1008 Kabir Vani Nectar of Truth and Knowledge: Essence of the Collection of Saakhis in Simple Language and Style

These nectarous Saakhis of Kabir Saheb are in thousands in numbers in Saakhi Grantho clossified in various chapters: and I have selected 1008 Saakhis out of these and put them in 35 chapters. And in order to present a correct picture, I have attempted to submit my own interpretations in the form of a briefprefaces in the beginning of each chapter. I hope and do believe that th is will not only help our respectable readers understand these chapters, rather they trill relish reading them.

Many saints and sages, brave and great personages, have been born at different intervals of time on the holy land of India. Their austerity and practice of spirituality, their selfless service, love and sacrifice, Purushartha (the object of a man's creation and existence) and benevolence have caused welfare to entire human society. During such period Sadguru Kabir Saheb took incarnation in the form of a heavenly being, and showed the right path to those lost in the darkness of ignorance. He hammered the society which subscribed to the feelings of discrimination between high caste and low caste, he hammered those who had discriminatory behaviour toward untouchables, and he sowed the seeds of equality in the hearts of every human being. He taught the people to forsake their pride of caste and creed, and wealth and family status, and follow the path of virtues and good conduct. He very strongly and fearlessly professed his views and negated widespread fanaticism, blind faith, false beliefs in vows to make offerings to deities after fulfilment of desires, sanctimony and evil practices. He trumpeted his idea of religious revolution, gave sermons to everyone on pure consciousness and the eternal truth of self-realization and gave a resonant voice to religion of humanity. In the annals of our Indian history, Kabir Saheb is one who is endowed with genius and is an embodiment of devotion and knowledge. His 'Shabda ', 'Ramaini ', and 'Bhajan' compositions have been accepted open heartedly by small and big, educated and uneducated, and the poor and rich all alike. His nectarous compositions are sung with reverence here, there and everywhere, in this country and abroad, in different communities, and by the people of every caste and creed. We get the sermons of Kabir Saheb in a free verse form of 'Shabda-Bhajan', 'Ramaini' and 'Saakhi'. His great composition " Beejak' is very famous. His 'Kabir Saakhi- Grantha' is most popular. His Saakhi compositions are very didactic and are in a very simple language; but they contain a very deep meaning. It's long since I have been writing in verse and in prose, but I had never imagined that I would get a chance to write a commentary on the Saakhi compositions of Kabir Saheb. It may be a coincidence that I was contacted by the publisher of this book through someone and was asked to write a commentary on one thousand and eight Saakh is. I took it to be as a job entrusted to me by the divine itself and accepted to do it. It was at that time that I recollected that once I had humbly requested most respectable Sadguru Hajoor Uditnam Saheb (Kashi) to allow me to write something about him. He had replied with a smile-'Not now; you may write when I am no more'. I couldn't quite understand what he meant, but now I understand that it was 'his' order passed on to me. And so I offered my salutations to him silently and began writing this book. Since these Saakhis are full of the nectar of knowledge ofKabir Saheb, I named this book 'Kabir Vani Satya-Jnanamrit'.

These nectarous Saakhis of Kabir Saheb are in thousands in Saakhi Grantha in the forms of various chapters; and I have selected 1008 Saakhis out of these and put them in 35 chapters. And in order to present a correct picture, I have attempted to submit my own interpretations in the form of a brief preface in the beginning of each chapter. I hope and do believe that this will not only help our respectable readers understand these chapters, rather they will relish reading them. While writing the commentary, in certain places, in order to give a fuller meaning, some additions have been made in the interpretation of Saakhis. I have tried my level best to bring down the explanations in the simplest form in order to be able to render an easy understanding. But, to what extent I have been successful, can be judged best by my readers.

The Saakhis of 'Kabir Vani Satya-Jnanamrit' is the abridged version of Saakhi-Grantha. The Saakhi-Grantha of Pandit Maharaj Raghavdas forms a basis, in certain places, in the writing of this commentary. And so, I am indeed very-very grateful to him. I am personally thankful to some of my friends-Shri Om Prakash Dheeman Premi, Shri Chandrapal Premi and Dr. K. S. Vidyarthy, whose active co-opration and good wishes met every personal requirement of mine and proved to be a great support in writing this book. At last, I must, once again, thank the great embodiment of truth, the greatest of recluses, engrossed in the Supreme Self, Sadguru Hajoor Uditnam Saheb (Kashi, Uttar Pradesh, Kharasia, Madhya Pradesh) and humbly pay my reverential obeisance to him and to the entire community of the sages. I seek an apology with all my humbleness for any lapse in writing this commentary which may have occurred due to my ignorance. I hope that the dear ones of Sad guru would ignore such lapses and concentrate on its virtuous quality.

Birth-5 July, 1949, Unchagaon, District-Muzaffarnagar, UP. He had his education with the affection and blessings of is mother, as a result of which though he had hi primary education in his village, his higher education took place in Kandhala of Baraut District. His father, Shri Girivar Singh Doohan, who had a very simple life style, was very hard working and served as a weaver in the Gandhi Khadi Ashram. It was because of the humble, religious and benevolent nature of his father that he developed in faith in religion right since his childhood.

He himself has been very industrious all along, and so he has a natural love for this kind of life. Inspired by the Swa. Bha. Mi. magazine of D.C.M. he made an auspicious beginning in the line of writing. Many of his songs, poems, articles and stories concerning Labour have been published in different magazines. He has had active participation in literary seminars. He is also a member of Rajdhani Kavi Samaj. He has always respected and honoued independent views. He is a great lover of philosophy, history and literature, and is especially interested in writing. He has struggled throughout his life with difficulties and adverse circumstances, and is still continuing to be on the path of truth and is continuing to advance towards his goal.

He has taken initiation in Kabir cult and is a disciple of Pundit Shri Hajoor Uditnama Saheb, who built Lahartara Dham- the birthplace of Kabir- and who was an Acharya of Kabir cult of Shri Kabir Dharmasthan, Kharasiya (M.P). Attaining knowledge of Supreme Self is the goal of his life. As per the instruction so fhis mentor, he has dedicated his life to Satsanga, servitude, devotion, Sadhana and promulgating knowledge of Satyanam. He has full faith in equality, love, non-violence and humanly duties towards benevolence. He has true reverence for the nation and believes in truth and justice. Presently he is busy in the self-study of spiritual philosophy of Sadguru Kabir Saheb, contemplation an writing commentary on the collection of the nectarous Saakhis of Kabir.