Critical engagement with Kabir’s philosophy

Reading another book on Kabir, offering a fresh experience, is always a delight. Kabir, a poet and philosopher of early modern India, has long been explored through various academic and popular lenses across India’s diverse traditions. As a saint and poet of profound love, resistance and subversion, Kabir’s enigmatic poetry invites us to critically engage with the nature of self and self-realisation, not as a transcendent or otherworldly concept, but rooted in the everyday human experience, especially relevant in these troubled times.

‘Burn Down Your House: Provocations from Kabir’ by Shabnam Virmani presents a contemporary exploration of Kabir. It makes a creative and thought-provoking contribution to the existing body of knowledge on Kabir as a social reformer, philosopher and a critical voice against the dominations of orthodox religiosity and materialism. Virmani offers readers a way to engage with Kabir’s poetry to address the challenges of our times, highlighting how his poems have been appropriated for various philosophical interpretations.

The author gracefully acknowledges her gratitude to the tradition of Shabd as Guru, describing it as her primary teacher and guide. She reflects on the mystic folk song — the finest vehicle for Kabir’s wisdom in India — comparing it to a virus that infects and transforms those who encounter it. As a soulful singer of Kabir, Virmani chronicles her journey in creating a Kabirian public sphere through her work as a filmmaker, engaging with Kabir from various perspectives, including India’s mystic and folk traditions.

This book is the culmination of over two decades of critical and poetic engagement with Kabir’s philosophy, portraying him as both a precursor to Indian modernity and a key figure in the Bhakti tradition. For Virmani, Kabir’s poetry creates a creative tension that helps us understand the sacred and the profane simultaneously, revealing the intriguing historical lineage of Kabir as a poet. The book critically analyses various philosophical interpretations of Kabir, from Vedantic and Nathpanthi to Ambedkarite, Sufi, and secularist worldviews, with references provided in different sections of the book.

Structurally, the book is divided into three main sections, including an author’s note and 20 chapters. Each chapter is critically examined with concepts and aphorisms like ‘Take the Bitter Pill’, ‘Put Your Pieces Together’, ‘Let Wisdom Take You by Storm’, ‘Play the Game of Death’, ‘Empty Your World’, ‘Listen’, and ‘Walk Alone’. These are just a few illustrative themes from the book.

The third section contains the original Hindi poems of Kabir. Each theme offers a critical perspective on different aspects of Kabir’s poetry, such as the meaning of stanzas like ‘Kahe Kabir suno bhaai saadho’ (Says Kabir, listen seekers) and ‘Kahe Kabir Dharamdas se’ (Says Kabir to Dharamdas).

Virmani suggests that Kabir’s poems have been localised through existing singing traditions and cultures of specific Indian regions, creating a fusion of two signatures — one represented by Kabir and the other by the lived experiences of particular individuals or communities.

Virmani’s portrayal of Kabir is deeply rooted in the ideas of love, wisdom, authenticity, and the cultural plurality of India’s mystic and folk traditions. She strives to create an authentic Kabirian public sphere where rigid boundaries of division can be dismantled.

This book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to embark on a journey of love, empathy and life.