Within this Earthen Vessel

WITHIN this earthen vessel are bowers and groves,
and within it is the Creator:
Within this vessel are the seven oceans
and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within;
and within this vessel the Eternal soundeth,
and the spring wells up.

Kabîr says:
'Listen to me, my Friend!
My beloved Lord is within.'

Where Spring, The Lord Of The Seasons

Where Spring, the lord of the seasons, reigneth,
there the Unstruck Music sounds of itself,
There the streams of light flow in all directions;
Few are the men who can cross to that shore!

There, where millions of Krishnas stand with hands folded,
Where millions of Vishnus bow their heads,
Where millions of Brahmas are reading the Vedas,
Where millions of Shivas are lost in contemplation,
Where millions of Indras dwell in the sky,
Where the demi-gods and the munis are unnumbered,
Where millions of Saraswatis, Goddess of Music, play on the veena
There is my Lord self-revealed:
and the scent of sandal and flowers dwells in those deeps.

Where Do You Search Me

Moko Kahan Dhundhere Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein
Na Ekant Niwas Mein
Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein
Na Kabe Kailas Mein
Mein To Tere Paas Mein Bande
Mein To Tere Paas Mein
Na Mein Jap Mein, Na Mein Tap Mein
Na Mein Barat Upaas Mein
Na Mein Kiriya Karm Mein Rehta
Nahin Jog Sanyas Mein
Nahin Pran Mein Nahin Pind Mein
Na Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Mein Prakuti Prawar Gufa Mein
Nahin Swasan Ki Swans Mein
Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon
Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Mein To Hun Viswas Mein


English Translation:

Where do you search me?
I am with you
Not in pilgrimage, nor in icons
Neither in solitudes
Not in temples, nor in mosques
Neither in Kaba nor in Kailash
I am with you O man
I am with you
Not in prayers, nor in meditation
Neither in fasting
Not in yogic exercises
Neither in renunciation
Neither in the vital force nor in the body
Not even in the ethereal space
Neither in the womb of Nature
Not in the breath of the breath
Seek earnestly and discover
In but a moment of search
Says Kabir, Listen with care
Where your faith is, I am there.

When You Were Born In This World - Dohas II

When you were born in this world
Everyone laughed while you cried
Conduct NOT yourself in manner such
That they laugh when you are gone

Kabir's mind got cleansed like the holy Ganges water
Now everyone follows, saying Kabir Kabir

Guru the washer man, disciple is the cloth
The name of God liken to the soap
Wash the mind on foundation firm
To realize the glow of Truth

Alive one sees, alive one knows
Thus crave for salvation when full of life
Alive you did not cut the noose of binding actions
Hoping liberation with death!

Inexpressible is the story of Love
It cannot be revealed by words
Like the dumb eating sweet-meat
Only smiles, the sweetness he cannot tell

Worry is the bandit that eats into one's heart
What the doctor can do, what remedy to impart?

Says Kabir
Don't be so proud and vain
Looking at your high mansion
Death makes one lie on bare land
And grass will grow thereon

Says Kabir
Don't be so proud and vain
The clutches of Time are dark
Who knows where shall it kill
Whether at home or abroad

Says Kabir
By my doing nothing happens
What I don't does come to pass
If anything happens as if my doing
Then truly it is done by someone else

Like the pupil in the eyes
The Lord resides inside
Ignorant do not know this fact
They search Him outside

First the pangs of separation
Next grows the thirst for Love
Says Kabir then only hope
The union to materialize

When The Day Came

When the Day came -
The Day I had lived and died for -
The Day that is not in any calendar -
Clouds heavy with love
Showered me with wild abundance.
Inside me, my soul was drenched.
Around me, even the desert grew green.

When I Found The Boundless Knowledge

Kabir:
My mind was soothed
When I found the boundless knowledge,
And the fires
that scorch the world
To me are water cool.

When He Himself Reveals Himself

When he himself reveals himself,
Brahma brings into manifestation
That which can never be seen.

As the seed is in the plant,
as the shade is in the tree,
as the void is in the sky,
as infinite forms are in the void-

So from beyond the Infinite,
the Infinite comes;
and from the Infinite the finite extends.

The creature is in Brahma,
and Brahma is in the creature:
they are ever distinct,
yet ever united.

He Himself is the tree, the seed, and the germ.
He Himself is the flower, the fruit, and the shade.
He Himself is the sun, the light, and the lighted.
He Himself is Brahma, creature, and Maya.
He Himself is the manifold form, the infinite space;
He is the breath, the word, and the meaning.

He Himself is the limit and the limitless:
and beyond both the limited and the limitless is He,
the Pure Being.

He is the Immanent Mind in Brahma and in the creature.

The Supreme Soul is seen within the soul,
The Point is seen within the Supreme Soul,
And within the Point, the reflection is seen again.
Kabîr is blest because he has this supreme vision!

What Kind Of God?

What kind of God would He be
if He did not hear the
bangles ring on
an ant’s
wrist

as they move the earth
in their sweet
dance?

And what kind of God would He be
if a leaf’s prayer was not as precious to creation
as the prayer His own son sang
from the glorious depth
of his soul –
for us.

And what kind of God would He be
if the vote of millions in this world could sway Him
to change the divine
law of
love

that speaks so clearly with compassion’s elegant tongue,
saying, eternally saying:

all are forgiven – moreover, dears,
no one has ever been
guilty.

What
kind of God would He be
if He did not count the blinks
of your
eyes

and is in absolute awe of their movements?

What a God - what a God we
have.

To What Shore Would You Cross

To what shore would you cross,
O my heart?
there is no traveller before you,
there is no road:
Where is the movement,
where is the rest,
on that shore?

There is no water; no boat, no boatman, is there;

There is not so much as a rope to tow the boat, nor a man to draw it.
No earth, no sky, no time, no thing, is there: no shore, no ford!

There, there is neither body nor mind:
and where is the place that shall still the thirst of the soul?
You shall find naught in that emptiness.
Be strong, and enter into your own body:
for there your foothold is firm.
Consider it well,
O my heart!
go not elsewhere,
Kabîr says: 'Put all imaginations away,
and stand fast in that which you are.'

To Thee Thou Hast Drawn My Love

To Thee Thou hast drawn my love, O Fakir!
I was sleeping in my own chamber,
and Thou didst awaken me;
striking me with Thy voice, O Fakir!
I was drowning in the deeps of the ocean of this world, and
Thou didst save me: upholding me with Thine arm, O Fakir!
Only one word and no second-
and Thou hast made me tear off all
my bonds, O Fakir!

Kabîr says, 'Thou hast united Thy heart to my heart, O Fakir! '

To Be A Slave Of Intensity

Friend, hope for the guest while you are alive.
Jump into experience while you are alive!
Think...and think...while you are alive.
What you call 'salvation' belongs to the time before death.

If you don't break your ropes while you're alive,
do you think ghosts will do it after?

The idea that the soul will join with the ecstatic
Just because the body is rotten - that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with an apartment in the City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now, in the next life you will have the face of satisfied desire.

So plunge into the truth, find out who the Teacher is,
Believe in the Great Sound!

Kabir says this: When the guest is being searched for, it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest that does all the work.
Look at me, and you will see a slave of that intensity.

There's A Moon Inside My Body

THE moon shines in my body, but my blind eyes cannot see it:
The moon is within me, and so is the sun.
The unstruck drum of Eternity is sounded within me; but my deaf ears cannot hear it.

So long as man clamours for the I and the Mine, his works are as naught:
When all love of the I and the Mine is dead, then the work of the Lord is done.
For work has no other aim than the getting of knowledge:
When that comes, then work is put away.

The flower blooms for the fruit: when the fruit comes, the flower withers.
The musk is in the deer, but it seeks it not within itself: it wanders in quest of grass.

The Word

Find the word, understand the word,
Depend on the word;
The word is heaven and space, the word the earth,
The word the universe.
The word is in our ears, the word is on our tongues,
The word the idol.
The word is the holy book, the word is harmony,
The word is music.
The word is magic, the word the Guru.
The word is the body, the word is the spirit, the word is being,
The word Not-being.
The word is man, the word is woman,
The Worshipped Great.
The word is the seen and unseen, the word is the existent
And the non-existent.
Know the word, says Kabir,
The word is All-powerful.

The Time Before Death

Friend? hope for the Guest while you are alive.
Jump into experience while you are alive!
Think... and think... while you are alive.
What you call 'salvation' belongs to the time before death.

