Ulatbansi
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
Ulatbansi means "upside-down sayings". They are puzzling verses of Kabir, the 14th–15th-century poet-saint, that turn everyday meanings upside down. They show how hard it is to put the Ultimate Reality, or God, into ordinary words. They form part of sant bhasha, the special language of the nirguna poets, who worshipped a God without form.
Example
Kabir speaks of "the lotus which blooms without flower" and "fire raging in the ocean". These impossible images point to a truth that normal language cannot hold.
Don't confuse with
- Sant bhasha: This is the whole special language of the nirguna poets. Ulatbansi is one kind of saying within it.