Infant God Kabir Drank the Milk of a Maiden Cow
Parakh Ka Ang, Speech no. 394-397
Garib, Shiv utrey Shivpuri se, abigat badan vinod |
mahke kamal khusi bhaye, liya eesh koon god ||394||
Garib, najar najar se mil gaee, kiya eesh pranaam |
dhanya Momin dhanya Neema, dhanya Kaashi nihkaam ||395||
Garib, saat baar charcha karee, boley baalak baen |
Shiv koon kar mastak dharya, lya momin ek dhaen ||396||
Garib, anbyaavar koon doohat hai, doodh diya tatkaal |
peevae baalak brahm gati, tahaan Shiv bhaye dayaal ||397||
Meaning: - When Neema tried to give milk to the baby Kabir, the Supreme God closed his mouth. Despite all the efforts, Neema and Neeru failed to feed milk to the child. When the child had not eaten anything for 25 days, the parents became extremely worried. Neema had been crying and moaning for 24 days. She was thinking that this child is not eating anything. He will die. Someone has given him an evil eye. She got tired of trying methods told by different men and women for removing an evil eye continuously for 24 days. She had had no benefit. Today was the twenty-fifth day. Mother Neema had been awake all night and kept crying thinking, “Do not know when this child may die. I will also hang myself at the same time. I cannot survive without this child.” Baby Kabir's body was completely healthy, and it seemed as if the child was drinking one kilogram (one ser) of milk every day. But Neema was afraid that this child cannot survive without eating or drinking anything. He may die anytime. She was worried thinking about this. When the worship of and the prayers to the formless God along with Lord Shankar were also futile, then she started weeping hysterically.
Lord Shiv, assuming the form of a brahmin (sage) stood in front of Neeru's hut and asked Neema the reason behind her crying. Neema kept on crying and hiccupping. On excessive insistence of Lord Shiv, who was standing in the form of a saint, Neema while crying said, “O Brahmin! You will also become sad after becoming familiar with my grief.” Lord Shiv guised as a Fakir (sage) said, “O Mother! It is said that talking about one's internal sorrow to others makes one feel better. It is possible that the method of redressing your troubles may also be found. Taking a deep breath with tears in her eyes and a faltering tongue, Neema said, O Mahatma ji! We were childless. Twenty-five days ago, as usual, both of us were going to take a bath at the Lahartara pond in Kashi. It was the morning of the (Poornamashi) full moon day of the (Shukl) waxing period of the Jyeshth (May-June) month. On the way, I had prayed from my heart to my deity Lord Shankar to grant me a son. Hearing my prayer, the Lord of the poor, Lord Shankar Ji gave us a child on the same day on a lotus flower in Lahartara pond. Our joy knew no bounds on receiving the child. This joy did not last long. This child did not drink milk. We are tired of trying everything. Today is the twenty-fifth day of this child, he has not eaten anything. This child will die. With him, I will commit suicide. I am waiting for his death. I spent the whole night sitting and crying. I am praying to Lord Shankar that O Lord! It had been better not to grant this child. Now I have developed so much attachment to this child that I will not be able to survive without him.”
Hearing the whole story from Neema's mouth, Lord Shankar guised in the form of a sage, said, “Show me your child.” Neema picked up the child from the cradle and presented him before the sage. Neema tried to put the child at the sage’s feet. The boy rose in the air. The eyes of both the lords met. Lord Shankar took baby Kabir in his hands and reading the lines on his forehead and his palms, said, “Neema! Your son has a long life; he is not going to die. Look, how healthy he is. His face is blossoming like a lotus flower.” Neema said, “O Brahmin! I am not going to be satisfied with artificial consolation. If the child drinks milk, then I will get a breath of happiness.” God Kabir, in the form of a twenty-five-day-old child, said to Lord Shiv, “O Lord! Tell them to bring a maiden heifer. You may place your blessed hand on that maiden heifer; she will start giving milk. I will drink the milk of that maiden heifer. That heifer will give milk for the rest of her life without being bred (i.e., by remaining virgin only). I will be raised with that milk.” God Kabir and Lord Shankar (Shiv) conversed seven times.
Shivji said to Neema, “Where is your husband?” Neema called her husband; he appeared with wet eyes and bowed to the Brahmin. The Brahmin said, “Neeru! Bring a virgin heifer. She will give milk. This child will drink that milk.” Neeru brought a virgin heifer and along with her, he also brought a fresh small pot (an earthen pot with capacity of four kg) from a potter's house. As per the order of Supreme God Kabir Ji, Shiv ji guised as a Brahmin patted on the back of that virgin heifer. The udders of mother cow grew long and a stream of milk flowed from the udders. Neeru had already been ordered to keep the pot under the udders. As soon as the milk pot filled up, the milk stopped coming out of the udders. Supreme God Kabir in the infant-form drank that milk.
Neeru and Neema touched the feet of Lord Shiv in Brahmin-form and said, “You are the form of Lord Shiv himself. Lord Shiv has sent you upon hearing our plea. What donation can we poor people give you? O Brahmin! We have not woven any cloth for 24 days.” Lord Shankar in Brahmin-form said, “Sadhu bhookha bhaav ka, dhan ka bhookha naahin | jo hai bhookha dhan ka, vah to Sadhu naahin |” (Sages are not hungry for money but devotion. One who is hungry for money is not a sage.) Saying this, Lord Shiv in Brahmin form departed from there.
The same evidence is in the Vedas that God appears in the form of an infant and performs a divine play. Then He is raised with the milk of maiden heifers.
Evidence: - Rigved Mandal 9 Sukt 1 Mantra 9
Abhi imM adhnya ut shreenanti dhenavH shishum Sommindraay paatve ||9||
Abhi – imm – adhnya – ut – shreenanti – dhenavH – shishum – somm – indraay – paatve |
Translation: (Ut) Especially (imm) this (shishum) appeared in the form of an infant (somm) of the Supreme Eternal God (indraay) for the comfort, the essential substance required (paatve) for the development of the body, is provided (abhi) completely (adhnya dhenavH) cows who have never been bred by a bull i.e., by maiden heifers (shreenanti) is nurtured.
Translation: For the comfort of especially this Supreme Eternal God who has appeared in the form of an infant, the essential substance that is required for the development of the body is provided by, that is, he is nurtured by completely virgin cows, that is, a cow who has never been bred by a bull.
Meaning: - When the Supreme Eternal God manifests Himself in the form of an infant while performing a divine play, the essential substance that is required for comfort i.e., for the development of the body is provided by maiden heifers, that is, at the time (Adhni Dhenu) a maiden cow itself gives milk by which that Supreme God is nurtured.