 Section 5 of the Sikh Religion, Sacred Writings and Authors, Volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section 5, Trilo Chan. Trilo Chan, a name which literally means three-eyed, that is seer of the present, past and future, was a celebrated saint of the Visaya caste. His birth is said to have taken place in the year AD 1267. He either lived at or visited Pandharpur in the Sholapur district of the Bombay presidency and was a contemporary of Namdev who mentioned or addressed him in his hymns. Inquiries at Pandharpur and the neighboring city of Barsai have however failed to furnish any information regarding Trilo Chan. The following legend passes for history among his admirers. He had a perfect faith in and love for saints, but they visited him in inconveniently large numbers and there were only he and his wife to attend and read on them. He thought that they were not served as he could have wished, so he resolved on engaging a servant if he could find one who was accustomed to minister to holy men. He continued to search for such an attendant, but not finding one became sad at heart. It is said that God was not pleased at the sorrow of his saint and sent him a candidate for service. Trilo Chan asked the candidate who he was once he had come and whether he had parents and a house and home. The man replied that he had no parents or home. He had merely come to be engaged as a servant. He could wait on the saints of God without assistance from others as his life had been spent in such service. He gave his name as Antar Jami which interpreted means searcher of hearts. Trilo Chan was highly pleased and ordered his wife to engage him and cheerfully supply all his wants. She was cautioned to consider his pleasure as her first duty. Antar Jami performed menial services for the saints such as cooking, drawing water, washing their feet, shampooing and bathing them in such a manner that Trilo Chan's house became famous for its hospitality. And a large crowd of saints began to live with him and consume his substance. 13 months passed in this way until one day Trilo Chan's wife went to visit a female neighbor. The latter inquired why she was so dirty and looked so miserable. She replied that her Lord had taken into his employ a servant who required so much attention that she had to spend all her days grinding corn and cooking for him. This was reported to Antar Jami and he promptly disappeared. When the time came to wait on the saints Antar Jami could not be found. Trilo Chan became very much grieved and rebuking his wife told her that it was through her indiscretion and Antar Jami had left those service. When Trilo Chan's grief had lasted for three days it is said that he was comforted by divine interposition. He consequently applied himself to the praise and contemplation of the one true God. His sorrow was then dispelled. The following hymns of Trilo Chan are found in the grant of Sahib, Sri Ragh. Trilo Chan admonished his mortals. The heart feeleth great worldly love, O mortal, through which man forgetteth old age and the fear of death. O fool, thou art pleased on beholding thy family like a thief on aspiring his neighbor's house. When the powerful mermidans of death come with a rush I cannot withstand them. May some friend come and speak to me. Come to me, my God, throw thine arms around me. Come to me, my God, and rescue me. In various pleasures and royal state, O mortal, hast thou forgotten God and deemest thyself the only immortal one in this world. Deceived by mammon, thou hast not thought of God and hast lost thy life, O heedless man. Mortal, thou must tread a difficult and terrible path where neither sun nor moon hath entrance. When man hath abandoned the world, he forgetteth his worldly love. Today it hath become clear to my understanding that Darm Raj will keep his eye on man. There his very powerful mermidans will rub men between their hands and none may withstand them. If anyone give me instruction, let it be this that God is contained in every place. O God, sayeth Trayla John, thou knowest everything. Gujarri, a hermit, a sannyasi, a brahman, called Jai Chan, a yogi, and a capria held a religious discussion in which each maintained the superiority of his own sect. They came in the heat of their arguments to Trayla John and he, knowing that they were all hypocrites, addressed them each in turn as follows. To the hermit thou hast not cleansed thy heart from filth, although thou wearest the dress of a hermit. To the sannyasi in the lotus of thy heart thou hast not recognized God, why hast thou become a sannyasi? To the brahman thou hast gone astray in error, O Jai Chan, and not recognized God, the primal joy. To the yogi eating in every house thou hast fattened thy body, thou wearest a patched coat and beggars earrings for gain. Thou hast rubbed on thyself the ashes of the cremation ground, but being without a spiritual guide, thou hast not found the real thing. Why mutter spells, why practice austerities, why churn water? Remember God the dweller at ease who hath created the eighty-four locks of existences. To the capria, O capria, why carryest thou a water pot? Why wanderest thou to the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage? Sayeth Trayla Chan here, O mortal, having no corn? Why layest thou a threshing floor? Last thoughts determine man's future state. At the last moment he who thinketh upon his wealth and dithe in that thought shall be born again and again as a serpent. O my friend, forget not God's name. At the last moment he who thinketh of a woman and dithe in that thought shall be born again and again as a prostitute. At the last moment he who thinketh upon a boy and dithe in that thought shall be born again and again as a hog. At the last moment he who thinketh of a mansion and dithe in that thought shall be born again and again as a sprite. At the last moment he who thinketh upon God and dithe in that thought, sayeth Trayla Chan, shall obtain salvation and God shall dwell in his heart. Down a sorry, Trayla Chan engaged in his devotions, neglected his worldly calling, and this led to his straightened domestic circumstances. Thereupon his wife became discontented and upbred to God. The following is Trayla Chan's remonstrance. He endeavored to console her by telling her that her distress was the result of her sins. Why slander God, O o'ering and ignorant woman? Thy woe and will are according to thine acts. Though the moon is attached to Sheev's forehead and daily batheth in the Ganges, though Christian, the avatar of Vishnu became incarnate in the moon's family. Yet the stain contracted on account of his misdeeds is ineffasable from his head. Aaron, the charioteer whose lord is the son, the lamp of the earth whose brother was Garur, the king of birds, was born without feet on account of his sins. Sheev, the remover of many sins, the lord of the three worlds, wandered to many places of pilgrimage, but never reached the end of them. The act of cutting off Rama's head was never effaced from his person. Although Ambrosia, the moon, the all-yielding cow, Lakshmi, the miraculous tree, the steed with seven faces, and the physician arose from the ocean, the lord of rivers. Yet on account of its deed, the brackishness of the ocean departed not. Although Hanuman, who burnt the fortress of Lanka and uprewed the park of Ravan, took the wound-healing plant to Ramchandar and made him happy. Yet on account of his act of theft, the curse that he should never have more than a loincloth was not effaced from his person. The result of past acts is never effaced, though wife of my house, wherefore repeat for me the name of God, Trilo Chan repeated God's name. End of Section 5. Section 6 of the Sick Religion, Sacred Writings, and Authors. Volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section 6, Parmanand. Parmanand resided at Barsi, north of Pantarpur. His era and history are not known. It is said that he had the same love and affection for God as the milkmaids had for Krishan. In his ripe years, he used to sing the praises of God with the zest of a boy of 12 or 14 years of age, and he thus largely contributed to the magnification of God's name. The beauty and deeds of Krishan's external and internal body were ever present to him, so it is no wonder that he sang the graces, the splendor, the loveliness, and the pastoral and silvan sports of that great king with all the enthusiasm of earnest faith and devotion. Parmanand used to be so absorbed in the love and contemplation of God that tears, it is said, flowed continually from his eyes and times without number he experienced an alteration and stoppage of his voice during his paroxysms of ecstasy. He used to make 700 protestations to God daily, often on the muddy road. A merchant once offered him a silken cloth to protect his knees. He declined the offer and told him to give it to a more needy person as he himself would be satisfied with an old cloth instead. This the merchant granted him. Parmanand defended the utterance of God's name as a devotional exercise by saying that prayers are often not felt because, while repeating them, men's minds are apt to wander. But the continual utterance of God's name must ever result in heartfelt devotion. In his hymns, Parmanand called himself sarang by which he meant that he longed for God as the sarang or chakrik longs for its yearly raindrops. Parmanand's writings are believed to excessively increase men's love for God. It is said to be impossible for one to read them without contemplating God or bearing an image of him in the mind. A list of Parmanand's works is given in the asht-chap or the eight marks of the followers of Vishnu. The following hymn of Parmanand's composition is found in the grand sahib. Sarang, O man, what hast thou done by hearing the parans? Thou hast performed no steady worship and not given alms to the hungry. Lust hast thou not forgotten wrath, hast thou not forgotten covetousness, have not left thee. Slander have not left thy lips and fruitless have been all thy devotion. O sinful man, by highway robbery and housebreaking hast thou filled thy belly. Thou hast committed the folly from which on thy departure to the next world infamy will result. The desire for the destruction of life did not leave thy heart and thou didst not cherish mercy for living things. Parmanand, thou hast not in the company of holy men made current God's pure word. