Sri Guru Granth Sahib Translation
Page 1363 Is there any such friend, who can untie this difficult knot? O
Nanak, the One Supreme Lord and Master of the earth reunites the
separated ones. || 15 || I run around in all directions, searching
for the love of God. The five evil enemies are tormenting me;
how can I destroy them? Shoot them with the sharp arrows of meditation
on the Name of God. O Lord! The way to slaughter these terrible
sadistic enemies is obtained from the Perfect Guru. || 16 ||
The True Guru has blessed me with the bounty which shall never
be exhausted. Eating and consuming it, all the Gurmukhs are emancipated.
The Lord, in His Mercy, has blessed me with the treasure of the
Ambrosial Naam. O Nanak, worship and adore the Lord, who never
dies. || 17 || Wherever the Lord's devotee goes is a
blessed, beautiful place. All comforts are obtained, meditating
on the Lord's Name. People praise and congratulate the
devotee of the Lord, while the slanderers rot and die. Says Nanak,
O friend, chant the Naam, and your mind shall be filled with bliss.
|| 18 || The mortal never serves the Immaculate Lord, the Purifier
of sinners. The mortal wastes away in false pleasures. How long
can this go on? Why do you take such pleasure, looking at this
mirage? O Lord! I am a sacrifice to those who are known and approved
in the Court of the Lord. || 19 || The fool commits countless
foolish actions and so many sinful mistakes. The fool's
body smells rotten, and turns to dust. He wanders lost in the
darkness of pride, and never thinks of dying. O Lord! The mortal
gazes upon the mirage; why does he think it is true? || 20 ||
When someone's days are over, who can save him? How long
can the physicians go on, suggesting various therapies? You fool,
remember the One Lord; only He shall be of use to you in the end.
O Lord! Without the Name, the body turns to dust, and everything
goes to waste. || 21 || Drink in the medicine of the Incomparable,
Priceless Name. Meeting and joining together, the Saints drink
it in, and give it to everyone. He alone is blessed with it, who
is destined to receive it. O Lord! I am a sacrifice to those who
enjoy the Love of the Lord. || 22 || The physicians meet together
in their assembly. The medicines are effective, when the Lord
Himself stands in their midst. Their good deeds and karma become
apparent. O Lord! Pains, diseases and sins all vanish from their
bodies. || 23 ||
O Samman, if one could buy this love with
money, then consider Raawan the king. He was not poor, but he
could not buy it, even though he offered his head to Shiva. ||
1 || My body is drenched in love and affection for the Lord;
there is no distance at all between us. My mind is pierced through
by the Lotus Feet of the Lord. He is realized when one's
intuitive consciousness is attuned to Him. || 2 ||
Page 1364 I would cross the oceans, mountains, wilderness, forests and the
nine regions of the earth in a single step, O Musan, for the Love
of my Beloved. || 3 || O Musan, the Light of the Lord's
Love has spread across the sky; I cling to my Lord, like the bumble
bee caught in the lotus flower. || 4 || Chanting and intense
meditation, austere self-discipline, pleasure and peace, honor,
greatness and pride - O Musan, I would dedicate and sacrifice
all these for a moment of my Lord's Love. || 5 || O
Musan, the world does not understand the Mystery of the Lord;
it is dying and being plundered. It is not pierced through by
the Love of the Beloved Lord; it is entangled in false pursuits.
|| 6 || When someone's home and property are burnt,
because of his attachment to them, he suffers in the sorrow of
separation. O Musan, when mortals forget the Merciful Lord God,
then they are truly plundered. || 7 || Whoever enjoys the taste
of the Lord's Love, remembers His Lotus Feet in his mind.
