spoke with Linda Hess, a professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University and co-director of the Center for South Asia. Born into a Jewish family, Hess turned to Kabir after her own painful experiences with communal identity. She recognized that attachment to a specific identity could prevent one from confronting the deeper truth of human nature.
“We do not have any documentation on the life of Kabir. Therefore, almost everything you will hear about him is borne out of stories and legends. One thing we do know is that he lived in Varanasi. He was born in the 15th century to a Muslim community of weavers, known as julaha, who had probably converted from Hinduism to Islam a few generations earlier,” said Hess.
Kabir’s encounter with Ramanand, a renowned Hindu guru known for his devotion to Vishnu and his connection to Advaita philosophy, is one of the most celebrated stories of Kabir's life. Hess explains, “Although Ramanand was a Brahmin, he had a reputation for accepting people of many kinds of status into his circle of disciples. Thus, Kabir wanted him as his Guru.”
Contribution to the Bhakti Movement
Kabir lived during the spread of the Bhakti Movement across India. Originating in Southern India in the 6th century, the movement sought to reform society by encouraging individuals to attain salvation through piety and devotion, regardless of caste or social status. By the 15th century, it had spread throughout North India, 
reaching new heights of popularity. Kabir was a pioneer of Nirgun Bhakti, where one is devoted to the formless aspect of the divine.
[Right] Linda Hess (left), a professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University and co-director of the Center for South Asia.
Hess explains, “‘Nirgun’ means without qualities or characteristics. It also means formless. Kabir’s emphasis on a formless, transcendent God challenged both the idol worship of Hinduism and the ritualistic practices of Islam, urging his followers to look within for the divine rather than relying on external forms.”
Divine poetry: A reflection of inner truth
Kabir’s medium of expressing divine truths was through singing. Hence, his original verses were not in writing; they were only later transcribed by others in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. As Hess notes, “There is not a shred of evidence that Kabir wrote anything.” Yet, his work exists in three primary forms: doha (two-line verses), ramaini (rhymed quatrains that end in a doha), and pad or sabd (longer sung compositions of four to twelve verses or more). His poems were intended to be sung and heard, not read; and their power lies in their ability to convey spiritual truths that resonate emotionally deeply with the listener.
Hess emphasizes that Kabir's poetry is deeply personal, revealing his individual spiritual journey and his rebellion against the societal norms of his time. Ashok Vajpeyi, the noted Hindi poet, essayist, and literary-cultural critic, in a video “Kabir’s Spirituality and His Poetry,” states that Kabir’s poems reflect his experiences of inner awakening and serve as a bridge for others to access the same divine truth.
Criticism of organized religion and caste
One of the most distinctive features of the mystic's profound verses is his criticism of Hindu and Muslim orthodoxy. Kabir believed both faiths sought the same true God, but he critiqued how both religions restricted God to particular places or forms. As Hess explains, some of Kabir's poems reference both Hindu and Muslim concepts of God, where he frequently emphasizes that Allah and Ram are the same. He criticized religious practices that placed limits on God.
In one of his most famous poems, Mo Ko Kahaan Dhunde Re Bande, Kabir, when talking of God, declares, “I am neither in temple nor in mosque; I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash. Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation.” He concludes with the profound line, “O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.” For Kabir, God is not confined to any external space or ritual but is present in the very breath that sustains life.
Impact on communities
Kabir’s teachings have had a lasting impact on various religious and social movements. The Kabir Panth (path of Kabir) is a sant mat (teachings of saints) tradition based on his teachings, drawing followers from Hindu, Muslim, and Dalit communities. Founded by Kabir’s disciples, Surat Gopal and Dharamdas, after his death, the Kabir Panth emphasizes the importance of love, devotion, and inner realization, regardless of caste or religious background.
Kabir’s emphasis on the unity of all beings makes his teachings particularly resonant for the Dalits, who have historically been marginalized by both Hindu and Muslim societies. Kabir rejected caste discrimination, a theme that runs throughout his work. He challenged Brahmanical orthodoxy and many popular Hindu superstitions of his time.
It is therefore not surprising that Kabir’s influence on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Dalit leader and architect of India’s constitution, is also significant. According to an article, “Kabir’s Nirgunvad Influenced Ambedkar,” by Forward Press, “Ambedkar realized that no [societal] revolution is possible without abandoning both the Pandit and the Mullah. Thus, following [Kabir’s] principle of ‘na Hindu, na Musalman,’ he attacked both the Hindu and Muslim establishments with equal ferocity.” Kabir’s rejection of religious and social hierarchies played a role in Ambedkar’s decision to convert to Buddhism and fight for the rights of the Dalits.
[Left] Angad Singh, a Sikh Studies teacher says, "Today, Kabir’s hymns are sung in the gurudwaras as often as Guru Nanak’s."
(Photo: https://orsl.usc.edu/)
Kabir's teachings have also profoundly influenced Sikhism. Angad Singh, a lawyer and a Sikh Studies teacher at University of Southern California’s Office of Religious & Spiritual Life , explains, "Amongst non-Sikhs, Kabir has the most writings in the Guru Granth Sahib. Today, his hymns are sung in the gurudwaras as often as Guru Nanak's. Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, and editor-in-chief of the Granth Sahib, selected the works of Indian saints, including Hindus and Sufis, who were most aligned with Nanak’s values and who had attained the highest enlightenment status. In line with Kabir’s teachings, Sikhs believe that spiritual attainment comes not through rituals or temples but through the love for God’s creation.”
The path to inner discovery
Kabir's philosophy is centered on the discovery of truth within oneself.
