What is the story of Kabir's birth and early life?

The story of Kabir’s birth and early life is surrounded by spiritual mystique and divine significance. According to popular accounts, Kabir was not born from a mother's womb. Instead, he appeared as an infant on a lotus flower in a pond named Lahartara in Varanasi, India. This miraculous event symbolizes his divine origin, as it is believed that Kabir came directly from Satlok, the eternal realm, to perform a divine act on Earth.

A Muslim weaver couple, Niru and Nima, discovered the infant Kabir and raised him as their own child. Despite their humble circumstances, Kabir exhibited extraordinary spiritual wisdom from a young age. He rejected traditional religious practices and sought to bridge the divide between Hinduism and Islam, focusing on devotion to one Supreme God with the primary aim of attaining liberation (moksha).

As a child, Saint Kabir chose Guru Ramananda as his public guru to uphold the Guru-Disciple tradition, despite being the Supreme God Himself. This act emphasized the importance of acquiring a true guru for attaining salvation.

One of the well-known accounts of young Saint Kabir is his encounter with sage Gorakhnath. Unable to match Kabir's unparalleled spiritual wisdom and prowess, Gorakhnath humbly conceded defeat and sought refuge in Saint Kabir.

Kabir's early life was marked by his role as a humble weaver and his profound teachings, which challenged societal norms, rituals, and dogmas. His message of love, equality, and inner spirituality laid the foundation for his enduring legacy as a universal spiritual figure.