O Nanak, the lovers of God do not go anywhere else. || 8 ||
Climbing thousands of steep hillsides, the fickle mind becomes
miserable. Look at the humble, lowly mud, O Jamaal: the beautiful
lotus grows in it. || 9 || My Lord has lotus-eyes; His Face
is so beautifully adorned. O Musan, I am intoxicated with His
Mystery. I break the necklace of pride into bits. || 10 ||
I am intoxicated with the Love of my Husband Lord; remembering
Him in meditation, I am not conscious of my own body. He is revealed
in all His Glory, all throughout the world. Nanak is a lowly moth
at His Flame. || 11 ||
Kabeer, my rosary is my tongue, upon which
the Lord's Name is strung. From the very beginning, and
throughout the ages, all the devotees abide in tranquil peace.
|| 1 || Kabeer, everyone laughs at my social class. I am a
sacrifice to this social class, in which I chant and meditate
on the Creator. || 2 || Kabeer, why do you stumble? Why does
your soul waver? He is the Lord of all comforts and peace; drink
in the Sublime Essence of the Lord's Name. || 3 || Kabeer,
earrings made of gold and studded with jewels, look like burnt
twigs, if the Name is not in the mind. || 4 || Kabeer, rare
is such a person, who remains dead while yet alive. Singing the
Glorious Praises of the Lord, he is fearless. Wherever I look,
the Lord is there. || 5 || Kabeer, on the day when I die, afterwards
there shall be bliss. I shall meet with my Lord God. Those with
me shall meditate and vibrate on the Lord of the Universe. ||
6 || Kabeer, I am the worst of all. Everyone else is good. Whoever
understands this is a friend of mine. || 7 || Kabeer, she came
to me in various forms and disguises. My Guru saved me, and now
she bows humbly to me. || 8 || Kabeer, kill only that, which,
when killed, shall bring peace. Everyone shall call you good,
very good, and no one shall think you are bad. || 9 || Kabeer,
the night is dark, and men go about doing their dark deeds.
Page 1365 They take the noose and run around; but rest assured that God
shall destroy them. || 10 || Kabeer, the sandalwood tree is
good, even though it is surrounded by weeds. Those who dwell near
the sandalwood tree, become just like the sandalwood tree. ||
11 || Kabeer, the bamboo is drowned in its egotistical pride.
No one should drown like this. Bamboo also dwells near the sandalwood
tree, but it does not take up its fragrance. || 12 || Kabeer,
the mortal loses his faith, for the sake of the world, but the
world shall not go along with him in the end. The idiot strikes
his own foot with the axe by his own hand. || 13 || Kabeer,
wherever I go, I see wonders everywhere. But without the devotees
of the One Lord, it is all wilderness to me. || 14 || Kabeer,
the dwelling of the Saints is good; the dwelling of the unrighteous
burns like an oven. Those mansions in which the Lord's
Name is not chanted might just as well burn down. || 15 ||
Kabeer, why cry at the death of a Saint? He is just going back
to his home. Cry for the wretched, faithless cynic, who is sold
from store to store. || 16 || Kabeer, the faithless cynic is
like a piece of garlic. Even if you eat it sitting in a corner,
it becomes obvious to everyone. || 17 || Kabeer, Maya is the
butter-churn, and the breath is the churning-stick. The Saints
eat the butter, while the world drinks the whey. || 18 || Kabeer,
Maya is the butter-churn; the breath flows like ice water. Whoever
does the churning eats the butter; the others are just churning-sticks.
|| 19 || Kabeer, Maya is the thief, which breaks in and plunders
the store. Only Kabeer is not plundered; he has cut her into twelve
pieces. || 20 || Kabeer, peace does not come in this world
by making lots of friends. Those who keep their consciousness
focused on the One Lord shall find eternal peace. || 21 ||
Kabeer, the world is afraid of death - that death fills
my mind with bliss. It is only by death that perfect, supreme
bliss is obtained. || 22 || The Treasure of the Lord is obtained,
O Kabeer, but do not undo its knot. There is no market to sell
it, no appraiser, no customer, and no price. || 23 || Kabeer,
be in love with only that one, whose Master is the Lord. The Pandits,
the religious scholars, kings and landlords - what good
is love for them? || 24 || Kabeer, when you are in love with
the One Lord, duality and alienation depart. You may have long
hair, or you may shave your head bald. || 25 || Kabeer, the
world is a room filled with black soot; the blind fall into its
trap. I am a sacrifice to those who are thrown in, and still escape.
|| 26 || Kabeer, this body shall perish; save it, if you can.