If you don't break your ropes while you're alive,
do you think ghosts will do it after?

The idea that the soul will join with the ecstatic
just because the body is rotten --
that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with an apartment in the City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now, in the next life you will have the face of satisfied desire.

So plunge into the truth, find out who the Teacher is,
Believe in the Great Sound!

Kabir says this: When the Guest is being searched for,
it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest that does all the work.

Look at me, and you will see a slave of that intensity.

The Swan Flies Away

The Swan Will Fly Away All Alone,
Spectacle of the World Will Be a Mere Fair
As the Leaf Falls from the Tree
Is Difficult to Find
Who Knows Where it Will Fall
Once it is Struck with a Gust Of Wind
When Life Span is Complete
Then Listening to Orders, Following Others, Will Be Over
The Messengers of Yama are Very Strong
It's an Entanglement with the Yama
Servant Kabir Praises the Attributes of the Lord
He Finds the Lord Soon
Guru Will Go According to His Doings
The Disciple According to His!

The Spiritual Athlete Often Changes The Color Of His Clothes

The spiritual athlete often changes the color of his clothes,
and his mind remains gray and loveless.

He sits inside a shrine room all day,
so that the Guest has to go outdoors and praise the rocks.

Or he drills holes in his ears, his hair grows
enormous and matted,
people mistake him for a goat...
He goes out into wilderness areas, strangles his impulses,
and makes himself neither male nor female...

He shaves his skull, puts his robe in an orange vat,
reads the Bhagavad-Gita, and becomes a terrific talker.

Kabir says: Actually you are going in a hearse
to the country of death,
bound hand and foot!

The Self Forgets Itself

The self forgets itself
as a frantic dog in a glass temple
barks himself to death;
as a lion, seeing a form in the well,
leaps on the image;
as a rutting elephant sticks his tusk
in a crystal boulder.
The monkey has his fistful of sweets
and won't let go. So
from house to house
he gibbers.
Kabir says, parrot-on-a-pole:
who has caught you?

The River And Its Waves Are One

The river and its waves are one
surf: where is the difference between the river and its waves?

When the wave rises,
it is the water;
and when it falls,
it is the same water again.

Tell me, Sir, where is the distinction?
Because it has been named as wave,
shall it no longer be considered as water?

Within the Supreme Brahma,
the worlds are being told like beads:
Look upon that rosary with the eyes of wisdom.

The Moon Shines In My Body

The moon shines in my body,
but my blind eyes cannot see it:
The moon is within me,
and so is the sun.

The unstruck drum of Eternity is sounded within me;
but my deaf ears cannot hear it.

So long as man clamours for the 'I' and the 'Mine',
his works are as naught:
When all love of the 'I' and the 'Mine' is dead,
then the work of the Lord is done.

For work has no other aim than the getting of knowledge:
When that comes, then work is put away.

The flower blooms for the fruit:
when the fruit comes, the flower withers.
The musk is in the deer,
but it seeks it not within itself:
it wanders in quest of grass.

The Middle Region Of The Sky

The middle region of the sky,
wherein the spirit dwelleth,
is radiant with the music of light;

There, where the pure and white music blossoms,
my Lord takes His delight.

In the wondrous effulgence of each hair of His body, t
he brightness of millions of suns and of moons is lost.

On that shore there is a city,
where the rain of nectar pours and pours,
and never ceases.
Kabîr says: 'Come, O Dharmadas!
and see my great Lord's Durbar.'

The Lord Is In Me

The Lord is in me, and the Lord is in you,
As life is hidden in every seed.
So rubble your pride, my friend,
And look for Him within you.

When I sit in the heart of His world
A million suns blaze with light,
A burning blue sea spreads across the sky,
Life's turmoil falls quiet,
All the stains of suffering wash away.

Listen to the unstruck bells and drums!
Love is here; plunge into its rapture!
Rains pour down without water;
Rivers are streams of light.

How could I ever express
How blessed I feel
To revel in such vast ecstasy
In my own body?

This is the music
Of soul and soul meeting,
Of the forgetting of all grief.
This is the music
That transcends all coming and going

The Light Of The Sun

THE light of the sun, the moon,
and the stars shines bright:
The melody of love swells forth,
and the rhythm of love's detachment beats the time.

Day and night, the chorus of music fills the heavens;
and Kabîr says 'My Beloved One gleams like the lightning flash in the sky.'

Do you know how the moments perform their adoration?
Waving its row of lamps,
the universe sings in worship day and night,
There are the hidden banner and the secret canopy:
There the sound of the unseen bells is heard.

Kabîr says: 'There adoration never ceases;
there the Lord of the Universe sitteth on His throne.'

The whole world does its works and commits its errors:
but few are the lovers who know the Beloved.

The devout seeker is he who mingles in his heart
the double currents of love and detachment,
like the mingling of the streams of Ganges and Jumna;
In his heart the sacred water flows day and night;
and thus the round of births and deaths is brought to an end.

Behold what wonderful rest is in the Supreme Spirit!
and he enjoys it, who makes himself meet for it.

Held by the cords of love,
the swing of the Ocean of Joy sways to and fro;
and a mighty sound breaks forth in song.

See what a lotus blooms there without water!
and Kabîr says 'My heart's bee drinks its nectar.'

What a wonderful lotus it is,
that blooms at the heart of the spinning wheel of the universe!
Only a few pure souls know of its true delight.
Music is all around it,
and there the heart partakes of the joy of the Infinite Sea.

Kabîr says: 'Dive thou into that Ocean of sweetness:
thus let all errors of life and of death flee away.'

Behold how the thirst of the five senses is quenched there!
and the three forms of misery are no more!

Kabîr says: 'It is the sport of the Unattainable One:
look within, and behold how the moon-beams
of that Hidden One shine in you.'

There falls the rhythmic beat of life and death:
Rapture wells forth, and all space is radiant with light.
There the Unstruck Music is sounded;
it is the music of the love of the three worlds.

There millions of lamps of sun and of moon are burning;
There the drum beats, and the lover swings in play.
There love-songs resound, and light rains in showers;
and the worshipper is entranced in the taste of the heavenly nectar.
Look upon life and death; there is no separation between them,
The right hand and the left hand are one and the same.
Kabîr says: 'There the wise man is speechless;
for this truth may never be found in Vadas or in books.'

I have had my Seat on the Self-poised One,
I have drunk of the Cup of the Ineffable,
I have found the Key of the Mystery,
I have reached the Root of Union.
Travelling by no track,
I have come to the Sorrowless Land:
very easily has the mercy of the great Lord come upon me.

They have sung of Him as infinite and unattainable:
but I in my meditations have seen Him without sight.
That is indeed the sorrowless land,
and none know the path that leads there:
Only he who is on that path has surely transcended all sorrow.

Wonderful is that land of rest,
to which no merit can win;
It is the wise who has seen it,
it is the wise who has sung of it.
This is the Ultimate Word:
but can any express its marvellous savour?
He who has savoured it once,
he knows what joy it can give.

Kabîr says: 'Knowing it,
the ignorant man becomes wise,
and the wise man becomes speechless and silent,
The worshipper is utterly inebriated,
His wisdom and his detachment are made perfect;
He drinks from the cup of the inbreathings and the outbreathings of love.'

There the whole sky is filled with sound,
and there that music is made without fingers and without strings;
There the game of pleasure and pain does not cease.
Kabîr says: 'If you merge your life in the Ocean of Life,
you will find your life in the Supreme Land of Bliss.'

What a frenzy of ecstasy there is in every hour!
and the worshipper is pressing out and drinking the essence of the hours:
he lives in the life of Brahma.

I speak truth, for I have accepted truth in life;
I am now attached to truth,
I have swept all tinsel away.

Kabîr says: 'Thus is the worshipper set free from fear;
thus have all errors of life and of death left him.'

There the sky is filled with music:
There it rains nectar:
There the harp-strings jingle,
and there the drums beat.
What a secret splendour is there,
in the mansion of the sky!
There no mention is made of the rising and the setting of the sun;

In the ocean of manifestation,
which is the light of love,
day and night are felt to be one.

Joy for ever, no sorrow,-no struggle!
There have I seen joy filled to the brim, perfection of joy;
No place for error is there.
Kabîr says: 'There have I witnessed the sport of One Bliss! '

I have known in my body the sport of the universe:
I have escaped from the error of this world..
The inward and the outward are become as one sky,
the Infinite and the finite are united:
I am drunken with the sight of this All!
This Light of Thine fulfils the universe:
the lamp of love that burns on the salver of knowledge.
Kabîr says: 'There error cannot enter,
and the conflict of life and death is felt no more.'

