Sant Kabir: Life and Philosophy

The present study ‘Sant Kabir’ : Life and Philosophy is a unique research publication on the life and teachings of this mystic poet. Today Kabir’s eternal Vani and writings are studied in the Indian Universities, Europe, Russia and America etc. Kabir, the Nirguna Bhakti poet of medieval period made a deeper impact on Hindu society. Virtually after the decline of Buddhism, in a predominantly Non-Muslim country like India, the Barbaric Arabs, the Turks and Islamic hill tribes created chaos and attempted to influence the social-religious life of the country, but the powerful Bhakti Movement under the stewardship of Kabir put a break further on Islamization, though orthodox Islam and liberal Sufism have already made their grounds on Indian soil. At this critical juncture Kabir, the people’s philosopher and social reformer, synthesized the non-Brahminical and non-Islamic culture and spoke on a wider range of current themes and problems including mysticism, social evils, religious reforms, communal harmony, co-existence, universalism and brotherhood, besides the ultimate truth of life-the nirvana and union with the almighty. Fearlessly he attacked the Hindu priestcraft and Islamic way of worship and vehemently condemned the ritualism, the untouchability and the caste system which had weakened the society. Kabir is more relevant even today. This study will no doubt prove to be an interesting reading on the life and philosophy of this great mystic poet, philosopher and social reformer.