Even those who have tens of thousands and millions, must depart
bare-footed in the end. || 27 || Kabeer, this body shall perish;
place it on the path. Either join the Saadh Sangat, the Company
of the Holy, or sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. || 28
|| Kabeer, dying, dying, the whole world has to die, and yet,
none know how to die.
Page 1366 Let those who die, die such a death, that they shall never have
to die again. || 29 || Kabeer, it is so difficult to obtain
this human body; it does not just come over and over again. It
is like the ripe fruit on the tree; when it falls to the ground,
it cannot be re-attached to the branch. || 30 || Kabeer, you
are Kabeer; your name means great. O Lord, You are Kabeer. The
Jewel of the Lord is obtained, when the mortal first gives up
his body. || 31 || Kabeer, do not struggle in stubborn pride;
nothing happens just because you say so. No one can erase the
actions of the Merciful Lord. || 32 || Kabeer, no one who is
false can withstand the Touchstone of the Lord. He alone can pass
the test of the Lord's Touchstone, who remains dead while
yet alive. || 33 || Kabeer, some wear gaudy robes, and chew
betel leaves and betel nuts. Without the Name of the One Lord,
they are bound and gagged and taken to the City of Death. ||
34 || Kabeer, the boat is old, and it has thousands of holes.
Those who are light get across, while those who carry the weight
of their sins on their heads are drowned. || 35 || Kabeer,
the bones burn like wood, and the hair burns like straw. Seeing
the world burning like this, Kabeer has become sad. || 36 ||
Kabeer, do not be so proud of your bones wrapped up in skin.
Those who were on their horses and under their canopies, were
eventually buried under the ground. || 37 || Kabeer, do not
be so proud of your tall mansions. Today or tomorrow, you shall
lie beneath the ground, and the grass shall grow above you. ||
38 || Kabeer, do not be so proud, and do not laugh at the poor.
Your boat is still out at sea; who knows what will happen? ||
39 || Kabeer, do not be so proud, looking at your beautiful
body. Today or tomorrow, you will have to leave it behind, like
the snake shedding its skin. || 40 || Kabeer, if you must rob
and plunder, then plunder the plunder of the Lord's Name.
Otherwise, in the world hereafter, you will regret and repent,
when the breath of life leaves the body. || 41 || Kabeer, there
is no one born, who burns his own home, and burning his five sons,
remains lovingly attuned to the Lord. || 42 || Kabeer, how
rare are those who sell their son and sell their daughter and,
entering into partnership with Kabeer, deal with the Lord. ||
43 || Kabeer, let me remind you of this. Do not be skeptical
or cynical. Those pleasures which you enjoyed so much in the past
- now you must eat their fruits. || 44 || Kabeer, at
first, I thought learning was good; then I thought Yoga was better.
I shall never abandon devotional worship of the Lord, even though
people may slander me. || 45 || Kabeer, how can the wretched
people slander me? They have no wisdom or intelligence. Kabeer
continues to dwell upon the Lord's Name; I have abandoned
all other affairs. || 46 || Kabeer, the robe of the stranger-soul
has caught fire on all four sides. The cloth of the body has been
burnt and reduced to charcoal, but the fire did not touch the
thread of the soul. || 47 || Kabeer, the cloth has been burnt
and reduced to charcoal, and the begging bowl is shattered into
pieces.
