Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya – Kabir: Lyrics, Meaning & Significance

Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya Lyrics (हिंदी में)

झीनी झीनी बीनी चदरिया ।
काहे कै ताना, काहे कै भरनी, कौन तार से बीनी चदरिया ॥

इंगला पिंगला ताना भरनी, सुखमन तार से बीनी चदरिया ।

आठ कँवल दल चरखा डोलै, पाँच तत्त गुन तीनी चदरिया ।

साँई को सियत मास दस लागै, ठोक-ठोक कै बीनी चदरिया ।

सो चादर सुर नर मुनि ओढ़ी, ओढ़ी कै मैली कीनी चदरिया ।

दास कबीर जतन से ओढ़ी, ज्यों की त्यों धरि दीनी चदरिया ॥

Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya – Transliteration (English)

Jhini jhini bini chadariya |
Kahe kai tana, kahe kai bharni, kaun taar se bini chadariya ||

Ingala pingala tana bharni, sukhman taar se bini chadariya |

Aath kanval dal charkha dolai, panch tatt gun tini chadariya |

Sain ko siyat maas das laage, thok-thok kai bini chadariya |

So chadar sur nar muni odhi, odhi kai maili kini chadariya |

Daas Kabir jatan se odhi, jyon ki tyon dhari dini chadariya ||

Meaning & Significance

Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya - The cloth is woven, fine and thin - is one of Kabir's most celebrated mystical poems, in which the human body is depicted as a delicately woven cloth. The poem opens with a question: what are the warp and weft of this cloth, and what is the thread from which it is woven? Kabir answers through the language of yogic anatomy: the ida and pingala nadis (the two principal energy channels in the subtle body) form the warp and weft, while the sushumna nadi (the central channel) is the thread. The eight lotus petals refer to the eight chakras (or the Ashtadala lotus), and the five elements and three gunas indicate that the cloth of the body is composed of earth, water, fire, air, space, and the three qualities of nature (tamas, rajas, sattva). The Creator took ten months to weave this body with such careful detail (stitch by stitch). Yet all beings - gods, humans, and sages - have dirtied this cloth by wearing it carelessly. The final verse is the triumphant statement of Kabir's own realisation: he wore this body with care, and returned it exactly as it was - without attachment, without defilement.

About the Composer

Kabir (circa 1440–1518 CE) was a weaver-mystic of Varanasi whose poetry transcended the boundaries of Hinduism and Islam to address the universal seeker. By trade a weaver of cloth, Kabir wove the language of his craft deeply into his spiritual poetry, and Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya is the most celebrated example - transforming the loom, the thread, and the cloth into a profound meditation on the human body, the cosmic energy within it, and the possibility of liberation. Kabir was a disciple (at least in the Sant tradition's telling) of Ramananda, the Vaishnava saint, though his poetry is vigorously non-sectarian and frequently satirises the formalism of both Hinduism and Islam.

About the Nirguna Divine

The nirguna divine of the Sant poets is the ineffable, formless, all-pervading consciousness that underlies all of existence. Rather than being located in temples, mosques, scripture, or ritual, this divine reality is woven into the very fabric of life - quite literally, in Kabir's vision, into the body itself. The human body is not a prison but a gift, an exquisitely crafted vehicle for the soul's journey from unconsciousness to awakening. The Sant tradition teaches that this body, properly understood and honoured, is the only temple where the divine can truly be found.

Spiritual Significance & Benefits

• Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya offers a unique yogic understanding of the body, using the metaphor of weaving to explain the nadis and chakras to common people.
• Meditating on its verses cultivates reverence for the human body as a sacred, divinely crafted instrument.
• The final verse - returning the cloth as it was - is a teaching on non-attachment: living fully while remaining unconditioned by experience.
• Regular singing supports awareness of the subtle body (prana, nadis, chakras) even without formal yoga or tantra training.
• The bhajan bridges intellectual understanding and devotional feeling, making it suitable for both contemplative and devotional temperaments.

When & How It Is Sung

Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya is sung in Kabir satsangs, classical music concerts, and devotional gatherings across North India. It has been rendered in a wide range of classical ragas - including Bhairavi, Kafi, and Yaman - as well as in folk-style settings. The slow, contemplative pace suited to its content invites the singer and listener to pause at each verse and absorb the layered meaning. It is commonly performed as a solo vocal composition with harmonium and tabla accompaniment, or as an unaccompanied meditative chant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the cloth (chadariya) symbolise in this bhajan?

The cloth (chadariya) is a metaphor for the human body. The warp and weft represent the ida and pingala nadis (the two main energy channels of the subtle body), the thread is the sushumna (the central channel), the eight lotus petals are the chakras, and the five elements and three gunas are the material ingredients of physical existence. The body is woven over ten months in the womb by the Creator (Sain = the Lord).

Who are the sur, nar, muni who dirtied the cloth?

Sur, nar, muni means gods (sur), ordinary humans (nar), and sages (muni). Kabir is saying that even celestial beings, great sages, and ordinary people alike have misused or dishonoured the body - through ego, desire, anger, and attachment - returning it in a defiled state. Only Kabir, the poem claims, wore this body with true awareness and returned it unstained, a symbol of the liberated soul.

What is the spiritual practice implied by this bhajan?

The bhajan points toward the practice of conscientious, aware living within the body - treating it as a sacred gift rather than an object of indulgence or neglect. More specifically, the imagery of ida, pingala, and sushumna suggests pranayama and meditation on the subtle body as spiritual practices. The overall teaching is that liberation (moksha) is not about escaping the body but about inhabiting it with full awareness, then releasing it cleanly at death.