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SONGS OF KABIR

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Kabir (1440 - 1518) was a mystic poet and saint of India, whose writings have greatly
influenced the Bhakti movement.

The name Kabir comes from Arabic Al-Kabir which means The Great' •
in the Qur'an.

the 37th Name of God

Kabir was influenced by the prevailing religious mood of his times, such as old Brahmanic
Hinduism, Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism, the teachings of Nath yogis and the personal
devotionalism of South India mixed with the imageless God of Islam. The influence of these
various doctrines is clearly evident in Kabir's verses.

The basic religious principles he espoused are simple. According to Kabir, all life is an interplay
of two spiritual principles. One is the personal soul (Jivatma) and the other is God
(Paramatma). It is Kabir's view that salvation is the process of bringing into union these two
divine principles.

His poems resonate with praise for the true guru who reveals the divine through direct
experience, and denounce more usual ways of attempting god-union such as chanting,
austerities, etc. His verses, which being illiterate he never expressed in writing and were
spoken in vernacular Hindi, often began with some strongly worded insult to get the attention of
passers-by. Kabir has enjoyed a revival of popularity over the past half century as arguably the
most accessible and understandable of the Indian saints. (Introduction from Wikipedia)

Read by Algy Pug. Total running time: 1:51:10

This recording is in the public domain and may be reproduced, distributed, or modified
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Cover picture Weaver. Copyright expired in U.S., Canada, EU. and all countries with author's
life +70 yrs laws. Cover design by annise. This design is in the public domain.

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