The Last Flight

Ud Jayega Huns Akela,
Jug Darshan Ka Mela
Jaise Paat Gire Taruvar Se,
Milna Bahut Duhela
Naa Jane Kidhar Girega,
Lageya Pawan Ka Rela
Jub Howe Umur Puri,
Jab Chute Ga Hukum Huzuri
Jum Ke Doot Bade Mazboot,
Jum Se Pada Jhamela
Das Kabir Har Ke Gun Gawe,
Wah Har Ko Paran Pawe
Guru Ki Karni Guru Jayega,
Chele Ki Karni Chela

The Impossible Pass

The pundits have taken
A highway that takes them
away,
and they're gone.
Kabir has climbed to
The impossible pass
of Ram
and stayed.

The Guest Is Inside You, And Also Inside Me

The Guest is inside you, and also inside me;
you know the sprout is hidden inside the seed.
We are all struggling; none of us has gone far.
Let your arrogance go, and look around inside.

The blue sky opens out further and farther,
the daily sense of failure goes away,
the damage I have done to myself fades,
a million suns come forward with light,
when I sit firmly in that world.

I hear bells ringing that no one has shaken,
inside 'love' there is more joy than we know of,
rain pours down, although the sky is clear of clouds,
there are whole rivers of light.
The universe is shot through in all parts by a single sort of love.
How hard it is to feel that joy in all our four bodies!

Those who hope to be reasonable about it fail.
The arrogance of reason has separated us from that love.
With the word 'reason' you already feel miles away.

How lucky Kabir is, that surrounded by all this joy
he sings inside his own little boat.
His poems amount to one soul meeting another.
These songs are about forgetting dying and loss.
They rise above both coming in and going out.

The Drop And The Sea

I went looking for Him
And lost myself;
The dropp merged with the Sea -
Who can find it now?

Looking and looking for Him
I lost myself;
The Sea merged with the drop -
Who can find it now?

The Bride Soul

When will that day dawn, Mother;
When the One I took birth for
Holds me to His heart with deathless love?
I long for the bliss of divine union.
I long to lose my body, mind, and soul
And become one with my husband.
When will that day dawn, Mother?
Husband, fulfil now the longing I have had
Since before the universe was made.
Enter me completely and release me.
In terrible lonely years without You
I yearn and yearn for You.
I spend sleepless nights hunting for You,
Gazing into darkness after You,
With unblinking hopeless eyes.
When will that day dawn, Mother?
When will my Lord hold me to His heart?
My empty bed, like a hungry tigress,
Devours me whenever I try to sleep.
Listen to your slave's prayer -
Come and put out this blaze of agony
That consumes my soul and body.
When will He hold me to His heart?
When will that day dawn, Mother?
Kabir sings, "If I ever meet You, my Beloved,
I'll cling to you so fiercely You melt into me;
I'll sing from inside You songs of union,
World-dissolving songs of Eternal Bliss." 

The Bhakti Path

The bhakti path winds in a delicate way.
On this path there is no asking and no not asking.
The ego simply disappears the moment you touch him.

The joy of looking for him is so immense that you
just dive in, and coast around like a fish in the water.
If anyone needs a head, the lover leaps up to offer his.

Tentacles Of Time

Sadho Ye Murdon Ka Gaon
Peer Mare, Pygambar Mari Hain
Mari Hain Zinda Jogi
Raja Mari Hain, Parja Mari Hain
Mari Hain Baid Aur Rogi
Chanda Mari Hain, Suraj Mari Hain
Mari Hain Dharni Akasa
Chaudan Bhuvan Ke Chaudhry Mari Hain
In Hun Ki Ka Asa
Nauhun Mari Hain, Dus Hun Mari Hain
Mari Hain Sahaj Athasi
Tethis Koti Devata Mari Hain
Badi Kaal Ki Bazi
Naam Anam Anant Rehat Hai
Duja Tatva Na Hoi
Kahe Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho
Bhatak Maro Mat Koi


English Translation

Oh Sadhu This is the Village of the Dead

The Saints Have Died, The God-Messengers Die
The Life-Filled Yogis Die Too |
The Kings Die, The Subjects Die
The Healers and the Sick Die Too ||

The Moon Dies, The Sun Dies
The Earth and Sky Die Too |
Even the Caretakers of the Fourteen Worlds Die
Why Hope For Any of These ||

The Nine Die, The Ten Die
The Eighty Eight Die Easily Too |
The Thirty Three Crore Devatas Die
It's a Big Game of Time ||

The Un-Named Naam Lives Without Any End
There is No Other Truth ||
Says Kabir Listen Oh Sadhu
Don't Get Lost and Die ||

Tell Me, O Swan, Your Ancient Tale

Tell me, O Swan, your ancient tale.
From what land do you come,
O Swan? to what shore will you fly?
Where would you take your rest,
O Swan, and what do you seek?

Even this morning, O Swan, awake, arise, follow me!
There is a land where no doubt nor sorrow have rule:
where the terror of Death is no more.
There the woods of spring are a-bloom,
and the fragrant scent 'He is I' is borne on the wind:
There the bee of the heart is deeply immersed,
and desires no other joy.

Tell me Brother

Tell me, Brother, how can I renounce Maya?
When I gave up the tying of ribbons, still I tied my garment about me:
When I gave up tying my garment, still I covered my body in its folds.
So, when I give up passion, I see that anger remains;
And when I renounce anger, greed is with me still;
And when greed is vanquished, pride and vainglory remain;
When the mind is detached and casts Maya away, still it clings to the letter.
Kabîr says, 'Listen to me, dear Sadhu! the true path is rarely found.'

Plucking Your Eyebrows

Plucking your eyebrows,
Putting on mascara,
But will that help you
To see things anew?

The one who sees
Is changed into
The one who's seen
Only if one is

Salt and the other
Water. But you, says Kabir,
Are a dead
Lump of quartz.

Oh Friend, I Love You, Think This Over

Oh friend, I love you, think this over carefully! If you are in love,
then why are you asleep?

If you have found him,
give yourself to him, take him.

Why do you lose track of him again and again?

If you are about to fall into heavy sleep anyway,
why waste time smoothing the bed and arranging the pillows?

Kabir will tell you the truth: this is what love is like:
suppose you had to cut your head off
and give it to someone else,
what difference would that make?

O Slave, Liberate Yourself

O Slave, liberate yourself.

Where are you, and where's your home,
find it in your lifetime, man.

If you fail to wake up now,
you'll be helpless when the end comes.

Says Kabir, listen, O wise one,
the siege of Death is hard to withstand.

O Servant Where Dost Thou Seek Me?

O servant, where dost thou seek Me?
O servant, where dost thou seek Me?

Lo! I am beside thee.

I am neither in temple nor in mosque:
I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash:

Neither am I in rites and ceremonies,
nor in Yoga and renunciation.

If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me:
thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.

Kabir says, ' O Sadhu! God is the breath of all breath.'

O My heart! The Supreme Spirit

O MY heart!
the Supreme Spirit,
the great Master,
is near you: wake, oh wake!
Run to the feet of your Beloved:
for your Lord stands near to your head.
You have slept for unnumbered ages;
this morning will you not wake?

O Lord Increate, Who Will Serve Thee?

O lord Increate, who will serve Thee?
Every votary offers his worship to the God of his own creation:
each day he receives service-
None seek Him, the Perfect:
Brahma, the Indivisible Lord.
They believe in ten Avatars;
but no Avatar can be the Infinite Spirit,
for he suffers the results of his deeds:
The Supreme One must be other than this.

The Yogi, the Sanyasi, the Ascetics, are disputing one with another:

Kabîr says, 'O brother! he who has seen that radiance of love, he is saved.'

O How May I Ever Express That Secret Word?

O How may I ever express that secret word?
O how can I say He is not like this, and He is like that?
If I say that He is within me, the universe is ashamed:
If I say that He is without me, it is falsehood.
He makes the inner and the outer worlds to be indivisibly one;
The conscious and the unconscious, both are His footstools.
He is neither manifest nor hidden,
He is neither revealed nor unrevealed:
There are no words to tell that which He is.

O Friend

O friend! hope for Him whilst you live
O friend! hope for Him whilst you live,
know whilst you live, understand whilst you live:
for in life deliverance abides.