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section 7, Sadhana. Sadhana is believed to have been born in sawan and sinned and to have been a butcher by trade. He was a contemporary of Namdev. He embraced a religious life by listening to the instructions of holy men. Sadhana never killed animals himself but purchased those killed by others and then retailed their flesh. He wiped out the sins of previous births and became purified like fine gold which resists the touchstone. His idol was the salagram or ammonite stone worshipped by Hindus. With this he weighed out meat to his customers however much or little they required. They received the weight of the salagram. A sadhu or holy man on seeing the use to which the salagram was applied thought it ought no longer to remain with a butcher and resolve to take possession of it. Sadhana gave it up without hesitation. After some time however the sadhu took back the salagram to Sadhana and told him that though he had bathed it in the five, Ambrosias worshipped it with sandal, sweet basil and so forth, his worship was unacceptable. The salagram is pleased with thee said the sadhu and have sinned by taking it. By this time however Sadhana's thoughts took a different turn. He became wrapped up in the love of God, abandoned everything he possessed and bent his steps towards the forest to enjoy the uninterrupted worship of God. On the way he saw some of his relations at a distance he concealed himself and avoided them by taking another route lest any of them should put pressure on him to return. On arriving in the evening at a village he went into the house of a married man and asked for something to eat. The lady of the house on seeing Sadhana young and handsome fell in love with him. She prepared exquisite food for his repast and induced him to stay. At night she proposed to elope with him. Sadhana spurned her and said he would not do such a thing even though she were to cut his throat for refusing. Understanding by this that if her husband's throat were cut, Sadhana would be ready to accede to her wishes she forthwith went and killed her husband. On returning to Sadhana she told him what she had done and repeated her immoral proposal. Sadhana replied oh unworthy woman thou hast lost thy reason how can I agree to what thou proposes. In her despair she raised loud cries and invented a false accusation against him. I believed this person to be a holy man and accordingly entertained him. He had now killed my husband and made him proper overtures to me. Sadhana was arrested and taken before a magistrate. When asked what he had to say he with the meekness and unwillingness to throw blame on others which have characterized so many Hindu saints pleaded guilty to the charge. He thought to himself since God hath placed me in this position no one will accept my denial. He then composed the following hymn. Even though thou oh God consigned me to hell I shall not dispute it or turn away from it. Even though thou bestow heaven on me I shall not rejoice or praise it. If thou reject me I cannot constrain thee. If thou accept me I shall not be puffed up with excessive joy. He by whom thou standest shoulder to shoulder is died with thee. Let him whom thou orderest cheerfully burn his body. My mind desireth not death yet thou mayest if it please thee put me in the fire. What the beloved desireth ought to be the heart's desire also. The judge sentenced Sadhana to have his hands cut off. The punishment was duly carried out and Sadhana was then discharged. He set out without a frown on his forehead notwithstanding his barbarous mutilation. There is a tradition which however is not found in the Bhagat Mall that the woman who had brought the false accusation against Sadhana of having killed her husband with the object of abducting her burned herself on her husband's funeral pyre. On seeing this Sadhana said no one knoweth the way of a woman. She killed with her husband and becomeeth a sati. However this expression originated it has passed into a proverb. Sadhana's devotions prove so successful that it is said new hands then sprouted from his body and it was released from all pain of future birth. So efficacious says the author of the Bhagat Mall is the love of God. In the Mahabharata it is stated that even were a man to study the four vets it would not avail him unless he loved God. And God said even though a man beeth the lowest social outcast yet if he beeth a saint of mine he is dear to me and worthy of worship. There is a legend to the effect that Sadhana became the object of further persecution. A king who was probably incensed against him on the account of his religious opinions ordered him to procure meat for him at an unusual hour of night. Sadhana was unable to do so and the king thereupon ordered that he should be put to death by being built alive into a wall. While the wall was closing round him Sadhana is said to have composed the following hymn in the Bala Wall measure. On account of a king's daughter a man assumed the disguise of Vishnu for love of her and for his own object but his honor was saved. What merit hast thou, oh guru of the world if my sins be not erased? What availeth it to enter the asylum of the lion if he allow the jackal to clutch me? For want of a drop of rain the shatrik suffereth agony. When its life was gone even were an ocean at hand it would be of no avail. Now that my life is weary and abideth no longer how shall I be patient? When a man is drowned even if a boat be obtained say whom shall you put into it? I am nothing, I am nothing and I have nothing. At this conjuncture thy slave Sadhana prayeth thee to protect his honor. Sadhana's tomb is at Sarhand in the Panjab but the Sadhu in charge of it can give no information regarding him. End of Section 7. Section 8 of the Sikh religion sacred writings and authors Volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe this LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section 8. Benny. Benny briefly traces the progress of man's spiritual degeneration from the time of birth. Owing to the great difficulty of his writings it is believed that he is of comparatively ancient date. Unfortunately no account of him is accessible. Srirag. O man, when thou wast in the pit of the womb and didst meditate and fix thine earnest attention on God not proud of the dignity of thy mortal body thou wast day and night free from the pride which is ignorance. Recall the travail and great suffering of those days now thou hast too much extended thy thoughts to worldly things. When thou didst leave the womb and enter this perishable world thou forgot as God. Thou shalt afterwards repent, O fool, through what mental perversity hath superstition attached to thee. Remember God, otherwise thou shalt go to the abode of death, stray not in other worship. A child is anxious for play and sweets by degrees its worldly love increases. Under the pretext of its being a sacrifice man tasteth meat as if it were ambrosia though it is a poison. Then the five evil passions appear and torture him. He abandoneth devotion, penance, self-restraint, and good works and in his heart he worshipeth not God's name. His lust overfloweth blackness attaches to his heart and he embraceseth the strange woman. In the order of youth he stareeth at another's wife and distinguisheth not good from evil. In the intoxication of lust and the other great sins he goeth astray and distinguisheth not vice from virtue. Beholding his children and his wealth he is proud and forgetteth God in his heart. He waveth in his heart the wealth of someone who is dead then ruineth his life by women and banquets. When his hair groweth gray grayer than the jasmine and his voice become of feeble when his eyes water and his intellect and strength depart then his desires are in a whirl. His mind is defiled by evil passions and therefore his body withereth away like the lotus in the rainy season. He who renounceeth God's name in this perishable world shall afterwards repent. Beholding his near relations he muttereth something and is proud of them but they heed him not. He desireth the distinction of long life though his eyes see not. The fire of his body is spent the bird of his soul hath fled and his corpse is disagreeable whether in the house or the courtyard. Save Benny hear me oh saints who hath obtained salvation after death. Divine instruction is communicated under the allegory of hath yoga the most difficult and painful form of a yogi's practice. Ram Kali Unite the breath of the Aira, Pingla and Sakhmana together in one place there is the Benny and Prayag where the three rivers meet let the soul lay therein. Oh saints there is the pure God a few understand this when they go to the guru there in the brain there one is what are the signs of God's abode there is played the unbeat music of the word there nor moon nor sun nor wind nor water is worshipped he whose conscience is awakened by the guru's instruction though with this through him divine knowledge is produced evil inclinations depart and embrosial juice trickled from the brain he who knoweth the secret will meet the primal divine guru the tenth gate is the abode of the inaccessible and unequaled supreme being over the body and on the body is the chamber and within the chamber is the treasure he who watcheth over this shall never fall asleep the three qualities and the three worlds shall vanish for him in contemplation he shall hold the source of all spells in his heart and turning back and from the world fix it on heaven he shall be wakeful and not utter a lie and shall keep the five organs of perception in subjection he shall treasure the guru's instruction in his heart and devote his soul and body to God's love he shall meditate on the leaves and branches of his body and not loose his life in gambling he shall tie up the sphincter and turn his breath towards his back and raise it to the brain with his breath difficult to restrain nectar trick with forth and he converseth with the lord of the world in the tenth gate is the light of a fore-faced lamp to behold all things there are endless petals of the lotus and its cup is in the center God dwelleth there with all his power let man string the precious jewel of God's name within him he hath a lotus in his brain and gems around it in the center the center is the spotless one the lord of the three worlds the five species of musical instruments are clearly heard chari's appear to wave in a shell to reverberate like thunder the pious by divine knowledge trample on their evil passions then he begeth thy name oh lord since the practice of yoke is profitless brabhati the following was addressed to a hypocritical brahman thou rub his sandal on thy body on thy forehead but thou hast a murderous knife in thy heart thou lookest on people like a thag and watchest them like a crane looking for fish the life of the vishna when he seeeth thee escapeth through his mouth thou bowest daily to the beautiful idol of vishnu for a long time with the evil eye art thou affected and at night thou quarrelest thou ever bathest thy body thou hast two dotes thou performest thy religious duties and livest on milk alone but in thy heart thou hast a knife to stab with it is thy custom to plunder the property of others thou adores the stone and in the worship of kali make us the circle of foreganesh thou watchest at night so that men may think thou hast entered on God's service with thy feet does thou dance but thy heart meditated evil oh sinner thy dancing is wicked thou sittest on it dear skin the misery of sweet basil thou putest a showy to lock on thy forehead in thy heart is false though thou wearest a necklace on thy neck oh sinner thou repeatest not God's name all that man's worship is vain and he is blind who hath not recognized the supreme God save been he meditate on God by the guru's instruction without a true guru the way is not found end of section 8 section 9 of the sick religion, sacred writings and authors volume 6 by Max Arthur McCullough this LibriVox recording is in the public domain section 9 Ramanand a short account of Ramanaj appears to be necessary to explain the doctrines of Ramanand and the progress of Hindu religious reform in India, Swami Ramanaj flourished in the 11th century of the Christian era he was born in the village of Bhut Nagari also called Param Bhudur southeast of Kanchipur the modern Kanchivaram in the Madras presidency in the year 1810-17 during the reign of Beda Wardhan king of Dwar in the Mysore state the date of his birth is attested by the Sanskrit chronogram a word which yields the date 939 of the Saka era is that men receive patients or consolation at his birth Ramanaj's father was Koshav Jajwa a Brahmin said to be of the illustrious race of Harit the spiritual and literary king of the Rikis his mother was called Kantamati for a long time she was childless her husband prayed to heaven for a son and God appeared to him and told him his desire should be granted to effect this it is related to that Shnag the wise serpent which according to the Hindus supports the earth became incarnate as Ramanaj on the mother's side also Ramanaj belonged to an intellectual family for it was his mother's brother Yadav Archarya Ramanaj's first receptor and taught him the principles of the Hindu religion as expounded in the Simritis Ramanaj became an apt pupil and at a very early age mastered the vets and the Asha stars while pursuing his studies he delighted to sit under a tamarind tree near Parambudur which is still worshiped by his followers Ramanaj propounded new opinions with reference to the relation between the creator and his creatures he refuted the theories of the famous Shankar Akarya who was a vendantist and he began to inculcate the superiority of the worship of Vishnu to that of Shiva the principal object of worship in southern India Ramanaj exorcised an evil spirit of which the daughter of the king of Kanchipur had become possessed the king was well pleased and gave him munificent remuneration finding the king in a mood to