Page 1367 The poor Yogi has played out his game; only ashes remain on his
seat. || 48 || Kabeer, the fish is in the shallow water; the
fisherman has cast his net. You shall not escape this little pool;
think about returning to the ocean. || 49 || Kabeer, do not
leave the ocean, even if it is very salty. If you poke around
searching from puddle to puddle, no one will call you smart.
|| 50 || Kabeer, those who have no guru are washed away. No
one can help them. Be meek and humble; whatever happens is what
the Creator Lord does. || 51 || Kabeer, even the dog of a devotee
is good, while the mother of the faithless cynic is bad. The dog
hears the Praises of the Lord's Name, while the other is
engaged in sin. || 52 || Kabeer, the deer is weak, and the
pool is lush with green vegetation. Thousands of hunters are chasing
after the soul; how long can it escape death? || 53 || Kabeer,
some make their homes on the banks of the Ganges, and drink pure
water. Without devotional worship of the Lord, they are not liberated.
Kabeer proclaims this. || 54 || Kabeer, my mind has become
immaculate, like the waters of the Ganges. The Lord follows after
me, calling, "Kabeer! Kabeer!" || 55 || Kabeer,
tumeric is yelow, and lime is white. You shall meet the Beloved
Lord, only when both colors are lost. || 56 || Kabeer, tumeric
has lost its yellow color, and no trace of lime's whiteness
remains. I am a sacrifice to this love, by which social class
and status, color and ancestry are taken away. || 57 || Kabeer,
the door of liberation is very narrow, less than the width of
a mustard seed. Your mind is larger than an elephant; how will
it pass through? || 58 || Kabeer, if I meet such a True Guru,
who mercifully blesses me with the gift, then the door of liberation
will open wide for me, and I will easily pass through. || 59
|| Kabeer, I have no hut or hovel, no house or village. I hope
that the Lord will not ask who I am. I have no social status or
name. || 60 || Kabeer, I long to die; let me die at the Lord's
Door. I hope that the Lord does not ask, "Who is this,
lying at my door?" || 61 || Kabeer, I have not done anything;
I shall not do anything; my body cannot do anything. I do not
know what the Lord has done, but the call has gone out: "Kabeer,
Kabeer." || 62 || Kabeer, if someone utters the Name
of the Lord even in dreams, I would make my skin into shoes for
his feet. || 63 || Kabeer, we are puppets of clay, but we take
the name of mankind. We are guests here for only a few days, but
we take up so much space. || 64 || Kabeer, I have made myself
into henna, and I grind myself into powder. But You, O my Husband
Lord, have not asked about me; You have never applied me to Your
Feet. || 65 || Kabeer, that door, through which people never
stop coming and going - how can I leave such a door as
that? || 66 ||
Page 1368 Kabeer, I was drowning, but the waves of virtue saved me in an
instant. When I saw that my boat was rotten, then I immediately
got out. || 67 || Kabeer, the sinner does not like devotion
to the Lord; he does not appreciate worship. The fly abandons
the sandalwood tree, and goes after the rotten smell. || 68 ||
Kabeer, the physician is dead, and the patient is dead; the
whole world is dead. Only Kabeer is not dead; there is no one
to mourn for him. || 69 || Kabeer, I have not meditated on
the Lord; such is the bad habit I have developed. The body is
a wooden pot; it cannot be put back on the fire. || 70 || Kabeer,
it came to pass, that I did whatever I pleased. Why should I be
afraid of death? I have invited death for myself. || 71 ||
Kabeer, the mortals suck at the sugar cane, for the sake of the
sweet juice. They should work just as hard for virtue. The person
who lacks virtue - no one calls him good. || 72 || Kabeer,
the pitcher is full of water; it will break, today or tomorrow.
Those who do not remember their Guru, shall be plundered on the
way. || 73 || Kabeer, I am the Lord's dog; Moti is my
name. There is a chain around my neck; wherever I am pulled, I
go. || 74 || Kabeer, why do you show other people your rosary
beads? You do not remember the Lord in your heart, so what use
is this rosary to you? || 75 || Kabeer, the snake of separation
from the Lord abides within my mind; it does not respond to any
mantra. One who is separated from the Lord does not live; if he
does live, he goes insane. || 76 || Kabeer, the philosopher's
stone and sandalwood oil have the same good quality. Whatever
comes into contact with them is uplifted. Iron is transformed
into gold, and ordinary wood becomes fragrant. || 77 || Kabeer,
Death's club is terrible; it cannot be endured. I have
met with the holy man; he has attached me to the hem of his robe.
