Kabir – Selected Verses from The English Writings of Rabindranath Tagore (Ed. Sisir Kumar Das, Sahitya Akademi, 1994) Verses: 1, 2, 8, 12, 53, 69 Source Used, the Official Book
1. O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
Lo! I am beside thee.
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.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me:
thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabir says, ‘ O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.’
Summary of “O Servant, Where Dost Thou Seek Me?”
In this poem, the mystic poet Kabir emphasizes that God is not confined to religious places like temples, mosques, Kaaba, or Kailash, nor is He found in rituals, ceremonies, or extreme practices like yoga and renunciation. Instead, Kabir asserts that God is always present within and around us. He encourages true seekers to realize that divine presence can be experienced instantly if one looks inward with sincerity. The poem concludes with the profound message that God is the essence of life itself, as essential as breath.
Line 1: O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Servant: A devotee or seeker of God.
- Dost thou: An archaic way of saying “do you.”
- Seek: To search for or try to find.
- Explanation:
- Kabir, the poet, addresses the seeker (servant) directly, questioning the direction of their spiritual search. The tone is both rhetorical and profound, urging the seeker to reflect on where they are looking for the divine. Kabir challenges the conventional idea of seeking God in external places or rituals, suggesting that the search might be misguided.
- Context:
- This line sets the stage for the entire poem, which is a critique of outward religious practices and a call to recognize the omnipresence of God. Kabir, a 15th-century mystic poet, often criticized organized religion and emphasized the importance of inner realization.
Line 2: Lo! I am beside thee.
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Lo: An archaic exclamation meaning “look” or “behold.”
- Beside thee: Next to you, close to you.
- Explanation:
- Kabir reveals the central truth of his philosophy: God is not distant or hidden but is always present, right beside the seeker. This line emphasizes the immediacy and accessibility of the divine, suggesting that the seeker’s efforts to find God in external places are unnecessary.
- Context:
- This line reflects Kabir’s belief in the immanence of God—the idea that the divine is present within and around us, not confined to temples, mosques, or rituals. It encourages the seeker to turn inward and recognize the divine presence in their own life.
Line 3: I am neither in temple nor in mosque:
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Temple: A place of worship for Hindus.
- Mosque: A place of worship for Muslims.
- Explanation:
- Kabir dismisses the notion that God can be confined to specific religious spaces. He challenges the idea that one must go to a temple or mosque to find the divine, suggesting that such places are man-made and not the true abode of God.
- Context:
- This line critiques institutionalized religion and the tendency to associate God with specific buildings or rituals. Kabir, who lived in a time of religious tension between Hindus and Muslims, sought to transcend these divisions by emphasizing the universality of God.
Line 4: I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash:
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Kaaba: The holy shrine in Mecca, central to Islam.
- Kailash: A sacred mountain in Hinduism, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva.
- Explanation:
- Kabir continues his critique of religious exclusivity by stating that God is not confined to the most revered sites of either Islam (Kaaba) or Hinduism (Kailash). He rejects the idea that one must pilgrimage to these places to find the divine.
- Context:
- This line reinforces Kabir’s message of spiritual universality. By mentioning both Hindu and Islamic holy sites, he emphasizes that God transcends religious boundaries and cannot be limited to any one tradition or location.
Line 5: Neither am I in rites and ceremonies,
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Rites: Religious rituals or ceremonies.
- Ceremonies: Formal acts performed in a religious or solemn occasion.
- Explanation:
- Kabir dismisses the idea that God can be found through external rituals or ceremonies. He suggests that such practices, while perhaps meaningful to some, are not the true path to realizing the divine.
- Context:
- This line critiques the overemphasis on ritualistic practices in organized religion. Kabir advocates for a more direct, personal connection with the divine, free from the trappings of formalized worship.
Line 6: nor in Yoga and renunciation.
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Yoga: A spiritual practice aimed at union with the divine.
- Renunciation: The act of giving up worldly pleasures for spiritual purposes.
- Explanation:
- Kabir goes further to say that even spiritual practices like yoga and renunciation are not the ultimate means to find God. While these practices may be valuable, they are not the essence of divine realization.
- Context:
- This line challenges the ascetic traditions of both Hinduism and Islam, suggesting that even the most rigorous spiritual disciplines can become obstacles if they distract from the simple truth of God’s omnipresence.
Line 7: If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me:
- Difficult words/meanings:
- True seeker: A sincere and earnest devotee.
- At once: Immediately.
- Explanation:
- Kabir assures the seeker that if their search is genuine and heartfelt, they will instantly recognize the divine presence. The emphasis is on sincerity and inner readiness rather than external efforts.
- Context:
- This line highlights the importance of authenticity in spiritual practice. Kabir suggests that the divine is always accessible to those who seek with an open and honest heart.
Line 8: thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Meet Me: Encounter or realize the divine.
- Moment of time: An instant, suggesting immediacy.
- Explanation:
- Kabir promises that the realization of God is not a distant or arduous process but can happen in an instant. This underscores the immediacy and simplicity of divine connection.
- Context:
- This line reinforces Kabir’s message of the accessibility of God. It suggests that spiritual realization is not a matter of time or effort but of inner awakening.
Line 9: Kabir says, ‘O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.’
- Difficult words/meanings:
- Sadhu: A holy person or ascetic.
- Breath of all breath: The life force that sustains all living beings.
- Explanation:
- Kabir concludes by addressing the Sadhu (seeker) and declaring that God is the very essence of life, the breath that sustains all existence. This metaphor emphasizes the intimate and pervasive nature of the divine.
- Context:
- This final line encapsulates Kabir’s philosophy of the omnipresence of God. It suggests that the divine is not separate from creation but is the very life force that animates all beings. The use of “breath” as a metaphor highlights the immediacy and intimacy of God’s presence.
Summary of the Poem:
Kabir’s poem is a profound critique of organized religion and ritualistic practices. It challenges the seeker to look beyond external forms of worship and recognize the divine presence within and around them. The poem emphasizes the universality and accessibility of God, urging the seeker to turn inward and realize the truth in a moment of sincere seeking. Kabir’s message is one of spiritual simplicity, authenticity, and the transcendence of religious boundaries.