If your bonds be not broken whilst living,
what hope of deliverance in death ?

It is but an empty dream, that the soul shall have union with Him
because it has passed from the body:

If He is found now, He is found then,
If not, we do but go to dwell in the City of Death.

If you have union now, you shall have it hereafter.

Bathe in the truth, know the true Guru,
have faith in the true Name!

Kabir says : 'It is the spirit of the quest which helps;
I am the slave of this Spirit of the quest.'

My Swan, Let Us Fly

My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.

That land has an up-ended well
Whose mouth, narrow as a thread,
The married soul draws water from
Without a rope or pitcher.

My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.

Clouds never cluster there,
Yet it goes on and on raining.
Don’t keep squatting outside in the yard –
Come in! Get drenched without a body!

My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.

That land is always soaked in moonlight;
Darkness can never come near it.
It is flooded always with the dazzle
Of not one, but a million suns.

My swan, let us fly to that land
Where your Beloved lives forever.

My Body Is Flooded

My body is flooded
With the flame of Love.
My soul lives in
A furnace of bliss.

Love's fragrance
Fills my mouth,
And fans through all things
With each outbreath.

My Body And My Mind

My body and my mind...

My body and my mind are in depression because
You are not with me.

How much I love you and want you in my house!
When I hear people describe me as your bride I look sideways ashamed,
because I know that far inside us we have never met.

Then what is this love of mine?

I don’t really care about food, I don’t really care about sleep,
I am restless indoors and outdoors.
The bride wants her lover as much as a thirsty man wants water.

And how will I find someone who will take a message
to the Guest from me?
How restless Kabir is all the time!
How much he wants to see the Guest!

Many Hoped

Many hoped
but no one found
Hari's heart.
Where do the senses rest?
Where do the Ram-chanters go?
Where do the bright ones go?
Corpses: all gone
to the same place.
Drunk on the juice
of Ram's bliss,
Kabir says,
I've said and I've said,
I'm tired of saying.

Looking At The Grinding Stones - Dohas (Couplets) I

Looking at the grinding stones, Kabir laments
In the duel of wheels, nothing stays intact.

searching for the wicked, met not a single one
When searched myself, 'I' found the wicked one

Tomorrows work do today, today's work anon
if the moment is lost, when will the work be done

Speak such words, sans ego's ploy
Body remains composed, giving the listener joy

Slowly slowly O mind, everything in own pace happens
Gardner may water a hundred buckets, fruit arrives only in its season

Give so much O God, suffice to envelop my clan
I should not suffer cravings, nor the visitor goes unfed

In vain is the eminence, just like a date tree
No shade for travelers, fruit is hard to reach

Like seed contains the oil, fire in flint stone
Your heart seats the Divine, realize if you can

Kabira in the market place, wishes welfare of all
Neither friendship nor enmity with anyone at all

Reading books everyone died, none became any wise
One who reads the words of Love, only becomes wise

In anguish everyone prays to Him, in joy does none
To One who prays in happiness, how sorrow can come

Lift The Veil

Lift the veil
that obscures
the heart

and there
you will find
what you are
looking for

Lamps Burn In Every House

Lamps burn in every house,
O blind one! and you cannot see them.
One day your eyes shall suddenly be opened,
and you shall see: and the fetters of death will fall from you.
There is nothing to say or to hear,
there is nothing to do:
it is he who is living, yet dead, who shall never die again.

Because he lives in solitude,
therefore the Yogi says that his home is far away.

Your Lord is near: yet you are climbing the palm-tree to seek Him.

The Brahman priest goes from house to house
and initiates people into faith:
Alas! the true fountain of life is beside you,
and you have set up a stone to worship.

Kabîr says: 'I may never express how sweet my Lord is.
Yoga and the telling of beads,
virtue and vice-these are naught to Him.'

Knowing Nothing Shuts The Iron Gates

Knowing nothing shuts the iron gates;
the new love opens them.

The sound of the gates opening wakes
the beautiful woman asleep.

Kabir says: Fantastic!
Don't let a chance like this go by!

I've Burned My Own House Down

I've burned my own house down,
the torch is in my hand.
Now I'll burn down the house of anyone
who wants to follow me.

It Is Needless To Ask Of A Saint

It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs;
For the priest, the warrior. the tradesman, and all the
thirty-six castes, alike are seeking for God.
It is but folly to ask what the caste of a saint may be;
The barber has sought God, the washerwoman, and the carpenter-
Even Raidas was a seeker after God.
The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by caste.
Hindus and Moslems alike have achieved that End, where remains no mark of distinction.

Illusion And Reality

What is seen is not the Truth
What is cannot be said
Trust comes not without seeing
Nor understanding without words
The wise comprehends with knowledge
To the ignorant it is but a wonder
Some worship the formless God
Some worship His various forms
In what way He is beyond these attributes
Only the Knower knows
That music cannot be written
How can then be the notes
Says Kabir, awareness alone will overcome illusion

I Won’t Come

I won’t come
I won’t go
I won’t live
I won’t die

I’ll keep uttering
The name
And lose myself
In it

I’m bowl
And I’m platter
I’m man
And I’m woman

I’m grapefruit
And I’m sweet lime
I’m Hindu
And I’m Muslim

I’m fish
And I’m net
I’m fisherman
And I’m time

I’m nothing
Says Kabir
I’m not among the living
Or the dead.

I Talk To My Inner Lover, And I say, Why Such Rush?

I talk to my inner lover, and I say, why such rush?
We sense that there is some sort of spirit that loves
birds and animals and the ants—
perhaps the same one who gave a radiance to you in your mother's womb.
Is it logical you would be walking around entirely orphaned now?
The truth is you turned away yourself,
and decided to go into the dark alone.
Now you are tangled up in others, and have forgotten what you once knew,
and that's why eveything you do has some weird failure in it.

I Said To The Wanting - Creature Inside Me

I said to the wanting-creature inside me:
What is this river you want to cross?
There are no travelers on the river-road, and no road.
Do you see anyone moving about on that bank, or nesting?

There is no river at all, and no boat, and no boatman.
There is no tow rope either, and no one to pull it.
There is no ground, no sky, no time, no bank, no ford!

And there is no body, and no mind!
Do you believe there is some place that will make the
soul less thirsty?
In that great absence you will find nothing.

Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet.
Think about it carefully!
Don't go off somewhere else!

Kabir says this: just throw away all thoughts of
imaginary things,
and stand firm in that which you are.

I Played Day And Night

I played day and night with my comrades,
and now I am greatly afraid.

So high is my Lord's palace,
my heart trembles to mount its stairs:
yet I must not be shy, if I would enjoy His love.

My heart must cleave to my Lover;
I must withdraw my veil,
and meet Him with all my body:

Mine eyes must perform the ceremony of the lamps of love.

Kabîr says: 'Listen to me, friend:
he understands who loves.
If you feel not love's longing for your Beloved One,
it is vain to adorn your body,
vain to put unguent on your eyelids.'

I Laugh When I Hear That The Fish In The Water Is Thirsty

I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty

You don't grasp the fact that what is most alive of all
is inside your own house.
and so you walk from one holy city to the next with
a confused look!

Kabir will tell you the truth: go wherever you like,
to Calcutta or Tibet;
if you can't find where your soul is hidden,
for you the world will never be real!

I Have Been Thinking

I have been thinking...
I have been thinking of the difference between water
I have been thinkingI have been thinkingand the waves on it. Rising,
water's still water, falling back,
it is water, will you give me a hint
how to tell them apart?

Because someone has made up the word
'wave,' do I have to distinguish it from water?

There is a Secret One inside us;
the planets in all the galaxies
pass through his hands like beads.

That is a string of beads one should look at with luminous eyes.

I Have Attained The Eternal Bliss

I have attained the Eternal Bliss.
There is no time for sorrow or pain,
for now I enjoy singing His glory.

The tree of His pleasure has neither root, nor seed,
as revealed by the grace of the true Guru.

Now there is effulgence of a million suns,
my swan has dipped in the lake of His knowledge.

Says Kabir, listen, O wise brother,
Now comings and goings have come to an end.

I Burst Into Laughter

I burst into laughter
whenever I hear
that the fish is thirsty in water.

Without the knowledge of Self
people just wander to Mathura or to Kashi
like the musk-deer unaware
of the scent in his navel,
goes on running forest to forest.

In water is the lotus plant
and the plant bears flowers
and on the flowers are the bees buzzing.
Likewise all yogis and mendicants
and all those who have renounced comforts,
are on here and hereafter and the nether world - contemplating.

