Guru Govind Do-u Khade — Kabir Doha
This iconic Kabir doha teaches that the Guru is bowed to first, even before God, since it is the Guru's grace that reveals the Divine.
Verses
Guru and God both stand before me; whose feet should I touch first? I offer myself unto my Guru, for it was he who showed me the way to God.
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Wednesday (Budhwar), Thursday (Guruwar) & Ekadashi
Early Morning (Brahma Muhurta) or Sandhya (Twilight)
Tulsi leaves, Butter (Makhan), Mishri, Yellow flowers & Chandan
- Awakening of pure divine love (Prema Bhakti), mental joy, and freedom from anxiety
Background
Sant Kabir (15th century) was a revolutionary mystic poet of the Nirguna Bhakti movement in Varanasi, India. He challenged ritual orthodoxy and taught that the ultimate reality (Nirguna Brahman) is realized inwardly through devotion and the Guidance of a true Satguru. This couplet is recorded across Kabir's Sakhis (it appears as doha 4 on the first page of the Kabir Dohavali anthology) and is also revered in the Guru Granth Sahib.
About this Text
Composed by: Sant Kabir · Medieval Nirguna Bhakti Poet-Saint · 15th century, Varanasi
A mystic poet and weaver by trade from Varanasi, whose blunt, image-rich couplets (dohas) rejected ritualism and caste distinctions in favor of direct, formless (nirguna) devotion. His verses are revered across Hindu, Sikh (many appear in the Guru Granth Sahib), and Sufi-influenced traditions alike.
Did You Know?
Deeply Revered in Sikhism
Over 220 couplets and hymns of Sant Kabir are enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Universal Unity
Kabir criticized both Hindu and Muslim ritual ostentation, advocating love, compassion, and inner purity.
Symbol of Satguru
In Indian Bhakti literature, 'Guru' represents the divine light that removes spiritual darkness ('Gu' = darkness, 'Ru' = remover).
Krishna
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The same teaching, echoed across traditions