Why mystic poet Kabir still strikes a chord with the young

Kabira khada bazaar mein, maange sabki khair. Na kahu se dosti na kahu se bair (In the marketplace, Kabir is neither friend nor foe but wishes everyone well).” Like all of Kabir’s poetry, simple lines bear profound wisdom. The marketplace is the world at large, where people of every religion, gender, colour, caste and creed gather. “It is here that Kabir’s prayers resound, seeking goodwill and harmony for all,” says Umesh Kabir, an educator who has spent two decades living by Kabir’s philosophy, and who performed with several other artistes at the Mahindra Kabira Festival in Varanasi recently.

The festival showed how the 15th century mystic poet still resonates with present-day India, with each young artiste sharing their own unique learnings from his verses. For Yusra Naqvi — a 22-year-old from Kanpur who performed Kabir’s bhajans with sarangi player Lalit Sisodia and tabla player Abhay Rai — the poet’s words bring people together. “We hear Kabir’s bhajans from our gurus on a daily basis. So, I heard his verses first and only read them later. As I grow older, I’ll be able to understand their deeper meanings better,” she says. Naqvi sang Abida Praveen’s rendition of ‘Mann laago yaar’. “India is so polarised now in terms of religion, language and even music. Kabir brings out the unity of sufi and bhakti,” adds Naqvi.


The festival showcased diverse renditions of Kabir’s poems, ranging from classical to folk. Adding a contemporary flavour to the verses was Delhi-based band Advaita. Its guitarist Abhishek Mathur describes Kabir as a revolutionary human being who stands for true equality and freedom from an exploitative and hierarchical society. “He cuts through all attempts to put him in any bracket. India’s unequal and fractious social system makes Kabir and his words more relevant as time goes by,” he says.

For guitarist Awarthanga Chiru, from Delhi-based band Sarvatra, Kabir embodies patience and common ground. “I am a Christian, Juned (Khan, my band member) is a Muslim, and the rest are Hindus. Kabir says true religion follows the path of righteousness — having the right relationship with God. Kabir talks about all the religious practices and rituals of his time. And he shuns them all. His ideology of oneness should be promoted and brought to the mainstream,” he says. Band leader and percussionist Himanshu Mishra feels Kabir is “all about finding yourself”.

For singer and music composer Anadi Nagar, Kabir symbolises formlessness. “Kabir is in things you can’t see, that can’t be worshipped, you can just feel them. He speaks about both Hinduism and Islam. In a larger context, he speaks about every person. You have to find the ‘nirakaar’ (formless). You have to be one with God,” he says.

Kabir represents many different things for different people. But there’s one common thread of equality, secularism and togetherness. “We needed Kabir earlier and we need him even more today. He works like a bridge between religion and humanity. He has the potential to speak to a child about the importance of truth, and to the youth about the importance of patience. Aur aaj ke yuva ko saral baatein bahut achchi lagti hain (And today’s youth prefer straight talk). He doesn’t ask you to sacrifice everything to follow a spiritual path. Instead, he says, stay where you want to, just stay truthful,” says Umesh.

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