listen to his teaching he preached to him the advantages of the Baishnava doctrines his superior intellectual attainments and his success in everything to which he turned his attention excited the jealousy of his preceptor who formed a plot to take him on a pilgrimage to Banaras and secretly drown him in the Ganges Ramanaj was saved from this fate by the timely information received from his aunt's son Ramanaj for a considerable time worshipped an idol called Bhardraja the tutelary deity of Kanchipur desirous to extend his theological studies early distressful of his uncle he went to Sri Rangnath the modern Srirangam at the parting of the rivers Kavari and Kalaran near Trikannapali to visit Yaman Akarya the great representative of the Sri sect and obtain initiation from him and adoption as his disciple unfortunately Yaman Akarya had died before the arrival of Ramanaj the latter then put himself under the tutelage of Mahapuran Yaman Akarya's disciple and successor he subsequently became the disciple of Ghash to Puran who sent him back 18 times before he was satisfied of his fitness for initiation Nabhaji writing from a Baish Nav standpoint enumerates four great sects of Hindus the Sri the Shiv the Brahma and the Sankadik the members of the Sri sect worship Vishnu under the form of his energy or a consort Lakshmi indeed it is said that Vishnu himself taught the proper form of his worship to Lakshmi and she handed it down in a direct line to Ramanaj Ramanaj continued his studies with Ardha at Sri Rangnath and there composed his commentaries on the sutras of Vyas and other Vedic works when past 50 years of age he left his family and devoted himself to the salvation of his fellow men Mahapuran had communicated to him the spell by which God's protection might be obtained and told him that whoever heard it should be saved from the pain of trans migration at the same time he informed Ramanaj that he was never to disclose the secret Ramanaj pondered on the prohibition and came to the conclusion that it was on every account proper to divulge to men the secret of salvation even though he were to suffer eternal punishment for the disclosure he accordingly went from place to place repeating with a loud voice the spell of human deliverance he made pilgrimages to Tripati and Jagannath and Banaras and having successfully preached the Vaisnava doctrines at these holy places erected buildings for worship at them all from Banaras he proceeded to Badrannath in the Himalayas where he did homage to Vishnu under his dual form of Nar Narayana he is said to have made converts by thousands and tens of thousands in the Prapan Amrit a Sanskrit work devoted to Ramanaj and his doctrines it is stated that in the month of Po in the year 1012 of the Salavahana era corresponding to 1090 of the Christian era he dedicated an idol to God under the name of Narayana at a place called Yadavachala the chroniclers disclose the extent to which religious zeal and its allies, religious bigotry and persecution even then prevailed in India the Kola king Karakala called Grimi Kanta on account of some infection of the throat from which he suffered was a bigoted worshipper of Shiva and held the doctrines of the Sri sect in devout abhorrence he engaged in controversy with Mahaparan, Ramanaj's religious guide and Kruresh a disciple of Ramanaj the monarch on being vanquished in argument resorted to physical force for revenge and put out the eyes of his antagonists Mahaparan died in a few days but Kruresh survived and subsequently rendered Ramanaj invaluable service in the dissemination of his doctrines Ramanaj himself in order to escape from the fury of Krimi Kanta took shelter in the court of Bitta or Vaitala the Jain, monarch of Dwara Samudra in the Mysore state who reigned from AD 1104 to 1141 after a controversy with Ramanaj the king changed his faith and sought the protection of God in his teachings filled with New Zealand he changed his name also to Vishnu Vardana and set to work to convert his numerous subjects who are stated to have been all of the Jain religion most of them were converted but some fled and the rest the monarch piously put to the sword in AD 1117 the king erected the Balur temple in commemoration of his conversion to Vaisna Vism by Ramanaj Ramanaj fearing for his own safety in his native country and pleased with the holy zeal friendship and protection of the Mysore king resided at his capital for 12 years during which time he induced him to erect a temple to Krishan at male cot here Ramanaj continued to preach his doctrines and made numerous converts among the Brahmins whom he withdrew from their allegiance to Shiva Ramanaj's religious teachings began to be adopted at Purushottam Puri the modern Jagannath then as now one of the greatest strongholds of the Hindu religion however were of a very exclusive character and such as could hardly have been expected from a man who fearlessly disclosed to the world the secrets of salvation he enjoined the utmost attention to cleanliness and cooking and eating and injunction which must be commended on sanitary grounds but he made regulations concerning dress, salutation and sacrificial marks of too strict a character for general observance for instance his followers cooked for themselves and ate in the greatest privacy after bathing on one point in particular he laid the greatest stress if the sight or shadow of any person fell upon the food of a follower of his it was to be immediately rejected he believed that purity of thought could only be obtained by eating food not seen by others Nabhaji states that the strict culinary rules of Ramanaj were not made for cast purposes before the glory of God and purity of worship such teaching naturally met with opposition it can easily be gathered that Yaganath became too dangerous to a place for Ramanaj to permanently reside in and he escaped at night to pursue his missionary career in other lands he is said to have had 10,000 followers 74 of whom were devoted to their teacher these 74 however each put a different interpretation on his doctrines and accordingly established as many sects of their own Ramanaj died at Srirangannath at the age of 120 years the chronogram Dar Manashta or the destruction of religion gives the date of his death as 1059 of the Shaka era corresponding to AD 1137 the mantra or words of initiation of the sect consists of 8 letters and is communicated in a secret whisper by the teacher to his disciple the proclamation of the mantra was made by Ramanaj from the loftiest Gopura known as the white Gopura or ornamental gateway of the temple of Srirangannath the motto of members of their order is Ramanaj Asaya Daso Asmi I am a slave of Ramanaj the head is slightly inclined and the hands are joined and applied to the forehead for the purposes of salutation the sacrificial marks of the sect are several on the forehead there are two vertical streaks made with a Korea clay called Gopi Chandan within them is a vertical red streak made of turmeric and lime the white streaks are connected over the nose and the hands verse streak which admits of several varieties the usual marks on the forehead are as follows to denote that body, tongue, and mind should be kept under subjection on the breast and upper arms Rama Nuji's make white patches in which they enclose red streaks the several marks represent the shell koit, club, and lotus carried in the forehands of Vishnu and the central streak of red represents his consort or energy Lakshmi it is piously believed that persons no matter of what cast who apply these marks to their foreheads are after their departure from this life not molested by death's ministers the sect besides venerate the salagram stone and the sweet basil flower as indispensable adjuncts of worship the followers of Ramanaj believe that Vishnu is the supreme being manifested before all worlds and was the creator of all things creation originated in his desire to multiply himself and was formed from his material essence this essence however manifested is pervaded by a portion of his vitality which again is distinct from his spiritual essence as God the spirit and matter are all distinct like the propounders of other religious systems Ramanaj found himself in a difficulty between pantheism and anthropomorphism Vishnu pervades all creation Vishnu and the universe are one but at the same time Vishnu is not devoid of form and he is endowed with all good qualities Vishnu has manifested himself to men in several human and other incarnations he is present in objects of worship and may be adored by the purification of temples and idols by the presentation of flowers and perfumes by counting rosaries and repeating his name and that of his energy or consort Lakshmi and finally by the practice of yog the reward of such devotion is released from all transmigration throughout eternity several temples were erected in Ramanaj's honor the principle of which are at Jadari Galata, Ahoval and Rawasa in the famous fort of Srirangapa Ram also a temple sacred to Ramanaj is pointed out to visitors Ramanaj wrote several works the principle of which are the Sri Ramanaj, Bhashaya Vagita, Bhashaya the Vedartha Sangraha the Vedanta Deepa the Vedanta Sara and the Dharm Sanjita Ramanand Agaur Raman was born at Mayokat where Ramanaj had set up an idol to induce the Ramans to renounce their devotion to Shiva very little is known of Ramanand's life only a page and a half is devoted to it in Nabhaji's Bhagat Mal where he is compared to Ram and made an incarnation of God come down from heaven to save the world the Ramanandis make it a special point to keep all details of their sect in its founder a profound secret all the works that we have been able to obtain have been for the most part devoted to his praise we give here such details of his life as have been gleaned from accessible sources Nabhaji makes Ramanand the fourth in spiritual descent from Ramanaj allowing a third of a century as an average period of incumbency for each religious teacher Ramanand must have flourished in the end of the 14th and the first half of the 15th century with another reckoning which may be employed as a chronological test the great religious reformer Kabir of whom we shall presently have much to say was according to all documentary and traditional evidence a disciple of Ramanand now the followers of Kabir say that the year AD 1908 is the 510th of his era his birth therefore according to them took place in the year AD 1398 a date which may be unhesitatingly accepted we are thus able to fix Ramanand's approximate epic Ramanand like Ramanaj originally imbibed the Hindu doctrines enunciated in the Samritas in which he had been instructed by Hermit he subsequently adopted the reformed principles of Ramanaj and became a prominent member of the Sri sect it is related that Ramanand while still a worshiper according to the Samritas one day gathering flowers in a garden when he saw Swami Raghavanand a follower of Ramanaj Raghavanand asked him if he knew anything of his own state but before he had time to answer told him that he had reached the end of his life and exhorted him to seek the protection of God at the last hour Ramanand went and informed his Hermit tutor of the message he had received the Hermit and his pupil Raghavanand and besought his divine intercession the great Swami took compassion on Ramanand and by his skill in the arduous practice of yoga suspended at the critical moment Ramanand's life breathed in the 10th gate of his body the time fixed by destiny for Ramanand's death having thus passed Raghavanand bestowed on him the coveted boon of a protracted life Ramanand served the Swami for some time and then went on a pilgrimage to Bhadrakashram the modern Bhadri Narayan in the Himalayas and other places in the course of his wanderings he visited Ramanand and lived at the ghat called Panch Ganga where his sandals were preserved at the time of the composition of Nabhaji's Bhagat Mahal it is certain that Ramanand came in contact at Ramanand with learned muslims for by that time there had been several conquests under the flag of the prophet of Maka it is natural to suppose that there should have been held at the ancient sacred city of the Hindus heated