Here’s a verse from kabir nirguni bhajan sung by Pt. Kumar Gandharva in a sort of thumri style.
राम निरंजन न्यारा रे, अंजन सकल पसारा रे
भाई…राम निरंजन…
अंजन उत्पत्ति ओंकार, अंजन मागे सब बिस्तार
अंजन ब्रह्म शंकर इन्द्र, अंजन गोपी संगी गोविन्द रे
अंजन वाणी अंजन वेद, अंजन किया नाना भेद
अंजन विद्या पाठ पुराण, अंजन वो घट घटी ज्ञान रे
अंजन पाति अंजन देव, अंजन की करे अंजन सेव
अंजन नाचे अंजन गावे द, अंजन भेष अनन्त दिखावे रे
अंजन कहां कहां लग केता, दान पुणी तप तीरथ जेता
कहे कबीर कोई बिरला जागे, अंजन छाड़ी अनंत ही ध्यावे रे
In this song, Kabir, instructing his highest teaching, tells us how rare it is for anybody to reach a state of untainted, full Self-realization. Anything short of this state of full realization Kabir labels as Tainted. Since this state of Self-realization is beyond words, Kabir uses the method of negation (of the non-real) to guide us.
He explains that the whole of creation - small leaves to Devatas such as Brahma, Shankar, Indra and Govinda - are all caught in the tight grasp of the state of non-realization. He even goes on to say that the study of scriptures, acts of philanthropy, austerities, and visits to places of pilgrimage all are instances where the tainted duality has been victorious. In his final signature note, Kabir declares that everywhere we look, we see only the tainted reality. Only an extremely exceptional person awakens and reaches the state of untainted complete and irreversible realization.
One may not totally understand that how can be divine tainted according to Kabir’s but allegorical nature of his language, tells a different tale that even the ways we think about these high, divine things can be limited. It’s not about criticizing these figures; it’s about encouraging us to look beyond our usual ideas. Kabir is suggesting that there’s a deeper, more direct way to understand the divine – a way that goes beyond rituals or stories.
The use of language like “tainted” is a way to express the limitations of conceptual understanding and the need for a more profound, direct realization of the ultimate truth.