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Poem: Diwali The Festival of Lights published in The Shillong Times today 19/10/25.

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The Shillong Times 19.10.25

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

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KABIR: BRIDGING FAITHS THROUGH VERSE

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    Imagine a wandering poet in 15th-century India, reciting verses that touched both kings and commoners. That was Kabir Das, a weaver who spun not just threads, but words that would echo through centuries. His dohe (two-line verses) weren’t just poetry. They were life lessons presented in everyday parlance, cutting across the noise of religious divisions and social barriers. Even today, his razor-sharp wisdom hits home, whether you’re puzzling over life’s essential questions or just trying to be a better person.

    Kabir is one of the most fascinating personalities in the history of Indian mysticism. Born in or near Benares to Muslim parents, likely around the year 1440, he became a disciple of the renowned Hindu ascetic Ramananda early in life. Ramananda had brought to North India the religious revival that Ramanuja, the great twelfth-century reformer of Brahmanism, initiated in the South.

    At a time when the great Persian mystical poets like Attar, Sadi, Jalaluddin Rumi, and Hafiz were exercising a powerful influence on India’s religious thought process, Kabir dreamt of reconciling the intense and personal Muslim mysticism with the traditional theology of Brahmanism. Kabir was a significant religious reformer and the founder of a sect to which millions of north Indian Hindus still belong.

A hater of religious exclusivism, his wonderful dohe (self-contained rhyming couplets) survive to convey the spontaneous expressions of his vision and love for all religions. It is impossible to tell if Kabir was a Brahman, Sufi, Vedantist, or Vaishnavite. He is, as he says himself, “at once the child of Allah and of Ram.”

    Kabir’s life is steeped in contradictory legends, none of which can be verified. Some originate from Hindu sources, while others come from Muslim traditions. They depict him as either a Sufi or a Brahmin saint. Nonetheless, his name serves as definitive proof of his Muslim heritage. A credible story portrays him as the biological or adopted child of a Muslim weaver from Benares, where the chief events of his life transpired.

    The syncretic tendencies of the Bhakti religion had reached their full potential in the fifteenth century. The Sufis and Brahmins often had disagreements. Kabir, who was born with religious passion, saw in Ramananda his destined teacher. But he knew the chances were slight that a Hindu guru would accept a Muslim as his disciple. Nevertheless, he hid on the steps of the River Ganges, where Ramananda used to frequent to bathe. The guru, while coming down the steps to the water, trod upon his body unexpectedly, and exclaimed in amazement, “Ram! Ram!” … the name of the incarnation that he worshipped. Kabir then announced that he had received the mantra of initiation from Ramananda’s lips and was, by it, admitted to his discipleship. This led to protests by orthodox Brahmins and Muslims. They both were equally annoyed by this contempt, but Kabir persisted with his claim. It appears Ramananda accepted him. Though Muslim legends speak of the famous Sufi Pir, Takki of Jhansi, as Kabir’s guru in his later life, the Hindu saint is the only human teacher to whom, in his dohe, he acknowledges indebtedness.

    Kabir, for years, remained the disciple of Ramananda. He participated in the theological debates which his guru held with the Mullahs and Brahmins of the day. He may or may not have submitted to the traditional education of the Hindu or the Sufi ruminative. And he never adopted the life of the professional ascetic. He remained grounded as a householder and weaver.

    Kabir can certainly be considered a unifier, especially in the context of religious and spiritual thought processes in medieval India. His fearless critique of both Hinduism and Islam, as well as his rejection of empty ritualism and dogma, was par excellence. It places him among the most important voices of syncretic spirituality in the Indian subcontinent.