controversies between Mullas and Brahmins and that the better informed classes of Hindus who had already shown up a predilection for monotheism should have formed a just conception of the divine unity we shall afterwards see how some of the followers of Ramanand at Benares became fervent monotheists and at the same time ridiculed the priestcraft of the Mullas and the Brahmins being far from members of his own religious persuasion Ramanand was now free to form his own ideas and speculations on religion and he laid aside among other previous articles of belief several of the cumbers social and caste observances of the Shri sect when he returned after a long absence to Raghavanand his co-religionists and those who had previously lived with him interrogated him as to his observance of caste rules since his departure from them it was found that his theological belief had altered in some respects and that he had relaxed the severe culinary rules of Ramanand it is an ordinary practice of Hindu priests when they lay food before an idol to draw a screen over both the idol and the food when sufficient time according to human ideas is allowed the idol for its consumption the screen is withdrawn the followers of Ramanaj observed the same practice but have added to it a stern injunction that if any one but the person cooking see the idol's food it must be immediately rejected the followers of Ramanaj considered attention to such matters one of the most important elements of divine worship Ramanand did not adopt this view like another great teacher he could not understand what concern rules had with the worship of God and he must have freely given vent to his feelings though his expressions have not been preserved his sect promptly expelled him by his religious guide Raghavanan appears to have felt some sympathy with him for he authorized him to found a sect of his own which he accordingly did the theological tenets of the new faith corresponded to some extent with those of Ramanaj except that Sita and Ram instead of Lakshmi and Narayan became special objects of Ramanand's worship and the culinary and kindred rules of the Ramanajis were generously relaxed Ramanand then applied himself to prove from the Shastars that the observance of caste rules was unnecessary for anyone who sought the protection of God and embraced his service he laid it down as a rule that all persons of any caste who accepted the tenets and principles of his sect might eat and drink together irrespective of birth all men who serve God in the same way are brothers and of the same social position contrary to the practice of Ramanaj who had enforced a discipline too strict for ordinary mortals Ramanand through his spiritual door wide open admitted disciples of all castes and boldly announced that Gyan or knowledge of God emancipated a small social bondage it is written in Nabhajis Bhagat Mahal that even a low caste man who loves God is superior to a Brahmin who although irreproachable in his acts possesses no love for the creator an instance of this is cited at the great feast given by Yudhishtar to commemorate the victory of the Pandavas over the Kauravas the festival would not ring spontaneously at the appointed time Krishan who attended the banquet inquired if any person had failed to receive his share of the vines he was informed that food had not been served to Valmik because he was a Chandal and as a huntsman destroyer of light Krishan then ordered that Valmik should be seated in the midst of the assemblage and that Draupadi the fractional wife of Yudhishtar should feed him with her own hands this she recording they did and the festival peeled forth by no earthly hands Ramanand was distinguished for his kindness to others and his love of God he pointed out the way of the Lord to men of the forecast and the four conditions of life he deemed forms of adoration superfluous and held that the supreme reward of devotion was to be obtained by incessantly uttering God's name he called his disciples the liberated when he allowed them and they accepted a liberal interpretation of the Hindu social rules sanctioned by religion at the same time he vehemently opposed atheists and those who boasted that they existed independently of God he vanquished in argument the Jains the Buddhists and the followers of the left way these devotions were not addressed to the supreme Lord of the world Ramanand having forsaken the cares of the world gave himself up to Vairag or renunciation of all worldly things and thus became the first by Ragi he had four disciples from each of whom arose four sects composed of Nagas who are purely ascetic and practice seclusion and some yogis who carry and lead domestic lives both orders may eat together they mostly belong to the Sudhar class but some wear the triple cord of the twice born Hindus and style themselves Gaur Ramans in the north of India it is said that Ramanand at Ganga Sagar at the mouth of the Hoogli branch of the Ganges discovered a temple sacred to Kapila an incarnation of Vishnu and author of the Sankaya Shastars a fair is annually held there at the time of the winter solstice the disciples of Ramanand were according to Nabhaji Anantanand Sureshwaranand Paipa Sain Ravdas, Kabir and others Ramanand died at Benares at an advanced age most of the present followers of Ramanand appeared to have completely fallen away from his teaching and observed caste rules with the utmost strictness and as far as their attendance were concerned they appeared to have become hopelessly confused with the Ramanajis and to differ only in their sectarial marks in reference for Sita and Ram to Lakshmi and Narayan as objects of worship the following is the hymn of Ramanand found in the Granth Sahib an invitation has been given him to attend a religious service of Vishnu to which he replied Basant, wither shall I go sir I am happy at home my heart will not go with me it have become a cripple one day I did not have an inclination to go I ground sandal took distilled ala wood and many perfumes and was proceeding to worship God in the temple when my spiritual guide showed me God in my heart wherever I go I find only water or stones but thou O God art equally contained in everything the vets and the purans all have I seen and searched though thou wither if God be not here O true Guru I am a sacrifice unto thee who has cut away all my perplexities and doubts is the all-pervading God the Guru's word cuteth away millions of sins End of Section 9 Section 10 of the Sick Religion Sacred Writings and Authors Volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Section 10 Dana Dana generally known as Dana Yat is said to have been born in the year A.D. 1415 He lived in the village of Duan in Tank Territory about 20 miles from the D.O. Lee Cantonments of Raj Patana A religious bent was given to his genius from his earliest years a Brahmin went to his parents house to worship on seeing the ceremonial as Dana asked for an idol so that he too might worship him on his own account in imitation of the Brahmin the Brahmin at first put him off with excuses but when Dana further importuned he handed him a small black stone for his youthful devotion Dana took it up, applied it to his eyes and head and began to worship it in imitation of the Brahmin The ceremony observed was this Dana first bathed himself then bathed the stone on the mud of a neighboring tank he had no sweet basil dear to gods and idols but he offered green leaves instead and then performed the customary devotional homage and prostration when Dana's mother brought him bread he put it in front of the idol and shutting his eyes sat down hard by, he waited long in hope that the idol would eat but on finding that it would not became sad and distressed he repeatedly clasped his hands and when that form of inducement proved unavailing began to apply the idol with boyish flatteries at last when all failed he threw the bread into the tank by which he meant to clearly show the idol that if it did not eat it he would not eat it himself some days passed in this way until Dana was well nigh dead from weakness produced by thirst and hunger at last the Brahmin anxious to confer a blessing on the youthful saint appeared to him and urged him to satisfy his appetite Dana did so in revive to pursue his devotions with even greater fervor than before the Brahmin again paid Dana a visit and on seeing his progress towards spiritual perfection prostrated himself before him and shed tears of love by Dana's contemplation worship and repetition of the name God was gladdened and the Brahmin through Dana's devotion obtained it was said the object of his desires both in this world and the next Dana was supernaturally directed to go to Benares and receive the spell of initiation from Ramanand he accordingly did so Ramanand on seeing his purity of heart and devotion recognized him as a great saint and apostle and duly initiated him as a disciple in due time Ramanand having enjoined the service of the saints on him as a special duty dismissed him with every token of love and respect and Dana on reaching his home duly followed his spiritual guides and junctions one day as Dana was taking wheat to sow he met some holy men who urged their necessities accordingly he bestowed his seed wheat on them God on seeing Dana's charity to his saint said he who cast the corn in the ground expected the return several times greater now Dana put the corn into the mouths of my saint so I must give him a thousand fold return Dana's field accordingly flourished so much better than the fields of his neighbors that it became the subject of general congratulation Dana thought the congratulations were merely jeers and jests until one day he paid a visit to his field then he found that what people had been saying was really true he became absorbed in the love of God and redoubled his devotion to him and his saints his land is still called Dana Bagat Ka Ket or saint Dana's field it is said that the blackstone of his youthful worship was subsequently embedded in one of the walls of his temple now Haji concludes his account of Dana with the following invocation Oh God in Dar how prudent and wise art thou who made us thy thunderbolt out of the bones of Dodd Hitch King of the Rikis why has thou not lifted up and taken away this wretched heart of mine which is millions of times harder than adamant since it is not in the slightest degree softened on reading the story of Dana and hearing of God's kindness, love and affection for his saints though Dana began life as an idolater it is clear from the following him that he became in riper years a worshiper of the one God and renounced all superstitious practices Asa in Gobin Gobin Gobin was Namdev's heart absorbed the Calico printer worth half a dom became worth a lock abandoning weaving and stretching thread Kabir devoted his love to God's feet though a weaver of low family he obtained untold virtues Rav Das who used to remove dead cattle abandoned worldly affairs became distinguished and in the company of the saints obtained the sight of God saying Barbara and village drudge well known in every house in whose heart the supreme God dwelt is numbered among the saints having heard all this I applied myself to God's service I've met God in person and great is the good fortune of Dana the following hymns of Dana afford abundant traditional evidence that he by further study and meditation embraced a pure form of worship than that of his early youth after a confessedly sinful life Dana met the guru who united him with God wandering and roaming many births have passed away my body my mind and fortune remain not constant attached to and stained with the sins of covetousness and lust I have forgotten God the diamond the fruit of sin is sweet to the demented mind in no with not excellent meditation my love turning in a different direction from virtue increases and I again weave the web of birth and death I did not know the way of recognizing him who dwell in the heart I burned in the fire of worldly love and fell into death's and collected so many fruits of sin and filled my heart with them that I forgot God the supreme being when the guru caused the wealth of divine knowledge to enter me I meditated