The Brahm Nirupan of Guru Kabir and Sant Dharam Das

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The BrahmNirupan of Guru

Kabir and SantDharam Das --

Another Volumeof the Kabir Sagar,in the Tradition ofthe Anurag Sagar


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The Brahm Nirupan is amanual about meditationand mysticism in the

tradition of Guru Kabir.

Some of the BrahmNirupan was translated

into English by Dr.Jagessar Das of the KabirAssociation of Canada,

and is based on, theBrahm Nirupan,


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published by MahantShri Ramsaroop Dasji ofKabir Ashram,

Jamnagar, Gujarat, Indiain 1955.

The following representsall of the Brahm Nirupanthat has been translatedinto English thus far invarious issues of the

Kabir Voice newsletter. I


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am told that, soon, theentire text will becomeavailable.

The Brahm Nirupan isanother spiritual classic

of the Sant tradition, andrepresents more

Dharamdasi Kabir Panthliterature quite

compatible with otherKabirian "dialogues


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gospels", these Q and Asessions between GuruKabir and Sant Dharam

Das, such as the AnuragSagar (Ocean of Love),Sukh Niddn, and Amar

Mul.

Notice how verses 30through 40 reveal a

similar inner esoteric ormystical landscape to


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that taught by Swami JiMaharaj (SantRadhaswami Sahib),

Param Sant DariyaSahib, and Param Sant

Tulsi Sahib. BrahmNirupan gives us a

glimpse into the moreadvanced stages of Surat

Shabd Meditation aspracticed in the


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Dharamdas-Kabirlineage.

Jai Sat Naam,' BandagiSaheb, Radhasoami,

James


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The Brahm Nirupan ofGuru Kabir and SantDharam Das

Introduction and Verses1-45

Brahm Nirupan (TheNecessity of Liberation)

By Dr. Jagessar Das


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Introduction

In the book, BrahmNirupan, Satguru Kabir

explained the innermeaning of spiritual lifeto Dharam Dass, his

foremost disciple.

The Brahm Nirupan is amatchless text that

discusses the essence ofthe Word or Sar


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Shabda.......

Starting from this issueof the Kabir Voice, the

Brahm Nirupan will beproduced in English. Itcontains the teachings ofSatguru Kabir and dealswith the reality of God

and the soul. Myrendering in English will

be based on two sources:


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1. Brahm Nirupan

published by MahantShri Ramsaroop Dasji ofthe Kabir Ashram,

Jamnagar, Gujarat, Indiain 1955. This bookcontains the Sanskrit textand a Hindi translationand commentary. The

Sanskrit text wascorrected by the lateHazur Prakash Mani

Naam Saheb who


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preceded Hazur Udit

Mani Naam Saheb. TheHindi translation wasdone by Mahant Shri

Bichar Dasji Shastri andShri Hazur Prakash ManiNaam Saheb of the KabirAshram in Kharsia. The

book was printed byChandrakant BhushanDasji Sadhu of Chetan

Prakashan Mandir Pressin Baroda.


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2. A series of lectures on

Brahm Nirupan given byMahant Shri Jagdish DasShastri during his visit to

Canada in the latter partof the 1980's.

The theme of the book isbased on the fact that we

are spiritual beings andas Spirit we have an

affinity with the SupremeSpirit that is God. There


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is an inner longing to

understand the Reality ofourselves as related toGod........

The Brahm Nirupanconsists of three hundredand seventy-five SanskritSlokas or couplets alongwith Hindi translations.Since I am not a Sanskritscholar, I will depend onthe Hindi translations in


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the book, and on the

English commentariesreferred to above. Thenature of this subject

requires us to have anopen mind, free from thelimitations of religious

dogmas, and to delve intothe nature of ourselvesand God in as earnest a

way as we possible. It isonly by freeing our minds

from limiting barriers


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that we will be able to

have a glimpse of thereality. We need tounderstand that the

reality cannot bedescribed, and allwritings are essentially togive a hint of what realityis. Ultimately, reality hasto be experienced within.God speaks to the heart,

and when our heart isopen to God, then we


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gain intuitive knowledge

of God's omnipresence,omniscience andomnipotence. I recognize

my limitations in dealingwith such atranscendental subject,and I will endeavour tomaintain the essential

spirit of the teaching. It ispossible that

knowledgeable peoplemay find inaccuracies or


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omissions, but these are

not intentional if they dooccur, and I thus asktheir indulgence.

Text1. The writer, for the welfare of theworld, offers salutations to Sat Purushand to Satguru Kabir by whose nectar-

like words the karmas are abolished,and the fear of old age and death areremoved.


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2. The person who always meditates onthe feet of Satguru, will not have

sufferings and fear. Similarly, birth anddeath are also abolished.

3. The world is like a forest in whichdoubt exists, just as a lion is in the

forest with its mouth open to grab aprey. Doubt is thus eating up the world.For the destruction of doubts, only

Satguru's name is effective. There isdefinitely no other method, other than

God's name.

