15 Wise Sayings of the Mystic Saint Kabir (Kabir Ke Dohe)

The full moon in the month of Jyeshtha (around May/June) (Jyeshtha Punima) is considered to be the birth anniversary of the Bhakti saint Kabir Das who lived around 1440 – 1518 CE. Kabir, the mystic of Kashi (Varanasi) is well-known and loved for his wise rhymes (dohe) that have lived on for centuries. During his time, he inspired people to look beyond caste and religious differences, claiming to be both a Hindu and a Muslim and neither at the same time.

There is a famous story surrounding Sant Kabir’s passing away. When he left his body, the Hindus and Muslims were debating on whether his body should be buried according to Muslim tradition or cremated according to the Hindu. The legend goes that when they went into his hut to bring his body out, instead of his body, they found flowers. Each religious group took one half of the flowers to conduct the last rites as they desired.

Below are 15 out of the hundreds of couplets/rhymes that Kabir composed that are as simple in their language, as sublime in their wisdom.

See also: The Yoga of Poets and

For the Love of God: Remembering the Mystic, Ravidas