on God and accepted in my heart that he was one I've embraced the love and service of God and known comfort I am satiated and satisfied and have obtained salvation he in whose heart God's light which built creation is contained recognize it God who cannot believe Donna hath obtained God as his wealth meeting with saints he hath become absorbed in him God is the universal preserver oh my heart why think is thou not of the God of mercy why ignorest thou not all besides were thou to run through the universe and the continents of the earth it would not avail thee only what the creator do it cometh to pass you made the body with its 10 gates in the water of its mother's womb and preserveth it in its fiery home such a lord is ours the female tortoise liveth in the water its young remain on land they have no mother's wings to shelter them and no milk to drink yet God the all-pervading the primal joy the delightful feedeth them understand this in thy heart a worm is embedded in the stone and there is no exit for it save Donna God filleth it oh my soul fear not Donna in order to maintain in his devotions praise for the means of subsistence Donna sorry oh God I thine afflicted servant come to thee thou arrangest the affairs of those who perform thy service thou flower and ghee I beg of thee so shall my heart be ever happy shoes and good clothes the seven sorts of corn I beg of thee milch cows and buffaloes I beg a good turkish stony mare and a good wife the slave Donna begeth of thee and of section 10 section 11 of the sick religion sacred writings and authors volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe this Lieberbach's recording is in the public domain section 11 Piper Piper born in the year AD 1425 was king of a state called Angar he possessed every spiritual excellence and conferred happiness and saintship on the human race Piper had been at first a worshipper of Durga the consort of sheave some holy men came to his capital and he with his usual generosity and devotion ministered to all their wants they then prepared food offered it to God and prayed that the king might become a saint at night he had a holy man who took an interest in his welfare appeared to him and said how foolish thou art who turn us away from God and yet ask is for pardon from that moment he desired nothing but the service of God all the things of this world appeared to him to have no reality it is said that the goddess subsequently appeared to him Piper prosperated himself before her and asked her how he could serve God she told Ramanand as his spiritual guide after this highly disinterested advice the goddess disappeared Piper manifested such a passionate desire to see Ramanand that his friends apprehended he would lose his reason that last he went to Benares where he had heard Ramanand resided the great swami on hearing of Piper's arrival expressed his surprise and sent him a message my house is a place for Fakirs what business have kings here on Ramanand's refusal to receive him Piper returned home and bestowed his wealth on the poor he again appeared before Ramanand and said he had now become a Fakir Ramanand in order to test his sincerity told him to throw himself into a well without further reflection Piper proceeded to do so but Ramanand's disciples restrained him they brought him back to Ramanand who on being satisfied of his humility forthwith made him a disciple and bestowed saintship on him he then gave him permission to return to his own country and continued to serve saints Ramanand promised to go and company with other saints to visit him after a year of probation Piper departed served holy men and worshiped God with increased fervor after a year he wrote to Ramanand and reminded him of his promise to sanctify Gaga Rangar with a visit Ramanand set out with his family chosen disciples including Rav Das and the renowned Kabir Piper having taken a palki for his Guru met the party outside the city he prostrated himself before Ramanand and each of the disciples and bestowed on the poor a large amount of money and the remnant of his property as a thanksgiving on that joyful occasion he took the whole company to his palace and bestowed subservice on them that he quickly received the great spiritual salvation during life after some time Ramanand conceived a desire to visit the country of Dwararaka on the western coast of kathiyar war Piper on hearing this became distressed at losing the companionship of his holy guide Ramanand on seeing the king's heartfelt love said he could make his choice either to remain where he was or become a mendicant of his order and accompany him upon this Piper abdicated his sovereignty Ramanand and his party his queens prepared to share his poverty and his pilgrimage to Dwararaka Piper tried to dissuade them by pointing out the hardships of travel and sojourn in forests and solitude but they would not be convinced he then told them to take off their jewels and regal attire and put on patch clothes and they might thus accompany him if they pleased the mention of the detrimental alteration of costume was more efficacious than any expostulation all his queens saved one immediately returned home the youngest whose name was Sita the best beloved of her husband Dwararaka becoming attire of her graceful youth and put on as her husband had suggested the course blanket of a mendicant Ramanand Piper and Sita newly arrived in Dwararaka Ramanand merely desired to see the temples there and this being done declared his intention of returning to Dwararaka but Piper wished to settle in Dwararaka and obtain Ramanand's permission to do so he and his consort abode there in the society of holy men and made great progress toward spiritual perfection when the sanctity of Piper and his faithful consort became known a great crowd assembled to do them homage, wearied with the attentions they received from the people Sita pointed out to her spouse that was expedient for them to go to a strange country they accordingly departed for other places of pilgrimage when they had proceeded six stages they encountered Afghan troops the soldiers finding Sita fair to look upon appropriated her for themselves in this difficulty she remembered God and with fervent prayer supplicated his assistance he rescued her from the Afghans and restored her rejoicing to her husband Piper asked her if she would not go home seeing that troubles arose on every side on her account she replied great king what trouble hath caused any interruption to thy devotion or hath been removed by any contrivance of thine it was all the work of God thou and I hath proof and perfect assurance of this to admonish me now notwithstanding all that hath occurred is not in accordance with the devotion of a husband or a saint Piper was pleased with her constancy they became reconciled alter their pride and continued their pilgrimage Piper and his consort visited a holy man whose name was Chidhar he and his wife though highly pleased to see them had nothing wherewithal to show them hospitality in this plight Chidhar's wife's petticoat was sold to provide food for the guests it was the only article of dress she possessed and she had then to conceal herself in her room when the food was cooked and the guest sat down to dinner Piper requested Chidhar bade them take their dinner and his wife would eat their leavings upon this Piper told Cedar to go and fetch her Cedar went and found her hiding in her room unenquiring the cause Chidhar's wife said it was not by wearing clothes heavenly bliss was obtained but the first and most proper duty of all was to contemplate God and serve his saints Cedar divined what hath occurred and arrived at the conclusion that her own devotion and service was nothing in comparison with what she had just witnessed the clothes she wore she gave to Chidhar's wife and brought her forth from her hiding place they then all dined together Piper and Cedar then took leave of Chidhar and his wife and after great hardships and privations arrived at the city of Toda near Tank on the northwestern frontier of India one day I'm going to bathe Piper found an earthen vessel full of gold coins but did not touch them he mentioned the matter at night to his wife and she said it was better not to go to the same place again some thieves who had overheard their conversation went there and found a venomous serpent coiled up in the vessel they said to themselves that the newly arrived Fakir had designed to kill them by speaking of gold coin instead of a serpent in the vessel they then decided that they would have the Fakir himself bitten by the serpent they accordingly dug out the vessel took it with its contents and threw it into Piper's house but the original contents had not changed for the holy man they found it still filled with gold coins as before Piper believing this treasure to have been obtained by divine favor spent all the money within three days in rejoicings in honor of God and in feeding and serving his saints Sir Sen, king of that country hearing Piper's name and devotion went to see him and falling at his feet prayed him to instruct him and make him a holy man Piper remonstrated with him and even attempted to dissuade him from adopting the life of the serpent however and seeing him determined Piper told him to relinquish all he possessed the king immediately obeyed this order and placed his wealth at the disposal of the saint after this trial Piper gave him the spell of initiation and made him his disciple Sir Sen's queen went bailed to Piper to remonstrate against separation from her lord Piper restored her to Sir Sen and assured him that he could lead a religious life even in the married state and added that it was necessary for women to bail themselves in the presence of holy men probably the first effort in modern times in India to abolish the tyranny of the Parda in time an unfortunate difference arose between Sir Sen and Piper which was rendered more acute by intrigues of the court Romans and Sir Sen threw off his spiritual allegiance to his royal guests Piper upon this reflected that it was the guru who frees men from sin and its consequences and when a man resolves his allegiance to his guru what hope is there for him he feared that the king would lose both this world and the next so he resolved to save him he accordingly proceeded to the king's palace and caused himself to be announced the king sent word that he was busy with his devotions and could not see the visitor upon this Piper said the king was a great fool for while pretending to be performing his devotions he was thinking of obtaining new footwear for himself when these words were repeated to Sir Sen he knowing that Piper had divineed his thoughts that once went to him and throwing himself at his feet said I'm unworthy and faithless I did not know thy greatness be merciful and pardon me I am extremely ashamed of all the suspicions and erroneous ideas I had formed regarding thee Piper replied okay remember thy faith and love on the day thou becameest my disciple according to all rules I love for God and his guru ought to have increased instead of that thou has turned thy back on them and prepared thyself for hell for the future consider the saints of God as his image and serve them in this way shall thou easily obtain the advantages of both worlds Piper gave the king other instructions of similar character which sank deep into his heart he then returned to his old allegiance to Piper and began anew his religious life and his repetition of God's name Piper on more occasions than can be related showed a marked deference to others once some holy men took a fancy to a dish of curds which they had seen with a milk woman and asked Piper to procure it for them he caused the holy men to be served with curds daily and cheerfully remunerated the milk woman there was a brahman friend of Piper who was a worshiper of Durga Piper prepared a religious feast in the brahman's house part took of the food himself and induced the brahman also to do so through the intercession of Piper it is related Durga manifested herself through the brahman his heart became purified and he began to worship God instead of an idol a handsome woman who sold oil used to go about saying by my