4. The essence of the Word imparted bySatguru needs no support except itsown self-existent power. The Word

cannot be affected by Maya. ThatEternal Name (Word) cannot be knownby those choosing to remain ignorant.But he who serves the Guru, and learns


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from him, will realize the Word.

5. 0 Knowledgeable Master (SatguruKabir), from you I have learned of theglory of Satguru's Name. But O Lord,the Eternal Name, that is the cause of

all existence, please explain its nature to

me!

Satguru Kabir Responds

6. Dharam Dass, the Imperishable

Name is the essence of all mantras,therefore carefully remember it. It is

indeed the name that gives liberation. Itis above all other names and is really

the Eternal Name of God himself.

7. It is said that the five gross elementsof earth, water, fire, air and ether are

perishable, and that the soul is


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imperishable. But the ImperishableName is different from these. Therefore

listen attentively to its nature.

8. From beginless time there was thesound of A (ah), then the sound of U

(00), and lastly the sound M (ma). First,

you must understand the secretmeaning of these, 0 Dharam Dass!

9. Above these three is the secret andImperishable Being that gives light to

them. Then beyond this secret andImperishable Being there is the most

refined and Eternal Essence. You mustcontemplate on this. Give up criticisms

and worldly talk and seek the

knowledge of your inner Self.

10. That Eternal Essence resides in theimperishable dwelling place that is


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separate from all others. It is beyondthe beyond. It will be known only

through spiritual knowledge impartedby a realized guru. All people realizethat It dwells in the Eternal Abode.

11. As said before, Nirakshar cannot be

written about. It is eternal and can onlybe experienced. Thus the person, who,with a concentrated mind and devotion

and love, recites it continuously withunderstanding" is wise. All doubts and

illusion are removed from him, and heovercomes death. He indeed realizes

Soham Shabd.

12. 0 Dharam Dass! The essence of the

four Vedas and six philosophies isSoham. Soham is the eternal essence

expressing "I am That". But it is an ideaand not Reality Itself. With the power of


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knowledge and yoga (samadhi), give upeven the SA (S) and HA(H). The Self is

beyond Soham. Realize the Self.

13. When with the power of knowledgeand yoga the SA and HA are removed,

then 0 and M (AM) remain. (In

Sanskrit, these are AUM written as 0).Then these must also be removed.

14. The combination of AUM has threeparts. Now these three must be

separated as A-V-M.

15. The A then must be dissolved intothe U, and the U must be dissolved into

the M. Then M then merges into the

bindu or dot (O).

16. When the bindu or the dot of the Omsign merges in to the half sign that is


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moon shaped, and when this half signalso dissolves, then you reach the state

of nirakshar. This is the state beyond allletters and language. It is a state of

existence itself This is a state of superconsciousness and the Self thendissolves into the Eternal Being.

17. Nirakshar Purush is the AbsoluteBeing whose dwelling place is a vast

region called Pushpdweep. The devoteewho contemplates regularly with a

concentrated mind on the niraksharshabd, which is the essence of the

Absolute Being, will, by the grace ofSatguru, reach that abode.

18. The nirakshar is the root mantra,the true Word and the essence of the

Word as realized by the great sages. Forthis reason, whoever knows the essence


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of nirakshar will quickly attain all thebenefits that can ever be attained from

yajnas, giving, pilgrimages, andobservance of fasts.

19. Contemplating on the Sar Shabdgives much more spiritual merit than

doing the Shraddh ceremony at Gaya inBihar, or bathing in the Ganges, or atPrayag at the Makar Sankranti. Such

contemplation gives much morespiritual merit than even making

offerings of cows, and giving of othertypes of gifts. (Gaya is a place of

pilgrimage in the state of Bihar. TheShraddh ceremony is offering of food

and water to the departed souls).

20. Contemplating on the Sat Shabd,even for half of a moment, confers much

more spiritual merit than living in the


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holy city of Kashi for millions of years.

21. Sar Shabd is secret, thus it wasdifficult for Brahma, Vishnu and Shivaand other gods to realize it. Just as anunfortunate pauper has difficulty ingetting wealth, just so the ordinary

person, without doing a great deal ofdevotion, will find it difficult to realizethe Sar Shabd.

22. The devotee who, with love and a

pure heart, does devotion to the guru,who is a personification of the Eternal,

will make his guru happy with suchdevotion. He realizes the Eternal, and

abolishes all previous and future

karmas. He obtains liberation.

23. Knowledge of the Sar Shabd(essence of reality) has such power that


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it can quickly destroy the karmas of thepresent life. This is indeed very

desirable fruit of such knowledge thatneeds to be thoughtfully considered andunderstood. Knowledge of the essence

of reality dawns within and givesenlightenment.

24. The self realized person (knowingthe essence of reality) incurs no karmas

even if he kills thousands of cow andmillions of Brahmins. Just so even if he

performs many noble deeds still thekarmas do not attach to him. (Karmas

attach to people because ofidentification with the physical self andwith the ego and the senses. With self-

realization a person rises above theseand thus incurs no karmas. This isexplained well by Lord Krishna to

Arjuna in the Bhagwat Gita).


