HistoryMedieval India: Bhakti Sufi Traditions

In Kabir's verses, expressions such as "the lotus which blooms withou…

In Kabir's verses, expressions such as "the lotus which blooms without flower" invert everyday meanings to hint at the Ultimate Reality. Such compositions are known as

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → ulatbansi

Option (1) ulatbansi — Correct. Ulatbansi means upside-down sayings. Everyday meanings are inverted to show how hard it is to capture the Ultimate Reality in words, as in the lotus that blooms without flower.

Option (2) sant bhasha — Incorrect. Sant bhasha is the special language of nirguna poets in which some of Kabir's poems are composed. It is the name of a language, and it has nothing to do with meanings being inverted.

Option (3) vachana — Incorrect. Vachanas are the sayings of the Virashaiva (Lingayat) saints of Karnataka, a separate devotional tradition.

Option (4) zikr — Incorrect. Zikr is the sufi practice of remembering God by reciting His names. Kabir used it to express the Hindu practice of nam-simaran.

NCERT (2026-27): “8.1 Weaving a divine fabric: Kabir …
Kabir’s poems have survived in several languages and dialects; and some are composed in the special language of nirguna poets, the sant bhasha. Others, known as ulatbansi (upside-down sayings), are written in a form in which everyday meanings are inverted. These hint at the difficulties of capturing the nature of the Ultimate Reality in words: expressions such as “the lotus which blooms without flower” or the “fire raging in the ocean” convey a sense of Kabir’s mystical experiences.”