oil by my oil Piper said it would be more becoming to her lips to utter God's name the woman became angry and replied that it was only usual to utter God's name when anybody died on arriving at home she found her husband dead she became a believer fell at Piper's feet and promised her with all her family the name of God upon this it is said Piper restored her husband to life Piper procured a female buffalo to supply milk to his holy guests the buffalo was stolen Piper took the buffalo's calf and followed the thieves telling them to take the calf also as otherwise the buffalo would be displeased and not give milk the thieves repented and restored the stolen animal to her owner Piper on another occasion was taking home some money and a cart laden with wheat highway robbers stole the cart with its burden Piper offered them his money also telling them that they would require it to purchase utensils with which to cook the wheat these robbers also repented and restored Piper his cart somebody killed a cow and was expelled from his cast for a crime so heinous in the eyes of the Hindus Piper by inducing him to utter God's name and prepare a feast in God's honor converted him from a sinner to a saint his tribesman Piper still refused to allow him to return to his brotherhood upon this Piper proved the glory of God's name from the vets and the Shah stars and stated that whoever even once uttered it should be pardoned the mortal sins of hundreds of thousands of births consequently how could the sin of cow killing remain attached to a man who uttered God's name hundreds and thousands of times everybody admitted the justice of this argument and the cow killer was restored to his cast and public favor a saint Piper by letter to visit him Piper accepted the invitation on his arrival he found three wrong engaged in idolatrous worship he was putting on the idols neck a garland of flowers but it became entangled in the idols diadem at that moment he was informed of Piper's arrival he replied that he was occupied with divine service and when it was completed he would go to receive his guest Piper replied what sort of service is he performing he cannot put on a garland of flowers on hearing this three wrong ran to meet him they embraced each other and Piper remained with his new friend for several days tree wrong was greatly edified on witnessing cedars love and devotion and applied himself with great fervor to imitate her example once on the occasion of a famine Piper distributed such a quantity of eatables and drinkables that it appeared as if there had been no famine and everybody's sufferings were relieved the author Bhagat mall states that there are numberless similar anecdotes of Piper which transcend all conjecture and conception there's therefore the writer states no difference between God and his saints since the glory of Piper might be attributed to God the Marathi chronicler sums up the character of Piper by saying that he was brave liberal learned religious self restrained and watchful the following him a Piper intended to show that it is internal not external worship which is advantageous is found in the Grand Sahi Donna sorry in the body is God the body is the temple of God in the body are pilgrims and travelers in the body are incense lamps sacrificial food in the body are offerings of leaves I've searched many regions and it is only in the body I found the nine treasures there's no coming and no going for me since I have appealed to God what is in the universe is found in the body whoever searching for it shall find it there present if God is the primal essence when there is a true Guru he will show him in section 11 section 12 of the sick religion sacred writings and authors by him six by Max Arthur Macauliffe this LibriVox recording is in the public domain section 12 saying saying was a disciple of Ramanand and consequently lived in the end of the 14th in the beginning of the 15th century of the Christian era he was a barber at the court of Raja Ram king of Rawa then called Bandhavgar the tendency of the age was towards devotion and religious composition and saying found leisure in the midst of his duties to study the hymns of Ramanand shape his life on the principles inculcated in them and successfully imitate their spirit and devotional fervor the accomplishments and duties of an Indian court barber at the time of saying were an R still of a miscellaneous character he is something of a surgeon and ordinarily a marriage or matchmaker he oils the king's body shampoos his limbs pairs his nails shaves his face and head if he be a Hindu and clips his mustache if he be a muscle man amuses him with gossip and tales often plays the man sings his own compositions which definitely combined flattery of his master with social satire or pleasantry God is said by the Hindu chronicler to have cherished Sain as a cow her calf he frequented the society of holy men and was very happy in their company he performed for them all menial offices for he believed that serving saints was equivalent to serving God himself the Bhagavad Mahal contains a legend which at once illustrates devotion to saints and the estimation in which he was held for his piety when going one day to perform as usual ministrations for King Raja Ram he met some holy men on the way he thought it was his first duty to attend to them he took them with him and began to render them the customary services with the greatest mental satisfaction to himself he gave them consecrated and secular food to relieve their souls and bodies and thus Sain disregarded his duty to the king and braved his displeasure the legend states that a holy man by God's favor in order to avert the king's wrath and save Sain from punishment assumed his appearance and having gone and performed the customary duties for the king took his departure soon after Sain arrived and began to apologize for his delay the king said that has only just gone after the usual services to me why apologize Sain replied I have not been here perhaps thy majesty say so to excuse my absence the Raja then knew that a special providence had intervened and performed for him the usual tansorial duties he was at once converted fell at Sain's feet worshiped him as his guru and thus sought an asylum in God it had at any rate at the time of the composition of the Bhagavad Gita become an established custom that the successive kings of the house should always be disciples of the descendants of Sain they are now said to be followers of Kabir the following hymn of Sain and the Dhanasari measure is found in the Gran Sahib having made an oblation of incense lamps and clarified butter I go to offer them to thee O God hail to thee O God hail ever hail to thee O sovereign God thy name is the best lamp meditation there on the purest wick thou alone art the bright one O God it is the saints of God who feel divine pleasure they describe thee as the all-pervading and the supreme joy thou a fascinating form O God float us over the ocean of terror Sain saith worship the supreme joy end of section 12 section 13 of the sick religion sacred writings and authors volume 6 by Max Arthur McAuliffe this LibriVox recording is in the public domain section 13 Kabir there was a certain Brahmin in Benares who remained continually in attendance on Ramanand the Brahmin had a daughter a virgin widow who desired to behold the object of her father's reverence and attentions her father took her one day to see the holy man she was allowed to prostrate herself before him and touch his feet with her forehead he in ignorance of her status prayed that she might be blessed with a son when her father replied that she was a widow Ramanand said that his words could not be recalled and she should have a son but no one should see any signs of her pregnancy and no stigma should attach to her reputation her son should reform religion and save the world she consequently conceived in due time a son was born to her on Monday the day of the full moon in the month of Jess 1455 of the Vikramaditya era corresponding to AD 1398 she exposed her child on a lake called Lahartalo a short distance from Benares he was found by a Muslim and weaver called Ali who from living beside the water near was popularly known Nero when he was taking home his wife from her parents house he saw the boy lying in the lake it is said on a blossoming water lily the child had obviously been abandoned by an unmarried woman Nero hastened to inform his wife Nima they had no son of their own and it was in their power to adopt him Nima represented the gossip that would result and the danger to their reputation and that of the whole tribe looking into the child's face however her determination gave way he was fair to look on and did not scream like other children but on the contrary looked bright and cheerful they took him up and bore him home the Lahartalo is a lake about a mile and a quarter long and an eighth of a mile broad at the time of the author's visit in December it was except for some rushes here and there covered with a rusted weed on which aquatic birds were fed and sported on the margin of the lake is a small temple sacred to Kabir it is kept by some monks who pride themselves on their knowledge of Sanskrit literature hard by is the tomb of Nero Kabir's foster father after the discovery of the child Akhazi was in due time called to give him a name the Quran was opened and a lot was cast the word Kabir which means great was the first that presented itself this name was accordingly given to the child when Kabir arrived at an age to understand the nature of the doubts cast on his birth he composed the following I have just come from God Mammon hath led the world astray it hath not found the secret of my birth I was not born nor did I dwell in a womb I have appeared a child as I am a weaver found me near his hut in a lake at Banaras in heaven or on earth or in any country my divine knowledge is endless the spirit which is manifested in his own world is my name I have no bones no blood, no skin I have been manifested by the word I am beyond all body and endless a superior being whom men call the immortal Kabir it would appear that though the boy was adopted by Muslims he was subjected to Hindu influences from his earliest years he is the stronghold of Hinduism and even his Mohammedan inhabitants are often strongly tinctured with the ancient religion of India moreover it is said that Ghasein hashtanand a Hindu saint of the period said to have been a disciple of Ramanand saw the child at the time of his exposure in the tank and it is most probable that he subsequently fathered his fate and gave him religious instruction as opportunities offered at a very early age Kabir's religious education was far advanced while playing with his companions he used to repeat the name Ram or Hari, Hindu names of God Muslims said the child was an infidel Kabir retorted that an infidel was he one who struck any person without just cause two who wore a religious garb to deceive the world three who drank wine four who stole committed suicide six who smoked tobacco seven who committed highway robbery eight who took life these became Kabir's commandments one day he put on the frontal mark in the sacrificial thread of the Hindus a Brahmin called Mukand Raman straighted and said that Kabir having been brought up Mohammedan and following more over the trade of his foster father had no concern with Hinduism and was not entitled to wear or symbols Kabir replied with the following hymn In my house's thread I'm continually weaving while only one sacrificial thread is on thy neck thou readest only the vets and the gayaatri while God is in my heart on my tongue dwelleth God in my eyes dwelleth God and in my heart dwelleth God when thou art examined O mad Mukand at death's door what shall thou say when the cow, thou the herdsman Lord of the earth and guardian of man at every birth thou hast not taken me beyond the river to graze what sort of master have I thou art a Brahmin I am a Banaras weaver understand my instruction thou begest from lords and kings while I meditate on God which of us is better as Kabir grew up his devotion spiritual power and miracles became famous in every thing blasphemy which