RAMAINI 1

Feature Scriputure: Bijak of Guru Kabir by Dr. J. Das

RAMAINIS

Ramaini 1

antar jyoti shabd ek nārī, hari, brahmā tāke tripurarī.

te tiriye bhag linga anantā, teu na jāne ādi au antā.

bākhari ek vidhāte kīnhā, chowda thahar pāt so līnhā.

hari har brahmā mahanto nāwu, tinh puni tīn basāwal gāwun.

tinh puni rachal khand brahmandā, chhow darshan chhānabe

pakhandā.

pete kāhu na ved padhāyā, sunati karāi turuk nahi āyā.

nārī mo chit garbh prasūtī, swānga dhare bahutai kartūtī.

tahiyā ham tum ekai lohū, ekai prān biyāpai mohū.

ekai janī janā sansārā, kown gyān te bhayo ninara.

bhow balak bhag dwāre āya, bhag bhogī ke purush kahāyā.

avigati kī gati kāhu na jānī, ek jībh kit kahown bakhānī.

jo mukh hoi jībh das lākhā, to koi āi mahanto bhākhā.

sākhī: kahahin kabīr pukāri ke, ī leu vyowhār.

 rām nām jāne binā, bhow būdi muwā sansār.

Meaning:

In the beginning there was God. He was the Word and Light, and He was with the Creative Power. From that Creative Power, Hari, Brahma and Shiva came. These three in turn produced countless creative organs of women and men (created women and men). None of them knew their beginning or end. Brahma created a house (universe) that was divided into fourteen parts.

The Names of Hari (Vishnu), Har (Shiva), Brahma are great. They then established three settlements or Lokas - Earth, Heaven and Hell. They created many parts in the universe and later on their followers created six schools of philosophy and ninety-six hypocrisies (false religions).

No Hindu came out of the womb with knowledge of the Vedas, and no Muslim came out of the womb being circumcised. All people are born from the womb, and coming out from the womb of the mother, people accepted many pretended forms and actions. Then we and you are of the same blood, and the same breath sustains us. One mother (Maya - Creative Power) created the world. Then with what knowledge you became different from one another (i.e. Hindus and Muslims). Being a baby, you came out through the mother's genital organ, and being grown up you enjoyed the genital organ and was called a man. No one knows the state of the indescribable God. With one tongue how can I explain it? If someone has one million tongues, then he can speak of the greatness of God.

Sakhi: Kabir says shouting that all the affairs in the world are not real. They are all illusory and perishable. Without knowing Ram Nam this world drowns and dies.

Commentary:

In this ramaini Guru Kabir talks of the mythological concept of creation as prevalent in India. The three 'gods', Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva came from God and represent the functions of God as creator (Brahma), sustainer (Vishnu), and destroyer (Shiva). These are thought to be responsible for the universe with all beings in it. Brahma created this universe which he divided into fourteen parts--seven heavens and seven hells. The seven heavens are: 1. Bhur Lok, 2. Bhuvar Lok, 3. Svar Lok, 4. Tap Lok, 5. Jan Lok, 6. Mahar Lok, 7. Sat Lok. The seven hells are: 1. Atal, 2. Vital, 3. Sutal, 4. Rasatal, 5. Talatal, 6. Mahatal,  and 7. Patal. The six schools of philosophy are:  1. Sankhya, 2. Yoga, 3. Nyaya, 4. Mimansa, 5. Vaisheshika, 6. Vedanta. The ninety-six hypocrisies are the ninety-six forms of religious sects prevalent in India at that time.

Because of the caste system in India, it is held that one is born into a caste, no matter if he lives up to the prescribed rules or not. Guru Kabir pointed out the fallacy of that system by saying that no Brahmin was born with the knowledge of the Vedas (scriptures); that he was born as anyone else was, so how can he be said to be a Brahmin by birth. Similarly, Muslims circumcise the males, and Guru Kabir points out that Muslims are not born circumcised. Was God not able to make him be born circumcised if it were necessary?  Elsewhere he points out that the Muslim women are not circumcised, so they must then remain Hindus. Similarly, he states that Brahmins wear the janeo (sacred thread), but their women do not, so they remain non-Brahmins.

The gist of this ramaini is that all people are manifestations of God and are born in the same way, with the same organs and tissues, so with what kind of intellect do people create all the differences and the divisions which lead to disharmony, intolerance, bigotry, and foolishness?  All people are equal at birth, but as they grow up they are taught, and quickly learn, to create differences in ideology, morals, value systems, class divisions, religious beliefs, etc. They adhere to these distinctions as if they were ordained by God. These are all ‘pretended’ forms since, basically, all people are equal and the same to God. So people continue to fool themselves and each other. All of these are the traps of Maya (illusion), and will prevent us from obtaining salvation. He tells us that God's greatness is indescribable. We should give up all the mythological and false teachings and practices that are prevalent in the world, and try to know God. Without the knowledge of God the whole world will drown in ignorance and not obtain the sought-after goal of salvation.