    He was certainly an isthmus between Hindu and Muslim traditions. Kabir was born at a time (15th century India) when religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims were rampant. Despite this, his poetry flourished from both traditions. He used Hindu concepts like Rama and Karma. He invoked Sufi Islamic ideas such as Allah, soul-union with the divine, and the murshid (spiritual guide). But he was critical of both Brahmanical orthodoxy and Muslim clergy, often mocking the meaningless rituals of both groups. His criticism had an oblique humour which blunted the ill feeling, if any, like the verse below:

    “Mo ko kahan dhunro bande/Main toh tere paas mein/Naa main deval naa main masjid/Naa kaabe kailaas mein/Naa mein koune kriya karam mein/Nahi yog vairaag mein/Khoji ho to turate mila-ihe pal bhar ki talaas mein/Kahyen Kabir suno bhaai saadho sab swason ki swans mein.” (O Servant, where are you seeking Me? I am beside you. I am neither in a temple nor a mosque; I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash: Neither am I in rites and ceremonies, nor in Yoga and renunciation. If you are a true seeker, you shall at once see Me: You shall meet Me in a moment of time. Kabir says, “O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.”)

    Kabir’s mysticism was Bhakti in form, but Sufi in essence. He focused on the inner connection with God, a theme shared by both traditions. He believed in the emphasis of inner experience over rituals. He emphasised personal devotion (Bhakti) over temple rituals. Like Sufi mystics, he stressed on love, surrender, and the heart’s experience of the Divine.

    Kabir wrote in vernacular Hindi (a mix of Awadhi, Braj, and Bhojpuri), not in Sanskrit or Persian. For example, “Guru Govind dono khade, kaake laagu pai/Balihaari guru aapne, Jin Govind diyo batay. (When Guru and God both are standing before you, whom will you bow to first? I am indebted to the Guru, who has shown me the path to God, hence, I will bow to him first.)

    This made his teachings accessible to ordinary people across caste and religious boundaries, uniting them through shared human concerns such as life, death, love, hypocrisy, suffering, and salvation. Kabir is revered among communities such as Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Several of Kabir’s verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. The Kabir Panthis is a sect that still follows his teachings and promotes interfaith harmony.

    Kabir can be seen as a harmoniser. Not because he merged religions into one, but because he rose above sectarian identities and pointed toward a universal spiritual truth that transcended dogmas. His fearless voice called for a unity of hearts, not of institutions. He remains a timeless symbol of spiritual integrity, courage and harmony.

    Kabir’s dohas (couplets) and poems are a key part of his fearless critique of religious dogma. He did not spare either Hinduism or Islam in pointing out hypocrisy, meaningless rituals, or spiritual arrogance.

    Kabir wasn’t against religion per se, but against the ritualistic, dogmatic, and divisive practices that religions had become associated with. His criticism was not destructive—it was reformative, calling people back to the core spiritual experience, love of God, and inner transformation.

Written by author & columnist Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Immorality exposes the Chink in the Armour

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    The very idiom “chink in one’s armour’ refers to an area of vulnerability. There is no denying the fact that each one of us has a ‘chink in our armour’. Even the most powerful person on earth has a chink in his armour. Destiny bestows a chink in everyone’s armour that subjugates a Vardan (boon) if the person becomes immoral. This is when the armour reveals the chink. Traditionally the idiom is used to refer to a weak spot in a figurative suit of armour. The usual meaning is similar to that of the ‘Achilles heel’.

            There was once an asura who with his marathon tapasya and devotion was able to please Lord Shiva. In return, he obtained from him the powerful ‘Vardan’ to burn anyone to ashes the moment he placed his hand on his head. The asura came to be known as Bhasmasur because he could reduce anyone to ashes by his mere touch.

    Bhasmasur was indeed delighted by this vardan of Lord Shiva. So he decided to try out, his newly acquired power, on Shiva himself. When Shiva learnt of his intention he fled in horror and sought the help of Lord Vishnu, who transformed himself into Mohini the renowned apsara to distract Bhasmasur. Overwhelmed by lust, Bhasmasur begged Mohini to marry him. Mohini agreed but laid down a condition that only if, Bhasmasur could dance like her. Bhasmasur agreed to her condition. During the dance, Mohini touched her head. The deluded Bhasmasur, blinded by desire, copied her, and he put his hand on his head too and was burnt to ashes, much to the delight of Lord Shiva.