Friend, the Supreme Indestructible Being,
on whom thousands of sages meditate
and even Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh,
really resides within one's self.

Though He is near, He appears far away -
and that is what makes one disturbed;
says Kabir, listen, O wise one,
by Guru alone is the confusion curbed.

How Humble Is God

God is the tree in the forests that
allows itself to die and will not defend itself in front of those
with the ax, not wanting to cause them shame.

And God is the earth that will allow itself to
be deformed by man's tools, but He cries; yes, God cries,
but only in front of His closest ones.

And a beautiful animal is being beaten to death,
but nothing can make God break His silence
to the masses and say,

"Stop, please stop, why are you doing this to Me? "

How humble is God?
Kabir wept when I knew.

How Do You

How do you,
Asks the chief of police,
Patrol a city
Where the butcher shops
Are guarded by vultures;
Where bulls get pregnant,
Cows are barren,
And calves give milk
Three times a day;
Where mice are boatmen
And tomcats the boats
They row;
Where frogs keep snakes
As watchdogs,
And jackals
Go after lions?

Does anyone know
What I’m talking about?
Says Kabir.

Hope For Him

O friend! hope for Him whilst you live, know whilst you live,
understand whilst you live: for in life deliverance abides.
If your bonds be not broken whilst living, what hope of deliverance in death?
It is but an empty dream, that the soul shall have union with Him
because it has passed from the body:
If He is found now, He is found then,
If not, we do but go to dwell in the City of Death.
If you have union now, you shall have it hereafter.
Bathe in the truth, know the true Guru, have faith in the true Name!
Kabîr says: 'It is the Spirit of the quest which helps; I am the slave of this Spirit of the quest.

His Death In Benares

His death in Benares
Won't save the assassin
From certain hell,

Any more than a dip
In the Ganges will send
Frogs—or you—to paradise.

My home, says Kabir,
Is where there's no day, no night,
And no holy book in sight

To squat on our lives.

Hiding In This Cage

Hiding in this cage of visible matter

is the invisible lifebird

pay attention to her

she is singing your song

Hey Brother, Why Do You Want Me To Talk?

Hey brother, why do you want me to talk?
Talk and talk and the real things get lost.

Talk and talk and things get out of hand.
Why not stop talking and think?

If you meet someone good, listen a little, speak;
If you meet someone bad, clench up like a fist.

Talking with a wise man is a great reward.
Talking with a fool? A waste.

Kabir says: A pot makes noise if it's half full,
But fill it to the brim - no sound.

He's That Rascally Kind Of Yogi

He's that rascally kind of yogi
who has no sky or earth,
no hand, foot,
form or shape.
Where there's no market
he sets up shop,
weighs things
and keeps the accounts.
No deeds, no creeds,
no yogic powers,
not even a horn or gourd,
so how can he
go begging?

'I know you
and you know me
and I'm inside of you.'

When there isn't a trace
of creation or destruction,
what do you meditate on?
That yogi built a house
brimful of Ram.
He has no healing herbs,
his root-of-life
is Ram.

He looks and looks
at the juggler's tricks,
the magician's sleight-of-hand -
Kabir says, saints, he's made it
to the King's land.

Having Crossed The River

Having crossed the river,
where will you go, O friend?

There's no road to tread,
No traveler ahead,
Neither a beginning, nor an end.

There's no water, no boat, no boatman, no cord;
No earth is there, no sky, no time, no bank, no ford.

You have forgotten the Self within,
Your search in the void will be in vain;
In a moment the life will ebb
And in this body you won't remain.

Be ever conscious of this, O friend,
You've to immerse within your Self;
Kabir says, salvation you won't then need,
For what you are, you would be indeed.

Hang Up The Swing Of Love Today!

Hang the body and the mind between the arms of the beloved,
in the ecstasy of love's joy:

Bring the tearful streams of the rainy clouds to your eyes,
and cover your heart with the shadow of darkness:

Bring your face nearer to his ear,
and speak of the deepest longings of your heart.

Kabir says: 'Listen to me brother!
bring the vision of the Beloved in your heart.'

Friend, Wake Up! Why Do You Go On Sleeping?

Friend, wake up! Why do you go on sleeping?
The night is over— do you want to lose the day
the same way?
Other women who managed to get up early have
already found an elephant or a jewel...
so much was lost already while you slept...
and that was so unnecessary!

The one who loves you understood, but you did not.
You forgot to make a place in your bed next to you.
Instead you spent your life playing.
In your twenties you did not grow
because you did not know who your Lord was.
Wake up! Wake up! There's no one in your bed—
He left you during the long night.

Kabir says: The only woman awake is the woman
who has heard the flute!

Friend, Hope For The Guest While You Are Alive

Friend, hope for the Guest while you are alive.
Jump into experience while you are alive!
Think... and think... while you are alive.
What you call 'salvation' belongs to the time
before death.

If you don't break your ropes while you're alive,
do you think
ghosts will do it after?

The idea that the soul will join with the ecstatic
just because the body is rotten—
that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with an apartment
in the City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now, in the next life
you will have the face of satisfied desire.

So plunge into the truth, find out who the Teacher is,
believe in the Great Sound!

Kabir says this: When the Guest is being search for,
it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest
that does all the work.
Look at me, and you will see a slave of that intensity.

Do Not Go To The Garden Of Flowers

Do not go to the garden of flowers!
Do not go to the garden of flowers!
O Friend! go not there;
In your body is the garden of flowers.

Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus,
and there gaze on the Infinite Beauty.

Chewing slowly

Chewing slowly,
Only after I’d eaten
My grandmother,
Mother,
Son-in-law,
Two brothers-in-law,
And father-in-law
(His big family included)
In that order,
And had for dessert
The town’s inhabitants,

Did I find, says Kabir,
The beloved that I’ve become
One with.

Brother, I've Seen Some

Brother, I've seen some
Astonishing sights:
A lion keeping watch
Over pasturing cows;
A mother delivered
After her son was;
A guru prostrated
Before his disciple;
Fish spawning
On treetops;
A cat carrying away
A dog;
A gunny-sack
Driving a bullock-cart;
A buffalo going out to graze,
Sitting on a horse;
A tree with its branches in the earth,
Its roots in the sky;
A tree with flowering roots.

This verse, says Kabir,
Is your key to the universe.
If you can figure it out.

Between the Poles of the Conscious

BETWEEN the poles of the conscious and the unconscious, there has the mind made a swing:
Thereon hang all beings and all worlds, and that swing never ceases its sway.
Millions of beings are there: the sun and the moon in their courses are there:
Millions of ages pass, and the swing goes on.
All swing! the sky and the earth and the air and the water; and the Lord Himself taking form:
And the sight of this has made Kabîr a servant.

Are You Looking For Me?

Are you looking for me? I am in the next seat.
My shoulder is against yours.
you will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine
rooms, nor in synagogues, nor in cathedrals:
not in masses, nor kirtans, not in legs winding
around your own neck, nor in eating nothing but
vegetables.

When you really look for me, you will see me instantly --

you will find me in the tiniest house of time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.

Abode of the Beloved

Oh Companion That Abode Is Unmatched,
Where My Complete Beloved Is.

In that Place There Is No Happiness or Unhappiness,
No Truth or Untruth
Neither Sin Nor Virtue.
There Is No Day or Night, No Moon or Sun,
There Is Radiance Without Light.

There Is No Knowledge or Meditation
No Repetition of Mantra or Austerities,
Neither Speech Coming From Vedas or Books.
Doing, Not-Doing, Holding, Leaving
All These Are All Lost Too In This Place.

No Home, No Homeless, Neither Outside or Inside,
Micro and Macrocosm Are Non-Existent.
Five Elemental Constituents and the Trinity Are Both Not There
Witnessing Un-struck Shabad Sound is Also Not There.

No Root or Flower, Neither Branch or Seed,
Without a Tree Fruits are Adorning,
Primordial Om Sound, Breath-Synchronized Soham,
This and That - All Are Absent, The Breath Too Unknown

Where the Beloved Is There is Utterly Nothing
Says Kabir I Have Come To Realize.
Whoever Sees My Indicative Sign
Will Accomplish the Goal of Liberation.

Kabir Dohe -12-

कबीरा अपना काठ की, क्या दिखलावे मोय ।
हृदय नाम न जपेगा, यह जपनी क्या होय ॥

Kabeera apna kath ki, kya dikhlave moy
hruday naam n japega, yeh japni kya hoy...