was opposed to the worship of God he considered the practice of yoga, alms, fasting and the feeding of Brahmins not only useless but improper without the repetition of God's name and love for him in reality the special tenor of the Shastars is according to Nabhaji's Bhagat that all the above mentioned religious works are ciphers and the name of God is as it were a numeral not feeding Brahmins etc. are useless without the numeral of God's name the meaning of the author of the Bhagat Maul is that all religious works should be performed for the acquisition of devotion and love of God and not for objects of a temporal character Kabir has written works which all religious denominations can't accept and which if peruse without bigotry are advantageous for the salvation of all persons Kabir was so steadfast in his utterance of God's name that in comparison with it he deemed worthless the rules of caste and the Hindu and Mohammedan religious observances from Kabir's boyhood his mind was filled with intuitive knowledge and his reasoning faculties were so acute that he vanquished the most learned men of his age both Hindu and Muslim in theological and ethical discussions the Brahmins and the Moolas contrived many expedience to silence him but all were baffled at last they decided that they would call him a Nagura or a person without a spiritual guide and consequently an infidel with the dubious moral character which that word in the estimation of the vulgar connotes and that they would thus humble and shame him having heard of the Brahmins resolution of Ramana's fame Kabir sought him out and became his disciple when Kabir's foster parents found they could not restrain his Hindu faculties they determined to circumcise him upon this he uttered the following hymn whence have come the Hindus and Muslims who have put them on their different ways having thought and reflected in thy heart answer this who shall obtain heaven and who hell O Khazi what expound is thou such readers and students as thou have failed none of them have attained knowledge thou practicest circumcision I shall never believe in it O brother if God had desired to make me a muscle man I should have been born circumcised if a man become a muscle man by circumcision what is to be done to a woman thou putest not away thy wife who is half thy body wherefore thou remainest a Hindu give up thy books O foolish man and worship God thou practicest gross oppression Kabir hath laid hold of the prop of God the muscle men when Kabir's mother found that his attention was directed to the worship of the God of the Hindus in opposition to the God of Islam she raised loud complaints Kabir paid no attention to her but employed himself as usual in the repetition and remembrance of God's name Kabir continued to follow his trade but at the same time received and served holy men and mendicans at this his mother was greatly distressed and uttered the complaints in the first part of the following hymn thou art always rising early and bringing fresh utensils thy life hath gone in plastering cooking squares thou payest no attention to thy weaving thou art engrossed in the pleasure of saying God God who in our family hath ever uttered the name of Ram since this worthless son of ours began to wear a rosary we have had no peace here wife of my eldest brother-in-law here wife of my youngest wife of my youngest brother-in-law a wonderful thing hath occurred this boy hath ruined our weaving business why is he not dead Kabir replied as follows the one God is the Lord of all happiness the Guru hath granted me his name he preserved the honor of the saint Prahlad and destroyed harnakas with Narasen's nails Prahlad abandoned the gods in his house and embraced the instruction of his Guru Narad saith Kabir, God is the destroyer of all sin, he saith with his saints in Benares among opulent hindus sun-dried vessels are replaced daily it is believed that the night renders them impure Kabir was anxious to attract holy men and followed the popular custom of daily renewing his cooking vessels and smearing his cooking places the above hymn was written in Kabir's youth one day he was selling a piece of cloth in the market place he asked five double paiz for it but no one would give him more than three a broker came up and seemed that Kabir was undervaluing his cloth began to assist him in its sale the broker asked intending 12 purchasers double paiz they forming an idea of the value of the cloth from the price put upon it by the seller offered seven double paiz and at this sum a bargain was struck upon this Kabir uttered the following couplet if I speak the truth you beat me down the world is pleased with falsehood a sheet worth five double paiz is sold for seven Kabir kept his mind continually fixed on God and worked sufficiently to maintain himself and his family another day as he was standing in the marketplace selling cloth a fakir came and begged for wherewithal to cover his nakedness Kabir offered him half the cloth he had for sale the fakir replied that that was not enough upon this Kabir gave him the whole Kabir then reflected that his mother and family were waiting for the price of the cloth and how could he return to them with empty hands he therefore decided to conceal himself and not return home his people became very anxious regarding him to the heart of a corn merchant to take ox loads of food of every description to Kabir's house so that his family might not suffer during his absence Kabir's mother strenuously resented the offering and said my son will not take even a single grain of corn from anyone who art thou who throw such a quantity of provisions at my door the merchant however he did her not believing all the provisions took his departure two or three men then went in quest of Kabir and brought him home when he saw the unexpected supplies and heard the circumstances he knew it was all due to the kindness of God and became highly pleased and grateful to the giver he then sent for some saints and distributed what he had received among them when the Brahmans of Benares heard that Kabir had given hundreds of mons of corn to holy men but not even one grain to themselves in his house and thus addressed him weaver thou has become very proud of thy wealth since without any intimation to us thou has distributed provisions among low cast for cures and sardars leave this city at once and take up thy residence elsewhere Kabir asked why he should leave the city had he broken into anyone's house or committed highway robbery that they sought to exile him the Brahmans replied that he had served and done honor to for cures instead of themselves it was an offense sufficient to merit expulsion from the city say no more they continued it is better for thee either to make us an offering or depart hence Kabir replied that his house was all he had and they could take possession of it thus saying he escaped from them and again concealed himself in a distant forest upon this some admirers of Kabir's sanctity and sympathizers with his troubles distributed among the Brahmans such an amount of money and provisions that the name and praises of Kabir resounded throughout the whole city and the Brahmans were highly delighted and gratified on finding their stomachs filled to repulsion after that a holy man sought out Kabir and asked him why he spent his days in the forest why goest thou not to thine own house whoever goeth to thy door and purvisions and shall there be nothing for thee Kabir then went home and finding ample supplies for his family was grateful for God's mercy and love when the report of such good fortune and God's bounty was noise to broad people went in great numbers to the saint finding his meditations interrupted by his visitors he resorted to a singular expedient to blacken his own character and keep them at a distance pious people were scandalized he said that though Kabir had been a perfect saint he must now be deemed a wicked man unfit for the association of the virtuous while Kabir's desire for seclusion was thus fully attained and people ceased to throng round him in numbers ignorant people uttered reproaches and satirized him Kabir went in strange guise to the king's court and sat down in the midst of the assembly the king and his courtiers seeing his strange behavior treated him rightfully and ordered him out of their presence the king however on reflection was ashamed of his hasty order and wanted consideration for such a saint notwithstanding the strange guise he had adopted the king then began to consider how his own sins could be pardoned he put an axe on his shoulder and a bundle of firewood on his head went barefooted with his queen into Kabir's presence and fell down with great humility and modesty at the saint's feet and showed him the way of devotion to God the bigoted emperor Sikandar Khan Lodi son of Balol Lodi visited Banaras in Sambat 1545 the year he ascended the throne owing to the dampness of the locality he contracted a severe fever and ague Kabir's enemies suggested that he should be called to cure the emperor their object was that Kabir should fail in his efforts to be punished by the despot due to the dismay of his enemies however Kabir is said to have cured the monarch by simply presenting himself the Muslims headed by Sik, Taki and the unbelieving Brahmans subsequently appeared before the emperor to make a complaint against Kabir they represented that he had so led people astray all over the city that those who paid heed to what he said remained neither Hindus nor Muslims the emperor summoned Kabir when he appeared the courtiers told him to salute and make obeisance to the monarch in the usual manner of subjects Kabir replied that he was not accustomed to courts and did not know how to make prostrations nor had he any business with the emperor he but knew the name of God who was the support of his soul and only sovereign of the world the emperor became enraged on hearing this and forgetting his former obligation to Kabir loaded him with chains and had him thrown into the river it is related that Kabir who had previously cut off the chains of sin easily swam to shore leaving his chains behind him unbelievers attributed this miracle to magic so setting some wood on fire they threw the saint into it by God's favor the fire was completely extinguished and Kabir's body emerged from it more handsome than before when these means of destruction failed a furious elephant was let loose on him the elephant however not only did not approach Kabir but fled on seeing him Kabir composed the following on the occasion they tied my arms and threw me like a ball they beat an infuriated elephant on the head that he might trample on me but he trumpeted and fled saying I am a sacrifice to that shape which appeared sayeth Kabir oh my God thou art my strength because he ordered drive on the elephant oh driver or I will make an ins meet of thee drive on the elephant wound him the elephant did not move but kept his attention on God and God took possession of his heart and asked what crime hath the saint committed that you have made a ball of him and thrown him to the elephant the elephant lifting up the ball bowed to it even then the infatuated Kazi could not comprehend three times he tried to kill me but failed even then his heart heart would not be satisfied sayeth Kabir oh God thou art my protector thy servant soul is in the fourth state when Kabir had successfully escaped from these ordeals another charge was invented against him namely that he had been guilty of the blasphemy of calling himself God this was deposed to by several witnesses and the emperor was induced to give it credence he again summoned Kabir on Kabir's arrival the emperor caused a cow to be slaughtered and ordered Kabir to reanimate her Kabir stroked her with his hand and then made a noise with his lips as if driving her upon which it is related the cow stood up and all her wounds and injuries were healed when the emperor saw the power of Kabir's devotion it is said he fell at his feet and thus addressed him I am thy servant and slave pardon my offenses that I may be saved from God's wrath ask without desirous money, lands and other things and I will present them to thee and do