    Achilles, in Greek mythology, is the hero of the Trojan War, a central character in Homer’s Iliad. He is the son of Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons, and the Nereid, or the sea nymph, Thetis. Achilles was brave, handsome, and the greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War. According to Homer, Achilles was brought up by his mother Thetis at Phthia a city in Greece with his inseparable companion Patroclus. Thetis the mother of Achilles dipped Achilles as a child in the waters of the River Styx, which made him invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which she held him—which is called the proverbial “Achilles’ heel.” Achilles was invulnerable all over except for one heel that remained untouched by the water of the River Styx.

    According to the legend, after the Trojan War, the Trojan prince Paris at the request of his sister Polyxena ambushed Achilles. Paris shot a fatal arrow into Achilles’ vulnerable spot … the heel.  Paris was avenging his brother, Hector, whom Achilles had killed.

    In the Mahabharat, Gandhari made a single purposeful exception to her blindfold when she removed it to shield her eldest son Duryodhana. She poured all her power into her son’s body in one gaze, rendering Duryodhana’s entire body, except his loins, as strong as a rock. But Krishna foiled Gandhari’s plan by asking Duryodhana to cover up his private parts before meeting his mother. Later on their decisive encounter on the eighteenth day of the Kurukshetra battle, Bhima smashed Duryodhana’s thighs, a move both literally and figuratively below the belt, breaking the rules to kill him.

    In the Lanka War in Ramayan, Vibhishan’s knowledge about the secrets of Lanka proves invaluable to Ram. Vibhishan freely divulges many secrets that become key to the success of Ram’s attack. In the climactic battle between Ram and Ravan, when Ram is unable to kill Ravan, he reveals the secret of Ravan’s invulnerability to Ram. He tells Ram that Ravan has stored the nectar of immortality (amrit) in his belly and it is necessary to dry it first and then kill him. With this knowledge, Ram is finally able to kill Ravan.

    A boon is not an easy object to handle. It comes with a lot of responsibility. Use your brains if you need to copy someone. And if your karmas are immoral no amount of boon, Raksha or Suraksha Kavach or armour will be able to save you.

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Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24;

THE SHILLONG TIMES

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 10.8.23; 11. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 12. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 13. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 14. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 15. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 16. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 17. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 18. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 19. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 20. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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INTERESTING FACTS: DAKSHINAPATHA

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    Dakshinapatha is an important historical region, an equivalent of present day South India, an area, encompassing, the present day Indian states of, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as, the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry, or a road in ancient India, which may mean the ‘Ancient South of the Indian subcontinent’ below Uttarapatha. The term can encompass, Dravida, Simhala, the Kollam region, and the Maldives. In the southern region the ‘great southern highway’ in India, travelling from Magadha to Pratishthana or a kingdom on the Godavari River in southern India.

    Panini (500 BCE) an ancient Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and a revered scholar in ancient India, in his Astadhyayi mentions Asmaka Kingdom, or Assaka (Pali) was a Mahajanapada in ancient India in connection with Dakshinatya and Kalinga. Dakshinapatha also finds mention in Junagarh rock inscription of Indo-Scythian king Rudrasharman from 150 CE which is as follows:

    … who by force destroyed the Yaudheyas who were loath to submit, rendered proud as they were by having manifested their ‘title of’ heroes among all Kshatriyas; who obtained good report because he, in spite of having twice in fair fight completely defeated Satakarni, the lord of Dakshinapatha, on account of the nearness of their connection did not destroy him; who (obtained) victory ……; who reinstates deposed kings;