Kabeer ji kahte hain ki is lakdi ki mala se kya hota hai..yeh kya asar dikha sakti hai..agar kuch lena aur dekhna hai toh mann se Hari sumiran karo..bina mann lage jap vyarth hai....

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पतिव्रता मैली,काली कुचल कुरूप ।
पतिव्रता के रूप पर, वारो कोटि सरूप ॥

Pativrata maili,kali kuchal kuroop
pativrata ke roop par, vaaro koti saroop....

Kabeer das ji kahte hain ki pativrata shtree chahe maili-kuchaili aur ku roopi ho ..lekin aisi shtree ki is visheshata par sari sundartayen nichavar ho jati hai....

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वैध मुआ रोगी मुआ, मुआ सकल संसार ।
एक कबीरा ना मुआ, जेहि के राम अधार ॥

Vaidh mua rogi mua, mua sakal sansaar
ek kabeera na mua, jehi ke ram adhar....

Kabeer ji kahte hain ki bimar mar gaya aur jis vaidh ka use sahara tha wo bhi mar gaya yehan tak ki kul sansaar mar gaya..lekin woh nahi mara jise Ram ka aasra tha..arthat ram naam japne wala hi amar hai...

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Kabir Dohe -11-

जग में बैरी कोई नही, जो मन सीतल होय ।
यह आपा तो डाल दे, दया करे सब कोय ॥

Jag mein bairi koi nahi, jo man seetal hoy
yeh aapa to daal de, daya kare sab koy...

Yadi tumhare man me santi hai to sansaar mein koi bairi nahi..yadi tum ghamand karna chod doge to sab tumare upar daya karenge....

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मैं रोऊँ जब जगत को, मोको रोव न कोय ।
मोको रोव सोचना, जो सब्द बोय की होय ॥

Main roun jab jagat ko, moko rove n koy
moko rove sochna, jo sabd boy ki hoy...

Kabir ji kahate hain ki main to sab ko rota hun parantu mera dard kisi ko nahi..mera dard wahi dekh sakta hai jo mera sabd ko samjhta hai...

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सोवा साधु जगाइए, करे नाम का जाप ।
यह तीनों सोते भले, सकित सिंह और साँप ॥

Sova sadhu jgaie, kare naam ka jap
yeh teenon sote bhale, sakit sinh aur sanp....

Yadi sadhu sota hai to use jagana chahiye..taki bhajan kare. lekin adharmi,sinh aur sanp ko nahi jagana chahiye..kyun ki woh uthte hi logon ko kasht dete hain...

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Kabir Dohe -10-

एसी वाणी बोलिए, मन का आपा खोय ।

औरान को शीतल करे, आपहु शीतल होय ॥

Esi vani boliye, man ka aapa khoy

auran ko sheetal kare, aapahu sheetal hoy...

Man se ghamand ko bisaar kar aisi vaani boleni chahiye jo dusron ko sheetal kare.arthat sabko sukh kar lage aur manusya aap bhi shant ho jaye...

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हीरा वहाँ ना खोलिये, जहाँ कुजड़ों की हाट ।

बांधो चुप की पॉटरी, लागहू अपनी बाट ॥

Hira wahan na kholiye, jahan kujdon ki hat

bandho chup ki potari, laagahu apni bat...

Apni hiron ko kunjdon ko bazar men kyun kholete ho woh bhala iska kya mulya jaane,bas isi men bhalayi hai ki chupke se apni potali bandh kar apne marg par chal do.yani apni sikhya laparwahon ko dekar apna samay kyun ganvate ho.jab tum kadradan nahi pate ho apni bahumulya sikh ganth men bandho aur apna karya karo...

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कुटिल वचन सबसे बुरा, जारी कर तन हार ।

साधु वचन जल रूप, बरसे अमृत धार ॥

Kutil vachan sabse bura, jari kar tan haar

sadhu vachan jal roop, barse amrut dhar...

Kthor sabd tan ko jala kar raakh kar deta hai isliye bahut bura hai..aur nahi kahna chahiye..sadhu ki baat paani ki bhranti hai is se amrut dhar barasti hai..jisse dusron ko labh pahanchta hai..

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Kabir Dohe -9-

दुर्बल को ना सताइए, जाकी मोटी हाय ।
बिना जिब की साँस सों, लोह भस्म हो जाय ॥

Durbal ko na sataaie, jaaki moti haay
bina jib ki saans son, loh bhasm ho jaay...

Kamzor ko kabhi nahi satana chahiye.jiski hay bahut badi hoti hai.jaisa aapne dekha hoga bina jeev ki dhoukani ki saans se loha bhi bhasm ho jata hai...

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दान दिए धन ना घटे, नदी ना घटे नीर ।
अपनी आँखों देख लो, यों क्या कहे कबीर ॥

Dan diye dhan na ghate, nadi na ghate neer
apni aankhon dekh lo, yon kya kahe kabeer...

Kabeer ji kahate hain ki tum dhayan se dekho ki nadi ka pani peene se kam nahi hota aur dan dene se dhan nahi ghat.ta....

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दस द्वारे का पिंजरा, तामे पंछी का कौन ।
रहे को अचरज है, गए अचम्मा कौन ॥

Das dware ka pinjara, tame panchi ka koun
rahe ko acharaj hai, gae achamma koun...

Yeh shareer das darwajon ka pinjara hai.is men(aatma) hawa naam ka panchi hai.hame is ke pinjare men rahne se achambha hota hai.yadi yeh is shareer se nikal jave to achambha kyun hi..?yani manusya ki mrutyu koi achambhe ki baat nahi...

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Kabir Dohe -8-

आया था किस काम को, तू सोया चादर तान ।
सूरत सम्भाल ये गाफील, अपना आप पहचान ॥

Aaya tha kis kaam ko, tu soya chadar tan
surat sambhal ye gaafil, apna aap pehchan...

Kabeer das ji kahate hain ki ye gaafil! tu chadar tan kar so raha hai,apne hosh theek kar aur apne ko pehchan,tu kis kaam ke liye aaya tha aur tu koun hai..? swayam ko pehchan aur satkarmo me lag ja..

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क्या भरोसा देह का, बिनस जात छिन मांह ।
साँस साँस सुमिरन करो और यतन कुछ नाह ॥

Kya bharosa deh ka, binas jat chin maanh
saans saans sumiran karo aur yatan kuch naah...

Is shareer ka kya vishwas hai yeh toh pal pal mein mita hi ja raha hai.isliye apne har saans par hari ka sumiran karo aur koi upay nahi hai...

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गारी ही सों ऊपजे ,कलह, कष्ट और मींच ।
हरी चले सो साधु है, लागी चले तो नीच ॥

Gari hi son Upaje ,kalah, kasht aur meench
hari chale so sadhu hai, lagi chale toh neech...

Gali(durvachan) se hi kalah aur dukh tatha mrutyu paida hoti hai.jo gali sunkar har mankar chala jaye vahi sadhu jano.yani sajjan purush aur jo gali dene ke badle men gali dene lag jate hai wah neech prakruti ka hai....

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Kabir Dohe -7-

माँगन मरण समान है, मति माँगो कोई भीख ।
माँगन ते मारना भला, यह सतगुरु की सीख ॥

Maangan maran saman hai, mati mango koi bhikh
maangan te marna bhala, yeh satguru ki sikh..

Maangna marne ke barabar hai,isliye kisi se bhikh mat maango.sat guru kahate hain ki maangne se mar jana behtar hai.arthat hey manusya,purusharth se pratyek vastu swayam prapt karne ke liye sakhyam ban...

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जहाँ आपा तहाँ आपदा, जहाँ संशय तहाँ रोग ।
कह कबीर यह क्यों मिटे, चारों धीरज रोग ॥

Jahan aapa tahan aapda, jahan sanshay tahan rog
kah kabeer yeh kyon mite, charon dheeraj rog....

Jahan manusya men ghamand ho jata hai uss par aapttiyan aane lag jati hain.aur jahan sandeh hota hai wahan ranj aur chinta ho jati hai..kabeer das ji kahate hain ki ye charo rog kaise mit sakt hain..?arthat dhairya s sab kaam banege..

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माया छाया एक सी, बिरला जाने कोय ।
भगता के पीछे लगे, सम्मुख भागे सोय ॥

Maaya chaya ek si, birla jane koy
Bhagata ke piche lage, sammukh bhage soy...

