Thiti (Kabir Ji)

Composed by Bhagat Kabir, one of the fifteen revered Bhagats whose writings are included in the Guru Granth Sahib, this composition titled Thiti is one of three in the Guru Granth Sahib with this same title. These compositions belong to the genre of Thiti, which draws on the lunar calendar and its two fortnights: from the new moon to the full moon, and back again. Thiti literally means a date—one day—of which there are 14, sometimes 15, in a fortnight. The Indic spiritual tradition emphasizes the auspiciousness of certain days within this lunar cycle, guiding which austerities ought to be practiced on which day. Bhagat Kabir, a radical saint of medieval South Asia, was not concerned with reforming traditions and operating within existing paradigms. Rather, his orientation toward radical solutions is seen throughout this composition as Bhagat Kabir references various Indic spiritual philosophies and practices, breaks them down, and remolds them each time to focus solely on devotion to IkOankar (One Creative and Pervasive Force, 1Force, the One).

This composition is set to Rag (musical mode) Gauri and begins with a salok, followed by 16 pauris. The first pauri is accompanied by a Rahau line, which highlights the overall theme. Rag Gauri, as a musical mode, brings a sense of seriousness, longing, and hope; it is associated with the winter season, and the longing it evokes is for the warmth and light of IkOankar. Despite this distance, the hope to unite with IkOankar remains, where we dwell in contemplation and longing.

The creative and all-pervasive IkOankar is One that is unparalleled. IkOankar is realized through the grace of the eternal Wisdom (Guru). The composition commences with an invitation, a grounding reminder, perhaps even a call to action, urging seekers to center the One in their remembrance. We are reminded that through the Wisdom-Guru we can receive the grace of the One, allowing us to feel the presence of and connect with IkOankar.

In the opening salok, our most basic orientations toward time are laid out: there are fifteen days in a fortnight and seven days in a week. Bhagat Kabir invites us to look beyond these relative constructs. He begins to overturn these ideas, pointing out that, in reality, time has neither beginning nor end. He refers to the Sidhha Yogis, subverting the belief that the tried path they walk is the proven way towards spiritual enlightenment and understanding the mystery. Bhagat Kabir says that in the minds of those truly awakened to eternality, the real mystery is understood: everything, including time, exists within IkOankar, who is the embodiment and source of all awareness and understanding.

Here, we’re brought to an awareness of how constructed our view of time is. We have our own important dates, calendars, and clocks—constantly measuring time and estimating how much is left. Yet Bhagat Kabir urges us to look beyond this. When we zoom out, we see that time has no beginning and no end. Time exists within IkOankar, for nothing is greater. Our calculations and measurements of time distract us from the Truth of eternality, of IkOankar. If we truly recognize this, we come closer to walking the True, proven way. In relationship with IkOankar, we can experience the source of Truth directly, wherein all of our record-keeping and divisions dissolve. Will we recognize IkOankar’s timelessness and vastness? Will we recognize IkOankar’s eternality as the source of all understanding and awareness?