  • — Rudradaman I, Junagadh rock inscription

    The Dakshinapatha trade route was one of two great highways that have connected different parts of the sub-continent since the Iron Age. The other highway was the Uttarapatha or the great northern road that ran from Taxila in Pakistan, through the modern Punjab up to the western coast of Yamuna. Following the course of Yamuna it went southwards up to Mathura, from there it passed on to Ujjain in Malwa, and to Broach on western coast. According to, “Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India’s Geography” by Sanjeev Sanyal, the trajectory of the northern road has remained roughly the same from pre-Mauryan times and is now National Highway—2 (NH2). However, the southern road appears to have drifted. Rama’s route into exile in the epic Ramayana may have been an early version of the road, but by the time of Buddha, it started at Varanasi and ran through Vidisha in central India, to Pratishthana (Paithan) in present day Aurangabad in Maharashtra. It probably extended all the way to Chola, Chera and Pandya kingdoms of the extreme south. By the Mauryan period there would have been a branch from Ujjain to the ports of Gujarat. This made Ujjain a major city by Gupta times. Today Dakshinapatha is known as National Highway—7 (NH7), which runs much further east of the old road but still meets National Highway—2 (NH2) at Varanasi.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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Share it if you like it

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US that includes Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada, Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; Available for reading in Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be the undying characteristics of Lucknow. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K.)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

Short stories and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20 2020; Indica, 15.8.20; The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; Happy Days, November 15, 2020; The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15,2020; Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021;

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****

BOOK REVIEW: ONE HUNDRED POEMS OF KABIR … translated by Rabindranath Tagore and assisted by Evelyn Underhill

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Khidki (Window)

–Read India Initiative—

This is only an attempt to create interest in reading. We may not get the time to read all the books in our lifetime. But such reviews, talk and synopsis will at least convey what the book is all about.

    This book was published in India by Macmillan. An imprint of Pan Macmillan Publishing India Private Ltd in the year 1915. The price of this book is Rs 125. It is a slim book of around 160 pages in all.

    Kabir says, “I have attained the unattainable, and my heart is coloured with the colour of love.”

    Who doesn’t know Kabir? A selection of his songs is here for the first time offered to English readers. Kabir is one of the most interesting personalities in the history of Indian mysticism.

    But before that let me give you a brief on poet Kabir. Born in or near Benares, of Mohammedan parents, probably about the year 1440, he became in early life, a disciple of the celebrated Hindu ascetic Ramananda. Ramananda had brought to Northern India the religious revival which Ramanuja, the great twelfth-century reformer of Brahmanism, had initiated in the South.

    Ramananda, was the person through whom the spirit of Ramanuja is said to have reached Kabir. Kabir was a man of wide religious culture and tolerance, and full of missionary enthusiasm. He passed through the earth in times when impassioned poetry and deep philosophy of the great Persian mystics such as, Attar, Sadi, Jalalu’din Rumi, and Hafiz ruled the roost. They exercised a powerful influence on the religious paradigm of India. Kabir always dreamt of reconciling his intense and personal Mohammedan mysticism with the traditional theology of Brahminism.

    Kabir’s story is surrounded by contradictory legends, but none of which can be relied upon hundred percent. Some of these emanate from Hindu sources, and some from Mohammedan. They both claimed him by turns, as a Sufi and a Brahman ascetic. His name, in umpteen ways, is practically a conclusive proof of, he being a liberal Muslim. In today’s reference one can even relate him as the biggest emissary of Hindu-Muslim Amity.

    In the collection of songs translated here in this book one will find examples that illustrate nearly every aspect of Kabir’s thought panorama, and all his fluctuations of the mystic emotions. It runs through: the ecstasy of despair, the still beatitude, the eager self-devotion, the flashes of wide illumination and the moments of intimate love.

    The book starts with a long introduction of Kabir by Evelyn Underhill. The boy Kabir, in whom the religious passion was innate, saw in Ramananda his destined teacher. But he wasn’t sure if a Hindu guru would accept a Mohammedan as a disciple. He therefore lay hidden on the steps of the river Ganga, where Ramananda was accustomed to bathe, with the result that the master, while walking down to the water, stepped on his body unknowingly and exclaimed in his astonishment, “Ram! Ram!” –the very name of the deity that he worshipped. Kabir declared that he had received the mantra of initiation from Ramananda’s lips, and by virtue of which he was admitted to his discipleship. And, in spite of the protests of orthodox Brahmans and Mohammendans, both equally annoyed by this contempt of theological landmarks he persisted with his claim.