Maaya aur chaya ek jaisi hai.isse koi koi hi jaanta hai.ye bhagne walon ke piche hi bhagti hai.aur jo sammukh khada ho kar saamna karta hai toh wo swayam hi bhag jaati hai...

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Kabir Dohe -6-

दुर्लभ मनुस्या जीवन है,देह न बरम्बार ।
तरुवर ज्यों पत्ती झड़े,बहुरि न लागे डार ॥

Durlabh manusya jeevan hai,deh na barmbar
taruvar jyon patti jhade,bahri na laage dar...

Yeh manusya janm bahot muskil se milta hai aur yeh deha baar baar nahi milti.jis tarah ped se patta jhad jaane ke baad phir daal mein nahi lag sakta hai..

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आए हैं सो जाएँगे,राजा रंक फकीर ।
एक सिंहासन चढ़ी चले,एक बँधे जात जंजीर ॥

Aaye hain so jayenge,raja rank phakir
ek sinhasan chadhi chale,ek bandhe jat janjeer....

Jo aaya hai wo duniya se jaroor jayega wah chahe Raja ho ya kangaal,phakir ho.lekin ek to sinhasan par jayega aur ek janjeeron se bandha hua.arthat jo bhale kaam karne wale hain ve sinhasan par aur jo khote kaam karenge ve janjeeron men bandhkar jayenge...

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काल करे सो आज कर, आज करे सो अब ।
पल में प्रलय होएगी,बहुरि करेगा कब ॥

Kal kare so aaj kar,aaj kare so ab
pal men pralay hoyegi,bahuri karega kab...

Jo kal karna hai usse aaj kar aur jo aaj karna hai woh abhi kar.pal bhar men agar pralay ho gai toh phir kab karega...

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Kabir Dohe -5-

माटी कहे कुम्हार से, तु क्या रौंदे मोय ।
एक दिन ऐसा आएगा, मैं रौंदूगी तोय ॥ 

Maati kahe kumhar se,tu kya rounde moy
ek din aisa aayega,main roundungi toy..

Mitti kumhar se kahati hai ki tu mujhe kya roundta hai.ek din aisa aayega ki main tujhe roundungi.arthat manusya ke marne ke baad uska shareer mitti ho jata hai...

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रात गंवाई सोय के, दिवस गंवाया खाय ।
हीरा जन्म अमोल था, कोड़ी बदले जाय ॥

Raat ganvaai soy ke,divas ganvaaya khay
heera janm aamol tha,kodi badle jay..

Raat ko sokar ganva di aur din kha pikar ganva diya.yeh heere jaisa anmol manusya shareer koudiyan mein badla ja raha hai...

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जो तोको काँटा बुवै ताहि बोव तू फूल ।
तोहि फूल को फूल है वाको है त्रिशूल ॥

Jo to ko kanta buve taahi buve ti phool
tohe phool ko phool hai vaako hai trishul...

Jo tere liye kanta boye tu uske liye phool bo.tujhe phool ke phool milenge aur usse trishul manind tej kante milenge.is dohe mein kabeer das ji ne yeha sikhya di hai ki he manusya!tu sabke liye bhala kar jo tere liye bura karte hain wah swayam apne dushkarmon ka fhal payenge...

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Kabir Dohe -4-

कबीरा सोया क्या करे,उठी न भजे भगवान ।
जम जब घर ले जायेंगे,पड़ी रहेगी म्यान ॥

Kabeera soya kya kare,uthi na bhaje bhagvan
jam jab ghar le jayenge,padi rahegi myan..

kabeer das ji kahate hain ki he prani!tu sota rahta hai (apni chetna ko jaga)uth kar bhagvan ko bhaj kyun ki jis waqt yam doot tujhe pakad kar le jayenge to tera yeh sareer myan ki tarah pada raha jayega....

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शीलवन्त सबसे बड़ा,सब रतनन की ख़ान ।
तीन लोक की सम्पदा,रही शील में आन ॥

Sheelavant sabse bada,sab rtnan ki khan
tin lok ki sampada,rahi sheel men aan...

jo sheel swabhav ka hota hai maanowo sab rtno ki khan hai.kyun ki teeno lokon ki maya sadachari (sheelvant) vyakti men hi aakar basti hai...

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माया मरी न मन मरा, मर-मर गए शरीर ।
आशा तृष्णा न मरी, कह गए दास कबीर ॥

Maaya mari na man mara,mar mar gaye shareer
aasha trushna na mari,kaha gaye das kabeer...

kabeer das ji kahate hain ki manusya ka man tatha usme ghusi huyi maya ka naash nahi hota aur uski aasha tatha echayen bhi nasta nahi hotin.keval dikhne vala shareer hi marta hai.eshi karan wah dukh roopi samudra me sada gote khaya karta hai..

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Kabir Dohe -3-

जहाँ दया तहाँ धर्म है,जहाँ लोभ तहाँ पाप ।
जहाँ क्रोध तहाँ पाप है, जहाँ क्षमा तहाँ आप ॥

Jahan daya tahan dharm hai, jahan lobh tahan pap
jahan krodh tahan pap hai, jahan khyama tahan aap..

Jahan daya hai wahan dhram hai aur jahan lobh hai wahan pap hai.aur jahan krodh hai wahin kaal hai yani naas hota hai aur jahan khyama hoti hai wahan swayam bhagvan hote hai..

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धीरे-धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होय ।

माली सींचे सौ घड़ा, ॠतु आए फल होय ॥ 

Dheere dheere re mana,dheere sab kuch hoy

maali sinche sou ghada,rootu aaye phal hoy...

Hey mann dheere dheere sab kuch ho jayega.Maali sau kodon ghade paani ped mein deta hai par phal rootu aane par hi lagta hai.arthat dairya rakhne se aur samay aane par hi kaam bante hain...

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कबीरा ते नर अँध है, गुरु को कहते और ।

हरि रूठे गुरु ठौर है, गुरु रूठे नहीं ठौर ॥ 

Kabeera te nar andh hai, guru ko kehate aur

Hari ruthe guru thair hai,guru ruthe nahi thair..

Kabeer das ji kehate hain ki ve nar andhe hain jo guru ko bhagvan se chota samjhte hain kyun ki eswaar ke rusht hone par ek guru ka sahara toh hai,lekin guru ke naraz hone ke baad koi theekana nahi hai....

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Kabir Dohe -2-

साईं इतना दीजिये, जा मे कुटुम समाय ।
मैं भी भूखा न रहूँ, साधु ना भूखा जाय ॥

Sai itna dijiye, ja me kutoomb samay
main bhi bhooka na rahin,sadhu na bhooka jay..

Kabeer das ji kehate hain ki paramatma tum mujhe itna do ki jisme pareevar ka gujara chal jaye.Main bhuka na rahun aur sadhu bhi bhuka na rahe....

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लूट सके तो लूट ले,राम नाम की लूट ।
पाछे फिर पछ्ताओगे,प्राण जाहि जब छूट ॥

Loot sake to loot le,Ram naam ki loot
pachhe fir pachtaoge,jahin jab choot...

Kabeer das ji kehate hain ki prani,bhagvan ke naam ki loot charon taraf machi hai agar lena chahte ho le le jab samay nikal jayega to tu pachtayega.arthat jab pran nikal jayega to bhagvan ka naam kaise japega...

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जाती ना पूछो साधु की ,पूछ लीजिए ज्ञान ।
मोल करो तलवार का, पड़ा रहन दो म्यान ॥

Jaati na pucho sadhu ki,puch lijiye gyan
mole karo talvar ka,pada renan do myan...

kisi sadhu se unki jaati na pucho balki usse gyan ki baat pucho,issi tarah talvaar ki keemat mat pucho myaan me pade rehne do...

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Kabir Dohe -1-

दुःख में सुमिरन सब करे सुख में करै न कोय।
जो सुख में सुमिरन करे दुःख काहे को होय ॥

Dukh Mein Simran Sab Karen, Sukh Mein Karay Na Koye
Jo Sukh Mein Simran Karay, To Dukh Kahay Ko Hoye.

Kabeer ji kehate hain ki dukh mein to paramatma ko sab yaad karte hain sukh mein koi yaad nahi karta.agar sukh mein bhi sab smaran karte toh dukh hi nahi hota...

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तिनका कबहुँ ना निंदये, जो पाँव तले होय ।
कबहुँ उड़ आँखो पड़े, पीर घानेरी होय ॥


Tinka kabhun na nindiye, jo paav tale hoye
kab hun udd aankho pade, peer ghaneri hoye..