|| 78 || Kabeer, the physician says that he alone is good,
and all the medicine is under his control. But these things belong
to the Lord; He takes them away whenever He wishes. || 79 ||
Kabeer, take your drum and beat it for ten days. Life is like
people meeting on a boat on a river; they shall not meet again.
|| 80 || Kabeer, if I could change the seven seas into ink
and make all the vegetation my pen, and the earth my paper, even
then, I could not write the Praises of the Lord. || 81 || Kabeer,
what can my lowly status as a weaver do to me? The Lord dwells
in my heart. Kabeer, the Lord hugs me close in His Embrace; I
have forsaken all my entanglements. || 82 || Kabeer, will anyone
set fire to his home and kill his five sons (the five thieves)
to remain lovingly attached to the Lord? || 83 || Kabeer, will
anyone burn his own body? The people are blind - they do
not know, although Kabeer continues to shout at them. || 84 ||
Kabeer, the widow mounts the funeral pyre and cries out, "Listen,
O brother funeral pyre. All people must depart in the end; it
is only you and I."
Page 1369 || 85 || Kabeer, the mind has become a bird; it soars and flies
in the ten directions. According to the company it keeps, so are
the fruits it eats. || 86 || Kabeer, you have found that place
which you were seeking. You have become that which you thought
was separate from yourself. || 87 || Kabeer, I have been ruined
and destroyed by bad company, like the banana plant near the thorn
bush. The thorn bush waves in the wind, and pierces the banana
plant; see this, and do not associate with the faithless cynics.
|| 88 || Kabeer, the mortal wants to walk on the path, carrying
the load of others' sins on his head. He is not afraid
of his own load of sins; the road ahead shall be difficult and
treacherous. || 89 || Kabeer, the forest is burning; the tree
standing in it is crying out, "Do not let me fall into
the hands of the blacksmith, who would burn me a second time."
|| 90 || Kabeer, when one died, two were dead. When two died,
four were dead. When four died, six were dead, four males and
two females. || 91 || Kabeer, I have seen and observed, and
searched all over the world, but I have found no place of rest
anywhere. Those who do not remember the Lord's Name -
why do they delude themselves in other pursuits? || 92 || Kabeer,
associate with the Holy people, who will take you to Nirvaanaa
in the end. Do not associate with the faithless cynics; they would
bring you to ruin. || 93 || Kabeer, I contemplate the Lord
in the world; I know that He is permeating the world. Those who
do not contemplate the Name of the Lord - their birth into
this world is useless. || 94 || Kabeer, place your hopes in
the Lord; other hopes lead to despair. Those who dissociate themselves
from the Lord's Name - when they fall into hell,
then they will appreciate its value. || 95 || Kabeer has made
many students and disciples, but he has not made God his friend.
He set out on a journey to meet the Lord, but his consciousness
failed him half-way. || 96 || Kabeer, what can the poor creature
do, if the Lord does not give him assistance? Whatever branch
he steps on breaks and collapses. || 97 || Kabeer, those who
only preach to others - sand falls into their mouths. They
keep their eyes on the property of others, while their own farm
is being eaten up. || 98 || Kabeer, I will remain in the Saadh
Sangat, the Company of the Holy, even if I have only coarse bread
to eat. Whatever will be, will be. I will not associate with the
faithless cynics. || 99 || Kabeer, in the Saadh Sangat, love
for the Lord doubles day by day. The faithless cynic is like a
black blanket, which does not become white by being washed. ||
100 || Kabeer, you have not shaved your mind, so why do you
shave your head? Whatever is done, is done by the mind; it is
useless to shave your head. || 101 || Kabeer, do not abandon
the Lord; your body and wealth shall go, so let them go. My consciousness
is pierced by the Lord's Lotus Feet; I am absorbed in the
Name of the Lord. || 102 || Kabeer, all the strings of the
instrument I played are broken. What can the poor instrument do,
when the player has departed as well. || 103 || Kabeer, shave
the mother of that guru, who does not take away one's doubt.
