Kabirpanth
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
The Kabirpanth, the "path of Kabir", is the sect of Kabir's followers. It is centred in Varanasi and other parts of Uttar Pradesh. It keeps the Kabir Bijak, which is one of three main collections of verses said to be by Kabir. This matters because Kabir composed orally, and his disciples gathered his poems only after his death. Each sect kept its own version, and historians use these versions to study how traditions change over time.
Example
At Varanasi, Kabir's home town, the Kabirpanth reads and recites the Bijak. Kabir's other verses come down to us through the Kabir Granthavali of the Dadupanth in Rajasthan and through the Adi Granth Sahib.
Don't confuse with
- Dadupanth: This is the Rajasthan sect of Dadu Dayal's followers. It keeps the Kabir Granthavali, not the Bijak.