Tinka ko bhi chota na samjho chahe woh aap ke paav tale ho kyun ki yadi woh udkar aap ki aankh mein gire to kitna kast deta hai..

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माला फेरत जुग भया, फिरा न मन का फेर ।
कर का मन का डार दे, मन का मनका फेर ॥ 

Maala fherat jug bhaya, fhira na man ka fher
kar ka man ka daar de,man ka man ka fher..

Kabeer ji kehate hain ki mala fherte fherte yug beet gaya tab bhi man ka kapat door nahi hua hai.hey Manusya!haath ka man ka chod de aur aur apne man rupi manke ko fher, arthat man ka sudhar kar!

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Kabir's Poems -14-

Haaj kaabe hai hai gaya, keti baar Kabir, 
Miran mujh main kaya khata, mukhan naa bolen peer.

Commissioned every pilgrimage, home far and abroad, 
saints refuse to heed me, what's wrong with me O'Lord.

(Pilgrimaged to Haaj and Kaaba, many many times, Kabir. Priest, what is wrong with me, GOD will not speak through HIS mouth to me.)

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Kahe kabir chetahu bhondhu, 
bolanhaara Turk naa Hindu.

Kabir, wake up to the real truth, O'simpleton, 
HE who lets us see it all, knows no religion.

(Kabir says, wake up simpleton, one who speaks through us all is neither a Turk nor a Hindu.)

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Hoan tohi pucho hai sati, jeevat kayon na marai, 
Muvan peeche saat kare, jeevat kayu na karai.

Sati blazing for true love, not when he was alive, 
had you lived to true love, no cause to flare twice.

(I ask you o' Sati, why did not die living. after death want to be a truthful, why do not do while alive.)

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Kabir's Poems -13-

Kaachi kaya munn athir, thir kanm karant, 
Jayun jayun nur nidharak phiren, tayun tayun kaal hasant.

Decrepit bodies whirling minds, put firm to gratify lust, 
as people trial sensuous demands, TIME laughs in disgust.

(Flimsy body wavering/unsteady mind, constantly engaged in lustful activities. As men dare more and more unmindful, so the lord of time laughs.)

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Soham hansa ek samaan, kaya ke gunn aannahin aan, 
Maati ek sakal sansaara, bahuvidhi bhaande gharhe kumbhara.

Equal is swan to nightingale, body colour shape no measure, 
Same ingredients caused us all, potter made myriad treasure.

(Black nightingale and white swan are made alike, physical bodies qualities are not the measure. Everything in this world is made of the same clay; potter makes his pots in many different ways.)

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Ekai pawan ek he paani, ek jaati sansaara, 
Ek he khaak ghareh sub bhaande, ek he sirjanhara.

One air one water one planet, one strain of ancestors, 
Same genus grew us all, there is only one CREATOR.

(Same air same water, there is only one caste in the world. All pots are made of the same dirt, of the same Creator.)

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Kabir's Poems -12-

Jub gunn ku gahak mile, tub gunn lakh bikai, 
Jub gunn ko gahak nahin, tub kori badale jai

Merit has a buyer; its worth is million strong, 
Buyer holds no merit, merit goes for a song.

(When merit has a buyer, then merit is valued in millions. When merit has no buyer, it is given away for a penny.)

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Aisi vani boliye, mun ka aapa khoi, 
Apana tan seethal kare, auran ko sukh hoi.

Speak with such a speak, dismissing ego's bearer, 
Composes speaker's body, delights every listener.

(Utter such speak, sovereign of your mind and ego. Cools and comforts own body, provides bliss to others.) 

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Shwas shwas mein naam le, vyartha shwas no hoye, 
Naa jane yeh shwas ka aawan hoye naa hoye

Remember creator inhaling, waste no exhale ever, 
know sure this respiration, no body enjoys forever.

(Remember HIM with every exhale, do not waste any exhale. one never knows this respiration, may continue coming or not.)

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Kabir's Poems -11-

Kabir yeh ghar prem ka, khala ka ghar nahi, 
Sees utaare hathi kare, so paise ghar mahi.

Kabir, this house of true love, has no easy street, 
renounce all to serve love, then you own the lease.

(Kabir this is house of love, not a parental refuge. To chop off own head and hold it in hands, only they are allowed to come in and stay.)

True love is not a child's play and the house of love is no house of refuge. It is a house of determination, courage and sacrifices. Fulfilling true love to someone requires sacrifices not dreamt of in the beginning. It requires almost total surrender of the self, thoughts and desires on the altar of love. Only those who have this capacity to give up one’s life willingly for a cause are fit to enter and reside in the house of love or claim to be in true love.

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Prem naa kheton neepuje, prem na hati bikai, 
Raja parja jis ruche, sir de so le jai.

Love grows not on pastures, comes not from enterprise, 
King and common treasure it, succumb entirely and realize.

(Love does not grow in fields; love does not sell in shops. King and common relish it, who gives head, takes it away.)

Everyone from the most powerful kings to a common man is looking for true love but cannot find it. Love cannot be bought or grown. Those select few who make the highest sacrifices for true love steal it away while the rest keep hoping and watching.

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Jab tak kaal ghasi nahin kaya, jab tak jara roag nahin aya, 
Jab tak vikal huai nahin wani, kar le re maan bhajan prani.

Until time wears this body, until age makes you meager, 
until health holds you hearty, get to know your creator.

(Until time has not worn out your body, until the disease of old age has not caught up with you. Until your voice has not become feeble, meditate on your inner self.)

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Kabir's Poems -10-

Kabir khai koat ki, pani pive naa koi, 
Aai mile jab gang mein, tab saab gangodik hoi.

Rain water in a trench, Kabir, unfit to consume, 
flow in holy Ganges, is pure for every use.

(Kabir, stagnant, algae ridden water of a ditch, nobody drinks. When it joins in the river Ganges, all of it becomes pure and noble ganagodik.)

River Ganga flows from Kailash Mountains in Himalaya and ends up in the Indian Ocean traversing through the Ganges plains.

Ganga water has a unique property of cleanliness that is not found in any other river on earth. Its water is always pure and clean and does not putrefy no matter what amount of organic pollutants flow into it. Its water stored in a container stays pure and clean of bacteria forever. As it flows through many cities with industries and humans dumping their waste into it, it seems to get polluted. 

However a few miles downstream, the river Ganges water returns to its original purity and cleanliness. For this property, Ganges is worshipped as a holy river, the ultimate in purity and its water is considered to be scared.

Kabir says that nobody would like to drink stinking, stanching water of a dirty ditch. However when the same water flows into river Ganges and becomes part of it, it becomes as pure as Ganges water itself. The repulsive water of that ditch after coming in contact with pure Ganges becomes as pure, noble and sacred as Gangodik or Ganges water. It can be used as sacred water from a holy river.

Kabir is using this analogy to emphasize the effect of good company. It can transform even the most wretched, most evil and most hated into ultimate in purity, holiness and nobility.

He also indicates that the most evil person becomes God like when one discovers and merges with one's own SELF through meditation.

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Kabir's Poems -9-

Jhuthe ku jhuta mile, duna bandhe sneh, 
Jhuthe ko sancha mile, tub he tute neh.

Fanciful greets delusion, showers charming affection, 
Tricked faces enlightened, shatters illusive shackles.

(False meets false, they attach with double affection. False meets truth, which is when illusions are broken.)

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Kabir sangati sadh ki, kade naa nirphal hoi, 
Chandan hosi bandhana, neeb na kehsi koi

Kabir, society of good men, ever helps alleviate, 
buffing timber with sandalwood, never runs to waste.

(Kabir company of true men, never does it go without results. to tie sandalwood to ordinary timber items, and nobody thinks it is a waste.)

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Kabir sangati sadh ke, baigi karije jai, 
Durmati dur gawainsi, desi sumati batai

Kabir, society of good men, energizes in two ways, 
banishes evil wickedness, secures wisdom's stay.

(Kabir, company of true men, does two things. loses evil mindedness / wickedness far away, shows and gives wisdom.)

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Kabir augunn naa gahen, Gunn hee ko le beeni, 
Ghat ghat mahu ke madhup joyun, par atam le chinhin.

Kabir excuse demerits, select merits from anyone, 
bee harvesting honey, collect remembrance of everyone.

(Kabir, do not catch hold of demerits, pick up only merits. Like black bee to variegated honey, take a token of remembrance from other souls.)

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