The 7th Dr. Ashok Da Ranade Memorial Lecture: कबीर : तब और अब by Professor Purushottam Agrawal, an a acclaimed Kabir and bhakti scholar) .
Kabir is a poet of rational spirituality. Reading him with a proper understanding of the society and culture which ‘produced’ him and sustained his memories, we also realise that far from being stagnant, pre-British Indian society was a dynamic one. Most of the rationalists in early modern Europe had to fight against God, while Kabir and other Indian rationalists had God on their side. Their rationality did not cancel out the spiritual anguish and search of human mind, and their spirituality did not see rational thinking an obstacle.
Generally, his name is associated with sharp, polemical rejection of caste system and ritualism, and rightly so; but this criticism is rooted in the value he attaches to to the idea of the individual. No society can function without recognising the worth of every individual and respect her/his private space. Without such empathy and respect; and with too much emphasis on ‘sharing and transparency’, we may end up in a dystopia.
Kabir’s expressions give clues for dealing with inner turmoils as well as challenges from outside; his ideas of spirituality, love and criticism are rooted in an understanding of the interconnectedness of inside and outside.
About the speaker:
Purushottam Agrawal is a renowned Kabir and bhakti scholar. He served as member, Union Public Service Commission of India (2007-2013) after serving as Chairperson, Centre of Indian Languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He has been a Visiting Professor at Faculty of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University (UK), and at El Colegio de Mexico.
He is a well-known panelist on TV debates and hosted a unique show on books called ‘Kitab’ on Rajya Sabha TV.
His definitive study of Kabir and his times, Akath Kahani Prem Ki: Kabir Ki Kavita Aur Unka Samay (2009) created a stir in Hindi literary circles and beyond. The South Asia conference in Madison, Wisconsin (USA), 2011, had a panel on this book. Its Telugu translation has been published in 2015.
His Gandhi Peace Foundation lecture ‘Majbooti ka naam Mahatma Gandhi’ (2005) articulates the issues of violence and power in a very refreshing manner. He has recently turned to fiction writing and has already published seven short stories in leading literary journals. His maiden novel, NACOHUS (2016) constructs a Kafkaesque fantasy around the politics of hurt sentiments. Its English and Marathi translations are due for publication this year. His latest book is Padmavat: An Epic Love Story (Delhi, Rupa Publications, 2018)