He pointed out that enlightenment lies in shedding the ego and transcending the false sense of self. He believed that truth resides with the person who follows the path of righteousness and sees the divinity in all beings.
As Hess notes, Kabir emphasized the importance of inner purity: “To connect with truth, external trappings will not help. You have to become clean within. He implored, ‘What is the good of scrubbing the body on the outside, if the inside is full of filth? Without the name of Ram, one will not escape hell, even with a hundred washings!’” Kabir saw through the external rituals and emphasized the importance of inner purity and devotion.
The concept of shunya (emptiness) is central to Kabir’s teachings. Hess reflects in Chalo Hamara Des, a video series which is part of the Kabir Project, “There is no permanent thing you can call yourself. There is nothing about you that you can grasp. Everything is in flux, everything is transient, everything is this shimmering reality. Emptiness means we are empty of graspable, permanent selfhood.”
The power of the Shabd
Kabir’s concept of Shabd (the Word) is one of the most profound aspects of his spiritual philosophy. Shabd is described as the divine sound underlying all creation—the universe and the individual. The web portal, Ajab Shahar, explains that Shabd is “the word of God, from which creation sprang,” and it is through merging with the Shabd that one can connect with the divine. The process of merging with the Shabd is often referred to as Shabd ki chot (the wound of the word), where the ego is pierced and the seeker is transformed.
As Mahendra Ram explains in the video, Seeking Shabd is Not for the Half-Hearted, “If one wants to turn to the Guru and know the divine, the Guru gives the word to the disciple to chant and meditate on. This single word leads to God; only the one who seeks it out with all his strength makes progress.” Through this practice, one begins to experience a deeper sense of connection with the divine presence in all things.
A poem, Sadho Shabd Sadhna Ki Jaaye, translates as follows: “Receive that word from which the universe springs! That word is the Guru. O Sadhu! Practice that word! The Vedas and the Puranas proclaim it; the world is established in it. The rishis and devotees speak of it, but no one knows the mystery of the word. The householder leaves his home when he hears it; the ascetic comes back to love when he hears it. The six philosophies expound on it. The spirit of renunciation points to that word. From that Word, the world (form) has sprung. That word reveals all. Says Kabir: But who knows the source of the Word?”
Transmission through music
One of the primary ways in which Kabir’s teachings continue to resonate today is through music. As Hess notes, “Music takes the poem out of the mind; the most important thing about musically experiencing the verses is that you are not just experiencing with the mind, rather it is a bodily experience.” Folk musicians, including renowned artists like Prahlad Tipanya, have become key proponents of Kabir’s teachings, keeping his message alive through song. In 2006, Jagjit Singh, a renowned ghazal maestro and Bollywood playback singer, released an album titled Kabir that features some of Kabir’s popular poems.
Kabir’s poetry has also found a place in the Indian classical music tradition. Kumar Gandharva, an Indian classical singer, is credited with bringing Kabir’s poetry to the classical stage in the 1970s. His work emphasized the importance of Nirguni Bhakti and the transformative power of music, allowing Kabir’s verses to reach a broader audience and speak to the hearts of listeners.
Kabir’s relevance today
In contemporary India, Kabir’s teachings offer a counterpoint to the increasing use of religion for political purposes. Naresh Gujral, a political leader and son of former Prime Minister I. K. Gujral, remarks, “Kabir was against any kind of symbolism and blind faith, the opposite of what we witness today. Never before in independent India has religion been used so brazenly to achieve political goals. All this is, unfortunately, fragmenting what was known as our Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, where people from all religious backgrounds lived in harmony.
“As a country, we are forgetting the fate of Yugoslavia and the U.S.S.R., countries which were balkanized because they refused to give space to their religious minorities.” Gujral concludes by lamenting the current trend of religious identity politics, which he believes is taking India back to dark times.
[Right] Naresh Gujral, a political leader and son of former Prime Minister I. K. Gujral, remarks, “Never before in independent India has religion been used so brazenly to achieve political goals. Kabir was against any kind of symbolism and blind faith, the opposite of what we witness today.”
Shabnam Virmani, in her work with the Kabir Project, advocates for the revival of the spirit of satsang (community gathering) as a way of overcoming sectarianism. She believes that the spirit of Kabir’s teachings can provide a foundation for unity among diverse groups, encouraging a sense of shared humanity based on love and respect. “The spirit of the satsang has the power to be a social organizing force around the force of love—not enclosed within walls of divisive sects, religions, or cults, but an open space,” Virmani says.
Kabir’s teachings have deeply influenced my own spiritual journey, offering a path beyond religious dogma and sectarian divides. His rejection of external rituals and rigid doctrines, along with his emphasis on the inner discovery of the divine, helped me re-embrace a spiritual path that is inclusive, compassionate, and united by love. Kabir’s vision of a world where all beings are seen as divine, regardless of caste, creed, or religion, has guided me toward a deeper sense of peace and purpose—one that transcends boundaries and embraces the interconnectedness of all.
Through his poetry and life, Kabir has inspired me to look within, find harmony, and work toward a world where unity and love prevail over division. His legacy continues to shape my quest to live with compassion, understanding, and a commitment to spiritual oneness. After spending the first 30 years of my life in California, today I am in India, learning and writing about NGOs, exploring how I can contribute to educating children from local slums, pursuits that are in tune with the teachings of Kabir.
Nikhil Misra-Bhambri is a freelance journalist living in Los Angeles, California. He graduated in history from the University of Southern California (USC) and writes about relationships between cultures, cuisine, music, and history.
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