Page 1370 He himself is drowning in the four Vedas; he drowns his disciples
as well. || 104 || Kabeer, whatever sins the mortal has committed,
he tries to keep hidden under cover. But in the end, they shall
all be revealed, when the Righteous Judge of Dharma investigates.
|| 105 || Kabeer, you have given up meditating on the Lord,
and you have raised a large family. You continue to involve yourself
in worldly affairs, but none of your brothers and relatives remain.
|| 106 || Kabeer, those who give up meditation on the Lord,
and get up at night to wake the spirits of the dead, shall be
reincarnated as snakes, and eat their own offspring. || 107 ||
Kabeer, the woman who gives up meditation on the Lord, and observes
the ritual fast of Ahoi, shall be reincarnated as a donkey, to
carry heavy burdens. || 108 || Kabeer, it is the most clever
wisdom, to chant and meditate on the Lord in the heart. It is
like playing on a pig; if you fall off, you will find no place
of rest. || 109 || Kabeer, blessed is that mouth, which utters
the Lord's Name. It purifies the body, and the whole village
as well. || 110 || Kabeer, that family is good, in which the
Lord's slave is born. But that family in which the Lord's
slave is not born is as useless as weeds. || 111 || Kabeer,
some have lots of horses, elephants and carriages, and thousands
of banners waving. But begging is better than these comforts,
if one spends his days meditating in remembrance on the Lord.
|| 112 || Kabeer, I have wandered all over the world, carrying
the drum on my shoulder. No one belongs to anyone else; I have
looked and carefully studied it. || 113 || The pearls are scattered
on the road; the blind man comes along. Without the Light of the
Lord of the Universe, the world just passes them by. || 114 ||
My family is drowned, O Kabeer, since the birth of my son Kamaal.
He has given up meditating on the Lord, in order to bring home
wealth. || 115 || Kabeer, go out to meet the holy man; do not
take anyone else with you. Do not turn back - keep on going.
Whatever will be, will be. || 116 || Kabeer, do not bind yourself
with that chain, which binds the whole world. As the salt is lost
in the flour, so shall your golden body be lost. || 117 ||
Kabeer, the soul-swan is flying away, and the body is being buried,
and still he makes gestures. Even then, the mortal does not give
up the cruel look in his eyes. || 118 || Kabeer: with my eyes,
I see You, Lord; with my ears, I hear Your Name. With my tongue
I chant Your Name; I enshrine Your Lotus Feet within my heart.
|| 119 || Kabeer, I have been spared from heaven and hell,
by the Grace of the True Guru. From beginning to end, I abide
in the joy of the Lord's Lotus Feet. || 120 || Kabeer,
how can I even describe the extent of the joy of the Lord's
Lotus Feet? I cannot describe its sublime glory; it has to be
seen to be appreciated. || 121 || Kabeer, how can I describe
what I have seen? No one will bellieve my words.
