Kabir was born on 20th May 1399, so it is believed. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Kabir was born to a Brahmin widow near Kashi known as Varansi today. His mother abandoned him for the fear wrath of society. He was raised by poor family of Muslims. The head of the family was a weaver.
Kabir was always contemplating as a child. Swami Ramananda a well known saint in the area accepted Kabir as his disciple. That shaped Kabir’s religious thoughts. He started composing poems. His couplets known as Dohas were easy to understand and became very popular. The mystic poet, Kabir, was considered as a common mans saint. He wielded a great influence among the people around. Later his legacy was carried forward by his followers. They called their sect as Kabir Pant. The members of the sect are known kabir panthies. The popularity grows and the members spread over north and central India. Today, they are estimated to be 9.6 million living in the various parts of the world. According to 19.1census they were only about 8 and half lacks.
His couplets have been compiled in a number of books. These include Bijak, Sakhi Granth, Kabir Granthavali, Anurag Sagar and others. Most of this couplets reveal his down to earth common sense. His poems resonate praise for saints. Kabir believed in Bhakti which gave simple knowledge. Chanting of complicated mantras according to him did not bring people closer to God. His poems are full of imagery. These are expressed in vernacular Hindi influenced by various dialects including Avdhi, Braj and Bhojpuri. This couplets compiled in various books are very relevant in the society even today.
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