    Ramananda appears to have accepted him. Though Mohammedan legends speak of the famous Sufi Pir, Takki of Jhansi, as Kabir’s master in later life, but the Hindu saint is the only human teacher to whom, in his songs, he acknowledges the indebtedness.

    The comprehensive introduction written by Evelyn Underhill, includes Kabir, in the elite group of some supreme mystics—among whom are, St. Augustine, Ruysbroeck and the Sufi poet Jalau’ddin Rumi, who are perhaps the chief—and have achieved what we may call the syncretic vision of God.

    After the 26 page introduction that describes the credentials of Kabir by Evelyn Underhill the book captures some top of the chart dohas—verses-quatrains (poems) of Kabir. I would take you through a few of them. These verses in the book are written in Roman Hindi words and then translated into English. Let me recite a few dohas to you and then translate them to English:

Mo ko kahan dhunro bande,

Main toh tere paas mein,

Naa main deval naa main masjid,

Naa kaabe kailaas mein,

Naa main koune kriya karam mein,

Nahi yog vairaag mein,

Khoji ho to turate mila-ihe pal bhar ki talaas mein,

Kahyeen kabir suno bhai saadho sab swason ki swans mein.

    This translates into a beautiful life-lesson:

    O servant where dost thou seek Me? I am neither in a temple nor in a mosque: I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash: Neither am I in any rites nor in ceremonies, nor in Yoga nor 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.”

And another one:

Na jaane sahib kaisa hai.

Na jaane teraa sahib kaisaa hai,

Mulla hokar bang jo dyeve,

Kya tera sahab bahraa hai,

Keedee ke pag nahi baaje, toh-bhee sahab suntaa hai,

Maalaa pheree tilak lagaayaa, lambee jataa badhaataa hai,

Antar tere Kuphar—kataaree, yon nahin sahab milta hai.

    This translates into …

    I DO NOT know what kind of God you have: The Mullah cries aloud to Him, but why? Is your Lord deaf? When even the subtle anklets that ring on the feet of an insect when it moves are heard by him.

    You count the beads, paint your forehead with the mark of your God, and you wear matted locks long and showy, but a deadly weapon is in your heart, so why will you have God?

    There is another one for you:

Jo khuda masjid vasat hai aur muluk keh kara,

Teerath-moorat Raam-niwaasee bahar kare ko heraa,

Poorab disaa Haree ka vaas pachchhim Alah ka mukaam,

Dil mein khoj dilhee mein khojou, yahin Kareem-yahin Raam,

Jete aurat-marad upaan-ee so sab roop tumhaaraa,

Kabir –hai Alah-Ram ka so guru peer hamaaraa

    If God is within the mosque, then whom does this world belong to? If Ram is within the image that you find in your pilgrimage, then who is there to know what happens without him? Hari is in the East. Allah is in the West. Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram. All the men and women of the world are, His living forms. Kabir is the child of Allah and of Ram. He is my Guru, He is my Ram.

    Over all it’s a niche book for people who have a poetic bent of mind. The Hindi to English translation of the book is not very good. But yes, since, it’s a translation, it is good for people who cannot read Hindi as it’s, written in Roman Hindi along with a translation. I would give the book six out of ten.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life threatening diseases especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers that includes both children and adults and it has a huge variety in terms of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate for the cause. The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

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Our publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity. That happens to be its undying characteristic. The book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival of 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his ways through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February, 2018 in Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day to day life. The book is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories. It is available in Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

(ALL THE ABOVE TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

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INTERESTING FACTS & QUOTES EPISODE 25

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Burkina Faso is the least educated country in the world, with a literacy rate of 21.8%. It is a landlocked country in West Africa.

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 William Shakespeare termed old age as the second childhood.

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 Maize Corn is the most produced grain in the world. Wheat covers more of the earth than any other crop.

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Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and one of the largest religious monuments in the world, on a site measuring 162.6 hectares. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to God Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century.