Page 1371 The Lord is just as He is. I dwell in delight, singing His Glorious
Praises. || 122 || Kabeer, the flamingo pecks and feeds, and
remembers her chicks. She pecks and pecks and feeds, and remembers
them always. Her chicks are very dear to her, just like the love
of wealth and Maya is dear to the mortal's mind. || 123
|| Kabeer, the sky is overcast and cloudy; the ponds and lakes
are overflowing with water. Like the sparrow-hawk, some remain
thirsty - what is their condition? || 124 || Kabeer,
the chakvi duck is separated from her love through the night,
but in the morning, she meets him again. Those who are separated
from the Lord do not meet Him in the day, or in the night. ||
125 || Kabeer: O conch shell, remain in the ocean. If you are
separated from it, you shall scream at sunrise from temple to
temple. || 126 || Kabeer, what are you doing sleeping? Wake
up and cry in fear and pain. Those who live in the grave -
how can they sleep in peace? || 127 || Kabeer, what are you
doing sleeping? Why not rise up and meditate on the Lord? One
day you shall sleep with your legs outstretched. || 128 ||
Kabeer, what are you doing sleeping? Wake up, and sit up. Attach
yourself to the One, from whom you have been separated. || 129
|| Kabeer, do not leave the Society of the Saints; walk upon
this Path. See them, and be sanctified; meet them, and chant the
Name. || 130 || Kabeer, do not associate with the faithless
cynics; run far away from them. If you touch a vessel stained
with soot, some of the soot will stick to you. || 131 || Kabeer,
you have not contemplated the Lord, and now old age has overtaken
you. Now that the door of your mansion is on fire, what can you
take out? || 132 || Kabeer, the Creator does whatever He pleases.
There is none other than Him; He alone is the Creator of all.
|| 133 || Kabeer, the fruit trees are bearing fruit, and the
mangoes are becoming ripe. They will reach the owner, only if
the crows do not eat them first. || 134 || Kabeer, some buy
idols and worship them; in their stubborn-mindedness, they make
pilgrimages to sacred shrines. They look at one another, and wear
religious robes, but they are deluded and lost. || 135 || Kabeer,
someone sets up a stone idol and all the world worships it as
the Lord. Those who hold to this belief will be drowned in the
river of darkness. || 136 || Kabeer, the paper is the prison,
and the ink of rituals are the bars on the windows. The stone
idols have drowned the world, and the Pandits, the religious scholars,
have plundered it on the way. || 137 || Kabeer, that which
you have to do tomorrow - do it today instead; and that
which you have to do now - do it immediately! Later on,
you will not be able to do anything, when death hangs over your
head. || 138 || Kabeer, I have seen a person, who is as shiny
as washed wax. He seems very clever and very virtuous, but in
reality, he is without understanding, and corrupt. || 139 ||
Kabeer, the Messenger of Death shall not compromise my understanding.
I have meditated on the Lord, the Cherisher, who created this
Messenger of Death. || 140 ||
Page 1372 Kabeer, the Lord is like musk; all His slaves are like bumble
bees. The more Kabeer worships Him, the more the Lord abides within
his mind. || 141 || Kabeer, the mortal has fallen into the
grip of family life, and the Lord has been set aside. The messengers
of the Righteous Judge of Dharma descend upon the mortal, in the
midst of all his pomp and ceremony. || 142 || Kabeer, even
a pig is better than the faithless cynic; at least the pig keeps
the village clean. When the wretched, faithless cynic dies, no
one even mentions his name. || 143 || Kabeer, the mortal gathers
wealth, shell by shell, accumulating thousands and millions. But
when the time of his departure comes, he takes nothing at all
with him. He is even stripped of his loin-cloth. || 144 ||
Kabeer, what good is it to become a devotee of Vishnu, and wear
four malas? On the outside, he may look like pure gold, but on
the inside, he is stuffed with dust. || 145 || Kabeer, let
yourself be a pebble on the path; abandon your egotistical pride.