thou in return bestow on my poor circumstances that I may be happy in this world and the next Kabir replied that he had no concern with anything but the name of God gold and lands were all useless to him saying this he went home the saints of God were all overjoyed at his safety but the Brahmans irritated at their failure began to contrive further means of annoyance they dressed up several persons as holy men and sent them to various dignitaries to invite them on behalf of Kabir to a banquet on a certain date guests came in crowds at the appointed time Kabir on discovering the trick that had been played and knowing that on account of his poverty he was unequal to the entertainment of such a multitude again fled this time with the approbation of the saint robbed us to a neighboring forest for concealment the God did not wish that his saint should be made a laughing stock he sent in the guise of Kabir a holy man who performed the duties of hosts with such grace and dignity as was impossible for any ordinary mortal as each party of visitors arrived the holy man met them at the door and performed for them all the rites of hospitality he provided them with suitable apartments washed their feet and performed all necessary services when all the guests had fared to their hearts content and the holy man obtained leisure from attendance on them he sat down with each group and conversed with its members on sacred subjects in this way the festival was prolonged for several days after that he went to Kabir and gave him a full account of the entertainment Kabir then went home overjoyed with God's love and kindness to him and composed the following sloc Kabir I did not do this nor will I do it again nor am I physically able to do it how do I know what God may have done yet it was all Kabir to this Kabir in his thankfulness to God added the following him endless salvation awaiteth him who hath such a master's God oh brother say now that my trust is in thee oh God what obligation am I under to anyone else why should God who beareth the load of the three worlds not cherish me say of Kabir I have obtained one piece of knowledge by reflection if a mother will poison her child who can restrain her it is said that the entertainment took place on the spot where since has been built the Chara Kabir a temple dedicated to Kabir in which his writings are said to be preserved there was a renowned Brahmin disputant called Pandit Sarayit who at his mother's advice went to Benares with several ox loads of books he had heard of Kabir's fame and proceeded to visit him on arriving at the Lahar he met Nero's daughter drawing water and requested her to show him Kabir's place of residence she said that it was on a lofty place with a road so narrow that not even an aunt could pass much less the oxen he had brought with him by her answer he felt sure that she knew where Kabir lived he took a lot of water from her and requested her to place it in front of Kabir she did so upon which Kabir put a needle into it and told her to carry the vessel back to Sarayit there is a proverb that truth is found at the bottom of a well the needle Kabir meant that truth was small exquisitely polished and under late much unsubstantial matter the Brahmin's of Benares on hearing of Sarayit's arrival went to Ramanand and informed him that a Pandit had come with whom nobody could cope Ramanand was so little impressed with the Pandit's great learning that he told them to go out into the street and bring in the first person they met and he undertook that he would vanquish Sarayit in argument the Brahmin's went forth into the street Kabir happened to be the first they met and they took him to Ramanand Ramanand declared Kabir invincible and the Brahmin's accordingly put him forward as their spiritual champion Sarayit on seeing him inquired his cast where upon Kabir answered that he was a weaver the haughty Pandit turned up his nose and asked what a weaver was Kabir replied as follows no one knoweth the secret of the weaver God hath woven the warp of the whole world if thou listen to the vets and parans thou shalt hear I have stretched the warp so long I've made the earth infirmament my workshop I've set the moon and sun in ultimate motion working my legs I did one work with such a weaver my heart is pleased the weaver hath looked into his own heart recognize God sayeth Kabir I have broken up my workshop and the weaver hath blended his thread with the thread of God Sarayit admitted himself defeated and begged Kabir to make him a disciple Kabir modestly referred him to his guru Ramanand who gave him the customary initiation Ta Ta and Yeeva to Brahmin brothers who lived in retirement on the bank of the river Narbada shouting the spiritual perfection of their guru planted a shoot of the Indian fig tree near their dwelling and vowed that if it germinated when irrigated with the water in which a holy visitor had washed his feet they would transfer their spiritual allegiance to such a visitor several reputed saints made pilgrimages to the locality but it was only on Kabir's arrival that the desired result was attained upon this Ta Ta and Yeeva had no difficulty believing in Kabir's power a young woman a beautiful and bewitching form was sent by Kabir's enemies to test his virtue but she displayed all her attractions and fascinations in vain God's image was so firmly seated in Kabir's heart that the charming damsel's wiles produced no effect on him she therefore departed crestfallen and helpless God was pleased on beholding the continents and devotion of Kabir and appeared to him in a vision he placed his hand on Kabir's head and invited him to go bodily to heaven Kabir knowing that he had obtained complete deliverance prepared himself to accept God's invitation but to show his contempt for Hindu superstitions and to emphasize the power of devotion to God he performed a very unusual act before his departure to the celestial realms Kabir usually lived until the last year of his life at Benares the sacred city of Shiva where alone in the estimation of many Hindus deliverance may be obtained there is a town called Magahar beyond the Ganges about 85 miles to the east of Ajahia and 15 miles to the west of Garakpur in which according to Romanical belief those who die have no hope of ultimate beatitude Kabir's biographer says that they who believe in the religious exercises prescribed in the Shastars migrate into the bodies of donkeys if they die in Magahar well for those who are fortunate enough to perform the real worship of God every country and every place is equal to thousands of cities like the Hindu Benares nays such as the power of devotion that God's devotees who die in Magahar go to heaven Kabir on arriving in Magahar took possession of a saint cell he found on the margin of the river Ami the river was then dry but water flowed in it ever since the day Kabir hallowed it with his presence Kabir composed the following hymn at Magahar I am as a fish out of water because in a former life I performed no penance now say O God what shall be my condition people tell me I have little sense to leave Benares that I wasted all my life in that city of sheave and now when about to die I have removed to Magahar for many years I did penance at Benares but now that death is at hand I have come to dwell in Magahar I consider Magahar as good as Benares how shall he of scant devotion be saved say of Kabir my guru Mamannan Ganesh sheave and all men know that Kabir men dying utter God's holy name and also the following thou art my great mountain O Lord I have sought thy shelter thou shakeest not nor do I fall thou hast sheltered me O God now and then and forevermore there is but thou by thy favour I am ever happy relying on thee I have dwelt in Magahar thou hast quenched the fever of my body I first obtained a sight of thee in Benares and afterwards I went to live at Magahar as Benares so is Magahar I deem them both the same I a poor man have obtained this wealth on account of which the proud pondits are bursting to death with envy he who is proud suffereth that torture there is none to deliver him therefrom in this life he cryeth bitterly under the torture and after death he shall be burnt in a frightful hell what is hell and what heaven the wretched places the saints have rejected them both through the favor of the guru I pay no regard to anyone I have claimed God's throne and met him God and Kabir have become one no one can distinguish between them after Kabir's death a coral arose between the hinders and for the disposal of his body Vir, Sin, Bagheila the king of Benares wished to cremate it well, Bidjali, Khan the Nawab of Karak desired to bury it they fought over the matter until a voice come from heaven and separated the combatants when the coral was adjusted it was found that there was no corpse to dispose of fragrant flowers were found in his place the Muslims however made a grave and the hinders erected a shrine of proximity as if each party were in possession of Kabir's sacred remains Kabir lived to such a great age 119 years, 5 months and 27 days that there are several fabulous accounts of his duration of life indeed some of his followers believe that he is still in existence the following mnemonic lines however which are amply authenticated show that Kabir went the way of all mortals Pandrahi, Sao Pa Khattar Gaya, Magahar Kogan Magsar, Sudi, Ekadashi Rali, Paan, Menpaan Kabir went to Magahar in the Sambha year 1575 80, 15, 18 on the 11th day of the bright half of the month of Maghar his spirit blended with the spirit of the world Nabhaji wrote on the circumstance trusting to his devotion Kabir relinquished his body in Magahar and now rejoiced Sith in the lap of the immortal but Dadu Panthiz or followers of the saint Dadu also corroborate the fact of Kabir's death at the time above stated and in the town of Magahar it is said that Kabir after some days rose from the dead and appeared to a disciple called Ratan in Mathura and gave him divine instruction Kabir then and there met Dharam Das whom he had previously appointed his successor and made him more completely acquainted with the principles of his religion. He laid down 42 articles which he called the Pillars of Faith and having fully explained them to his disciples finally departed to his eternal home. Besides Kabir's compositions preserved in the grand sahib there's a long list of works attributed to him the most famous of which is the Kabir Biyak many of his verses are repeated by wandering Fakirs on the subject of cast Kabir wrote, the courageous man who he faced with cast and pride shall prove a saint on the subject of idolatry he said if God be found by worshiping a stone I will worship a mountain better than that stone is a handmill which grindeth corn for the world to eat many similar verses in the mouths of the populace in Upper India and indeed all Kabir's compositions show him to have been a daring and original thinker. It must be mentioned however that his writings are frequently of a mystical character and much concentration of thought and knowledge of the spiritual and social condition of his age are necessary for their elucidation. The author has accepted the interpretation of Kabir's hymns from the Guyanis of that Panjab but possibly the saints followers in other parts of India may differ on some details. Kabir held the doctrine of Ahinsa or the non-destruction of life which extended even to that of flowers. The Sikh gurus on the contrary allowed and even encouraged the use of animal flesh as food. The visitor to Kabir's temple in Benares has shown what purports to be his picture. Dharam Das and Sirat Gopal on other of his disciples are represented kneeling at his feet in an attitude of supplication while his son Kamal who the Kabir Panthi's believed was a child reanimated by him and is fanning him. The visitor may also see a picture of Kabir and Rob Das, a friend and fellow disciple and talisman of his. Rob Das is represented as a very attenuated old man naked except for a red cloth around his middle wearing a rosary and two folds around his neck and beads on his wrists and arms. The saintly royal lady Yali, queen of Chitawar richly dressed as offering him food on a platter. End of 13.