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Are pigs the neatest of animals in the world? Contrary to popular belief, pigs are unable to sweat; instead, they wallow in mud to cool down. Their mucky appearance gives pigs an undeserved reputation for slovenliness. In fact, pigs are some of the cleanest animals around, refusing to excrete anywhere near their living or eating areas when given a choice.

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Staple diet of America: Whether it’s roasted, baked, fried, transformed into a patty, or used in a salad, sandwich or casserole, chicken remains a major dietary staple in the United States. Americans get almost as many calories from chicken as they do from bread, according to the USDA.

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There is one major difference between a ROM (that is, read-only memory) and a RAM (that is, random-access memory) chip: ROM can hold data without power, and RAM cannot. Essentially, ROM is meant for permanent storage, and RAM is for temporary storage.

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Basketball is probably the most popular indoor sport in the world.

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In a disturbing trend, tigers in the country are increasingly being killed by snares, even in the core areas of the sanctuaries. In the last nine years, 24 tigers and 114 leopards have suffered slow, agonising deaths due to these traps. Worryingly, apart from poachers, local communities are also using these wire noose snares to kill the big cats preying on their livestock.

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There has been a steady increase in the tiger population in the last few years. India had 2,226 tigers as per the 2014 All India Tiger Estimation. This accounts for a 60% jump in tiger population compared to 2006.

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Tigers need large habitats as they have high juvenile dispersal rates. Tigers have lost more than 95% of their historical range.

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“Everything is ready except the east wind,” is an ancient Chinese proverb that translates to how can everything be ready without the most crucial thing.

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Recently, the catastrophic disappearance of emperor penguins from Antarctica made global headlines. The colony of adults and nursing chicks was among the largest in the world. It sank without a trace due to global warming, because of weakened ice collapsing on unchilling waters. The tragedy is similar to the proverbial collapse of a star caused by the death of a sparrow.

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 In less than sixty years, Singapore has transformed from a poor developed country into one of the richest. Its per capita income is now double that of Australia. Singapore will be in a class entirely of its own by 2050.

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Men argue. Nature acts–VOLTAIRE, French historian and philosopher.

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If you destroy a free market, you create a black market—WINSTON CHURCHILL, Prime Minister of U.K.

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 The poetry of earth is never dead—JOHN KEATS, English romantic poet.

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 Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand—A Chinese proverb.

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 I want a brighter word than bright—JOHN KEATS, English romantic poet.

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 Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced—JOHN KEATS, English romantic poet.

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 Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

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Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805 ***

 

 

 

NAWAZUDDIN SIDDIQUI HAS EVERY RIGHT TO ACT IN RAMLILA

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

 

 

By stopping Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Muzaffarnagar, from playing the role of Maaricha, uncle of Ravan, in the local Ramlila, after 20 years, Shiv Sena has stood out like a thorn in the society. Ramlila is a famous play enacted each year, all over India and even abroad. Let me for a moment juxtapose Muzaffarnagar with Lucknow on Ramlila. Both have been holding it since ages. Where, Lucknow is even more famous. For a lot of Muslim actors take part in the local Ramlila, and at times they even go on and on with their acting, even when they are keeping Rozas during Ramzan, if it happens to fall in the same month. This intermingling is the ultimate beauty, of one and only one—India. We are no deep state, but the biggest democracy of the world. Where, Ramlila, Dushera, Durga Puja and Diwali are our tall, widespread, cultural and festive totem-poles. Ramlila is therefore our Indian-ness. That belongs, to we Indians, and not Hindus alone. Nawazuddin is our own son. Rather the worthy son of Muzaffarnagar, and now even of India, who entertains us through his movies. He was born and brought up in Muzaffarnagar. So, Shiv Sena cannot just snatch away the colourful memories of his childhood by not allowing him to act in his home theatre 20 years later. He is free to visit his childhood the way he wants in his own city. Muzaffarnagar is amassed in him, so you just can’t dig it out like that. Shiv Sena needs to understand this. And, last but not the least, you just can’t seize hold of any Indian’s Indian-ness, by just citing his religion, because there is a fine distinction between Religion and Culture.

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