Such a humble slave shall meet the Lord God. || 146 || Kabeer,
what good would it be, to be a pebble? It would only hurt the
traveller on the path. Your slave, O Lord, is like the dust of
the earth. || 147 || Kabeer, what then, if one could become
dust? It is blown up by the wind, and sticks to the body. The
humble servant of the Lord should be like water, which cleans
everything. || 148 || Kabeer, what then, if one could become
water? It becomes cold, then hot. The humble servant of the Lord
should be just like the Lord. || 149 || The banners wave above
the lofty mansions, filled with gold and beautiful women. But
better than these is dry bread, if one sings the Glorious Praises
of the Lord in the Society of the Saints. || 150 || Kabeer,
the wilderness is better than a city, if the Lord's devotees
live there. Without my Beloved Lord, it is like the City of Death
for me. || 151 || Kabeer, between the Ganges and Jamunaa Rivers,
on the shore of Celestial Silence, there, Kabeer has made his
home. The silent sages and the humble servants of the Lord search
for the way to get there. || 152 || Kabeer, if the mortal continues
to love the Lord in the end, as he pledged in the beginning, no
poor diamond, not even millions of jewels, can equal him. ||
153 || Kabeer, I saw a strange and wonderful thing. A jewel
was being sold in a store. Because there was no buyer, it was
going in exchange for a shell. || 154 || Kabeer, where there
is spiritual wisdom, there is righteousness and Dharma. Where
there is falsehood, there is sin. Where there is greed, there
is death. Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself. ||
155 || Kabeer, what good is it to give up Maya, if the mortal
does not give up his pride? Even the silent sages and seers are
destroyed by pride; pride eats up everything. || 156 || Kabeer,
the True Guru has met me; He aimed the Arrow of the Shabad at
me. As soon as it struck me, I fell to the ground with a hole
in my heart. || 157 || Kabeer, what can the True Guru do, when
His Sikhs are at fault? The blind do not take in any of His Teachings;
it is as useless as blowing into bamboo. || 158 ||
Page 1373 Kabeer, the wife of the king has all sorts of horses, elephants and carriages. But she is not equal to the water-carrier of the Lord's humble servant. || 159 || Kabeer, why do you slander the wife of the king? Why do you honor the slave of the Lord? Because one combs her hair for corruption, while the other remembers the Name of the Lord. || 160 || Kabeer, with the Support of the Lord's Pillar, I have become steady and stable. The True Guru has given me courage. Kabeer, I have purchased the diamond, on the banks of the Mansarovar Lake. || 161 || Kabeer, the Lord is the Diamond, and the Lord's humble servant is the jeweller who has set up his shop. As soon as an appraiser is found, the price of the jewel is set. || 162 || Kabeer, you remember the Lord in meditation, only when the need arises. You should remember Him all the time. You shall dwell in the city of immortality, and the Lord shall restore the wealth you lost. || 163 || Kabeer, it is good to perform selfless service for two - the Saints and the Lord. The Lord is the Giver of liberation, and the Saint inspires us to chant the Naam. || 164 || Kabeer, the crowds follow the path which the Pandits, the religious scholars, have taken. There is a difficult and treacherous cliff on that path to the Lord; Kabeer is climbing that cliff. || 165 || Kabeer, the mortal dies of his worldly troubles and pain, after worrying about his family. Whose family is dishonored, when he is placed on the funeral pyre? || 166 || Kabeer, you shall drown, you wretched being, from worrying about what other people think. You know that whatever happens to your neighbors, will also happen to you. || 167 || Kabeer, even dry bread, made of various grains, is good. No one brags about it, throughout the vast country and great empire. || 168 || Kabeer, those who brag, shall burn. Those who do not brag remain carefree. That humble being who does not brag, looks upon the gods and the poor alike. || 169 || Kabeer, the pool is filled to overflowing, but no one can drink the water from it. By great good fortune, you have found it; drink it in handfuls, O Kabeer. || 170 || Kabeer, just as the stars disappear at dawn, so shall this body disappear. Only the letters of God's Name do not disappear; Kabeer holds these tight. || 171 || Kabeer, the wooden house is burning on all sides. The Pandits, the religious scholars, have been burnt to death, while the illiterate ones run to safety. || 172 || Kabeer, give up your skepticism; let your papers float away. Find the essence of the letters of the alphabet, and focus your consciousness on the Lord. || 173 || Kabeer, the Saint does not forsake his Saintly nature, even though he meets with millions of evil-doers. Even when sandalwood is surrounded by snakes, it does not give up its cooling fragrance. || 174 || Kabeer, my mind is cooled and soothed; I have become God-conscious. The fire which has burnt the world is like water to the Lord's humble servant. || 175 || Kabeer, no one knows the Play of the Creator Lord. Only the Lord Himself and the slaves at His Court understand it. || 176 || |
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