This insightful quote of saint Kabirdas ji taps our soul and motivates us for self- reflection. Kabir is a profound personality in the history of Indian mysticism. The name of Kabir illuminates in the galaxy of Bhakti saints.Religious passion was innate in Kabir since his boyhood. As a disciple of Ramananda , he participated in the theological and philosophical arguments.
Kabir’s story is surrounded by contradictory legends. He was brought up by Mohammadann parents –Nima and Niru and adopted the profession of his father who was a weaver. Ramananda – an epitome of religious revival in North India was his Guru. Bhakti Movement had reached its zenith in 15thcentury and Kabir adorned the spiritual sky along with other prominent Bhakti reformers like Ramananda, Guru Nanak, Mirabai, ChaitanyaMahaprabhu, Dadu Dayal, Nimbarka, Surdas,Tulsidas, Vallabhacharya, Adi Shankaracharya, Ravidas, Ramanuja and many more.
Kabir never adopted the life of a professional aesthetic . He was a simple , unlettered man but a skilled musician and a poet. He was a culmination of vision and diligence. He composed couplets which resonate with ourday to day lives but have a very deep meaning.His Divine love was independent of rituals and bodily austerities.
The above couplet throws light on the inner purity. Each and every individual is very much sensitive regarding religious customs and traditions. Taking a dip in the holy river once in lifetime is considered auspicious. No doubt, dip in the holy river has a religious sanctity behind it but have we really understood the essence behind the ritual. We should delve deep down into our hearts and do self actualization. Water can only wash our outer bodies but will it cleanse our souls? Certainly not. On numerous occasions in India , people throng in huge numbers to take a dip in the holy rivers to wash away their sins and attain moksha .Fish remains in water 24×7 but still its smell is intolerable. Water cannot stop the internal breakdown of the fish’s cellular structure due to which the odour remains. Similarly holy water cannot change the thought processing and mindset of an individual . For this an individual has to figure out his faults , accept them, meditate and evolve at soul level, My point of view is that if only washing our bodies nullifies all our sins then what is the requirement of good deeds ?Then why do we emphasise upon the theory of Karma which says, “As you sow so shall you reap”
History is replete of various examples when criminals transformed through inner cleaning.The dacoit Ratnakar transformed into sage Valmiki when Narada made him realize that his family will not share the burden of his sins.He alone has to face the consequences of his bad deeds. When this realization dawned on him he underwent intense meditation and chanted the name of LORD RAMA to repent for his sins. He fulfilled his life purpose ,composed the legendary epic –RAMAYANA and YOGA VASHISHTHA. He is revered as the Adi Kavi of Sanskrit Literature.
Angulimala– a notorious dacoit was redeemed by GAUTAM BUDDHA. He was transitioned from a murderer to a monk. This spiritual transformation was achieved by cleaning his soul. These two prominent examples are the testimony of the fact that cleansing of the soul cannot take place at the superficial level. It is an inward journey of the soul. Taking a dip in the holy water without this awareness is merely superstition. It gives us a sense of accomplishment at physical level and we take pride in calling ourselves deeply religious but is it so? Ask this question to yourself. You will get the correct answer. If our intentions are impure, if our behaviour is rude with others especially with our subordinates, if we are not empathetic, if our hearts are full of pride , if we are self centred then what is the point in taking a dip in the holy water and glorifying this event as if we have really attained moksha. Dip in the holy water can make us feel fresh physically and psychologically but its effect is short lived. Once the negative thoughts engulf us this feeling vanishes within no time and we are immersed in sorrow and misery. We all have come to this earth with a purpose but rare souls achieve this target before leaving this earth plane. We are entangled in our self- created materialistic world and blindly running after name, fame, power and money and are always afraid of losing them.
This couplet of Kabirdas throws light on the purification of the soul. We should feed our soul on virtues like compassion, love and peace. This can be achieved through introspection, prayer and meditation. All this will lead us to inner peace and eternal joy. THIS STATE OF BLISS CAN NEVER BE LOST BECAUSE IT IS SATCHITANANDA
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