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25. He who realizes this essence ofreality has no need to observe religious

fasts, bathing in holy rivers, dailyreligious rituals, prayers in the morning

and evening and of going onpilgrimages. Such a realized person isindeed in direct contact with god and

has risen above all the daily religiousobservances.

26. The knowledge of reality has such apower that it destroys all the karmas

from previous and the present births.All the karmas and doubts in life are

burned just like the pile of dried grass.

27. Even if you perform a thousand

horse sacrifices as explained in theVedas, or you give a gift of gold equal to

the Mount Meru, still any benefitsderived from these never equal the


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benefit derived from the knowledge ofreality.

28. The knowledge of the essence ofreality is indeed the meditation ofmeditation and the austerity of allausterities. The keen devotee who

attains this knowledge definitely attainsthe eternal abode rewards.

29. In the service of the guru and by hisgrace, the devotee who performs

Pranayama yoga, and practices restraintof the breath in what is called kumbhak,

then he reaches the tenth door. Thetenth door is above the thousand-

petalled lotus and reaching there the

devotee hears the unstruck melody inmeditation.

30. A devotee who controls the mind


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and practices hearing the divinemelody, reaches the difficult to obtain

state of union of the right and left nervecurrents in the central channel in

meditation. These three meet at thethird eye. In deep silence the devotee

sees the intense eternal light of reality.

31. Above the trikuti (third eye) thereare three states of silences -- the

beginning, middle and end. These threestates of silence merge or dissolve into

the eternal light. He who does not knowthe secret of these cannot be said to be a

Vaishanava.

32. When consciousness in meditation

reaches the thousand-petalled lotus, itthen rises to the eight lotus of above.This is called unmani chakra. In thisstate the devotee sees the divine light


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without there being a lamp and hearsthe divine melody without musical

instruments.

33. Sat Guru Kabir said that the yogiwho practices meditation will rise above

all of these (the chakras) and going

above the eighth chakra, reaches aregion where the lotus has countlesspetals. The yogi then sees the light of

millions of moons and suns, andbecomes silent.

34. When the yogi reaches this state ofrealization, he becomes aware that theSelf is free of the support of the body,

space, heaven and earth. His

consciousness rises above the physicaland astral forms, and then even death

becomes his servant. This state ofconsciousness is one of unity with God.


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35. The gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shivawho are the creator, sustainer and

dissolver aspects of god, and who areresponsible for the seven heavens andthe seven nether worlds, even they payobeisance to such an enlightened yogi.

36. The devotee who serves such anenlightened Satguru with his body,mind and wealth, conquers old age and

death, and definitely goes to dwell in theeternal abode. The eternal abode is

Truth. Truth is the only religion. Truthis the name of God. Truth is the true

guru. Truth is Enlightenment.

37. When one, through realization,

reaches the eternal abode, he hearsbeautiful music that is played without

hands, and sees elegant dancingperformed without feet. This is a


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transcendental state in which bliss isexperienced.

38. In this transcendental state onehears heavenly speech and heavenlysinging without the use of ears andmouth. The divine melody is always

resounding when one becomes attunedto it through diligent practice.

39. In that state one sees countless,beautiful, divine forms but without the

use of eyes. And there one sees and feelssoothing waves rising constantly when

there is no water.

40. In that state one sees countless pure

and resplendent gems. Their glitteringlight is infinite and eternal. This is an

inner state of Enlightenment.Realization of the Absolute


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41. In that state there is celestialhumming of bees, and it is sweet

melody to the ears. There the bees flywithout wings, and resplendent pictures

are painted without hands, andlightning flashes dazzle the eyes even

when there are no clouds.

42. In that state one hears the beautifulsounds of the peacock even when thereis no mountain verdure. There one also

hears the beautiful melody of the

nightingale even when there is nogarden of flowers.

43. There one sees a beautiful whiteLotus without a stem shining as

polished marble. This elegant Lotus hasseven petals and its heavenly form andbrilliance surpass the light of the sunand the moon. It is indeed the mine of


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heavenly forms.

44. In that state the heavenly pearlforms without any oyster. Its brilliancesurpasses that of millions of suns. It is

there that you find nectar serving asfood.

45. In that state there is no earth, fire,air or space. There is also no sun ormoon. There the beautiful form is

beyond the five elements and the five

senses.


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Also See, The Center ForAnurag Sagar Studies:

http://www.spiritualawa

keningradio.com/anurag.html

For the completetranslation of the BrahmNirupan of Guru Kabir

and Sant Dharam Das,see: http://www.Kabir.ca(Books)
http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.htmlhttp://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.htmlhttp://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.htmlhttp://www.kabir.ca/http://www.kabir.ca/http://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.htmlhttp://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.htmlhttp://www.spiritualawakeningradio.com/anurag.html


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The Brahm Nirupan of Guru Kabir and Sant Dharam Das