Kabir

Just as when the Dweller in the Kailas (Shiva) came as a guest into the palace of Shriyala and asked to be served with human flesh, he (Shriyal) killed his own son; so this noble Vaishnava did the same thing. But this illustration will not be adequate because the Husband of Parvati (Shiva) persecuted Shriyal, and therefore he killed his own son. But in the present case, no saint asked Kabir for a meal, and yet he killed his own son. Therefore, the illustration I have used seems deficient, as all clever and wise men will recognize.

Where is anything to be found solid as the earth? Where elsewhere is to be found the vast extent of space? Where is a tree to be seen as worthy of worship as the Pimpal tree? There is truly no bird like the eagle. There is no river mightier than the Bhagirathi river. As for depth, no other collection of water surpasses that of the sea. What fruit is there equal to that of the wish-fulfilling tree? Or what cow is superior to the wish-cow? One might search through the three worlds and not find a mother equal to Anasuya. What planet is there in the heavens equal to the brilliance of the moon? In all the line of demons, there was no such generous giver as Bali. What poet has there ever been equal to Valmiki, who declared future events out of his own mind? If one searched throughout the three worlds, one would not be able to find or see a monkey equal to Maruti. What is the use of using too many illustrations? Illustrations really belong only to those to whom they apply. I might hunt everywhere and not find so noble a bhakta as Kabir.

Kabir put the bundle down on the floor and told his wife what had happened. He then gave Kamal's head to his wife. Her love for him overwhelmed his mother, and tears flowed from her eyes. "O my child, you are one of great good fortune. You have sacrificed your body for saints. Coming into this worldly existence, you have made Shri Ram your own. Thus you have saved our whole family line." Saying this, Kabir's wife restrained her feelings by the force of her courage. She took the cooking materials and started to cook. She mixed the nine different kinds of materials into a dainty dish and served the meal to the saints, saying as she served them, "This is a blessed day. I have seen the feet of saints."

Kabir gave them straw mattresses to sit on and served these saints. It was now sunrise and these sadhus at once arose. After their early morning devotions, these Vaishnavas went to their bath. Meanwhile, the grocer came out of his house and shouted aloud. Hearing the shouting, all the people came there in a hurry. They came to where the thief was and looked at his condition. They said, "His head has been cut off and taken away. Who can now recognize him?" They remarked to the grocer, "Your fate works most curiously. One of the thieves has killed this man and taken away his head. The God of all has protected you. If it had not been for that, you would have truly met with calamity. When one has a great deal of money with one, he should not sleep alone. In the possession of money, there is great and continuous danger. If one loves his money, his friends and brothers become his enemies. Money works in two ways. It both saves and kills. If one is confined by the king's court, money can procure his release. The beheading of this thief must have been done for the sake of his money. You have laid up good deeds from former births, and therefore your life has been preserved. Perhaps they were not thieves; they must have been very good men. There was a pile of money in your shop. How is it that they left the garments and ornaments and took away only a little cooking material? This seems very strange to us."

Thus, the different classes of people discussed the subject and expressed their various opinions. The grocer, however, hurried away and reported the matter to the king. He said, "Two thieves came and broke open my shop. I caught them in the act of taking away the materials of food. One of the thieves cut off the head of the other and took it away." Hearing him say this, everyone present laughed. The king, however, became very angry and gave the command to his officers, saying, "Impale the thief. He must be punished." Hearing this command, the officers hurried in their anger and impaled Kamal's body. To bestow punishment upon a dead body, to enter into discussion with a person of great mental ability, to pick up a quarrel in a foreign country, are all bad actions in wise people.

The saints and sadhus had gone to the riverbank to bathe. They performed their worship of God and returned to Kabir's hermitage. Finally, taking leave of Kabir, these dwellers in sacred places started on their way. Kabir made a namaskar to these saints and accompanied them to see them off. The wife was bitterly weeping. She prostrated herself on the ground before these saints and said, "When shall I see your feet again?" Speaking thus humbly to these saints, the two accompanied the saints to see them off. As they came out of the city, an extraordinary event took place. As the company was hurriedly walking along the path, they suddenly saw a headless corpse impaled upon a stake. The saints saw it from afar. As they stood still for a moment to look at the sight, a most extraordinary thing took place. Kamal joined his hands together and made a namaskar to the saints and sadhus. The men and women expressed their astonishment as they saw this most unusual act. It seemed extraordinary to them that a headless corpse should make a namaskar.

The saints and sadhus said to Kabir, "The corpse is making a namaskar to us. How is it that life has been preserved in a body without a head? When a tree is cut down, what would make its branches suddenly show signs of life? If the feathers of a bird are plucked from it, what would enable it to fly in the air? If the strings of a vina are broken, how can it be played upon? So, seeing a corpse with life in it, seems to our minds a most unusual thing."

Kabir joined his hands palm to palm and said to the saints, "Bhishma fell on the bed of arrows, and yet his life was preserved in his body. Abhimanyu, in order to relate to Arjun his sorrows when he fell on the battlefield, had his life preserved in his body with courage. Also, when Ravan was making trouble for Jatayu, his body was overwhelmed with pain, his desire to see Shri Ram preserved life in his body. So this thief was a Vaishnava. He had a great desire to make namaskar to your feet. Therefore, his life remained in him. The desire of his heart has been fulfilled. He has seen you. Now he will leave his perishable body and live in his everlasting home."

Hearing him say this, the saints replied, "Who indeed was this thief?" Then Kabir related to the saints the whole story. The Vaishnavas then said, "Although we had not asked for food, how is it that Kabir should kill so good a son as Kamal?" Hearing them say this, the noble Vaishnava answered, "All earthly things are perishable. Whatever is seen to have a form must, in the end, disappear. Suppose I had not killed Kamal, would he thereby have remained immortal?"

Listening to this remark, a sense of compassion arose in the hearts of the saints. The saints said to Kabir's wife, "Hasten and bring the head and show it to us." Hearing this remark, she hastened back to her home. She took her son's head and brought it back to the saints. When the compassionate saints saw it, they were moved with emotion. They took the corpse down from the stake and placed the head upon it. The men and women looked on with wonder. Listen now to the strange thing that happened. As the saints placed their hands upon the head of Kamal, he came to life, arose, and made a namaskar to the saints.

All the inhabitants of Benares now prostrated themselves on the ground before Kabir. They said, "This Vaishnava is supremely wise, a complete savior for all dull-minded beings." The saints gave him their blessing and started on their way to sacred places.