Says Kabir: A Collection of one Hundred and Ten Poems of Kabir

Kabir, a saint-poet of the 15 century is unique and universal in appeal. ‘Says Kabir… ‘ is not only his signature on the songs, but is also a passionate appeal to his fellow beings to listen to the word resonating in the universe as well as within everyone. God is the experience of that music. He is neither in mosque nor in temple. He is in every heart. Every breath brings his message. We fail to receive this message because the individual-soul roams in the world in a state of sleep. Kabir knows that if once it awakens, it will yearn for re-union with the supreme soul. He is sure of the re-union also, as all the souls according to him are micro-Gods, groping their way to godhood (vide u-10). The re-union implies bliss, we are eternally longing for. God is that love and bliss lying hidden in us. Religion helps to discover him through love for all. Thus religion is an art of love. It binds together the human and the divine. It is high time that we see religion in its true sense and explore the space not only outside but within us also (vide u-13). Kabir exhorts us to be aflame with love for the Lord, i.e. love for all. That alone will heal up the scars of fear and hatred, branded on the hearts in a rage of violence, let loose in the name of religion. Then only we can pay our long due homage to Kabir and realise our dream of the whole universe as one family. Kabir’s poetry is replete with the tenets of Indian philosophy. Taking care of the English readers, Dr. Sushila Mahajan has divided the selected poems in three sections: (1) awakening, (2) yearning, and (3) union. Thus she has made it easier to get to the underlying idea of the poems. Mrs. Mahajan’s translation comes from the heart; hence Kabir in English is natural and real. While reading this translation it seems one is reading Kabir in the original.