Bijak
Also called: Kabir Bijak · Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
The Bijak, or Kabir Bijak, is a collection of verses said to be by Kabir, the 14th–15th-century poet-saint. The Kabirpanth, the sect of Kabir's followers in Varanasi and other parts of Uttar Pradesh, has kept it. It is one of three separate traditions of Kabir's poems, and the three overlap in places. Like the others, it was put together long after his death. This is why historians cannot be sure which verses Kabir really wrote.
Example
The Bijak keeps Kabir's nirguna poems, which are about a God without form, together with his puzzling ulatbansi ("upside-down sayings"). It is the version of Kabir that the Kabirpanth in Varanasi reads and recites.
Don't confuse with
- Kabir Granthavali: This is also a collection of Kabir's verses, but the Dadupanth of Rajasthan keeps it, not the Kabirpanth.
- Adi Granth Sahib: This is the Sikh scripture compiled by Guru Arjan. It contains many of Kabir's poems, but it is not a Kabir collection.
Related concepts
- Kabir
- Kabirpanth
- Ulatbansi
- Nirguna bhakti
- Nam-simaran
- Ramananda
- Ravidas
- Dadu Dayal
- Guru Nanak
- Shabad