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Shri Guru Granth Sahib: Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 001
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||
Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee:
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
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.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 002
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.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 003
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.
The poor Yogi has played out his game; only ashes remain on his seat. ||48||
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 004
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||
Kabeer, I was drowning, but the waves of virtue saved me in an instant.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 005
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."||85||
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 006
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.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 007
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 believe my words.
The Lord is just as He is. I dwell in delight, singing His Glorious Praises. ||122||
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 008
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 rainbird, 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||
Kabeer, the Lord is like musk; all His slaves are like bumble bees.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 009
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||
Kabeer, the wife of the king has all sorts of horses, elephants and carriages.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 010
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||
Kabeer, it is good that I feel the Fear of God; I have forgotten everything else.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 011
The hail-stone has melted into water, and flowed into the ocean. ||177||
Kabeer, the body is a pile of dust, collected and packed together.
It is a show which lasts for only a few days, and then dust returns to dust. ||178||
Kabeer, bodies are like the rising and setting of the sun and the moon.
Without meeting the Guru, the Lord of the Universe, they are all reduced to dust again. ||179||
Where the Fearless Lord is, there is no fear; where there is fear, the Lord is not there.
Kabeer speaks after careful consideration; hear this, O Saints, in your minds. ||180||
Kabeer, those who do not know anything, pass their lives in peaceful sleep.
But I have understood the riddle; I am faced with all sorts of troubles. ||181||
Kabeer, those who are beaten cry a lot; but the cries of the pain of separation are different.
Struck by the Mystery of God, Kabeer remains silent. ||182||
Kabeer, the stroke of a lance is easy to bear; it takes away the breath.
But one who endures the stroke of the Word of the Shabad is the Guru, and I am his slave. ||183||
Kabeer: O Mullah, why do you climb to the top of the minaret? The Lord is not hard of hearing.
Look within your own heart for the One, for whose sake you shout your prayers. ||184||
Why does the Shaykh bother to go on pilgrimage to Mecca, if he is not content with himself?
Kabeer, one whose heart is not healthy and whole - how can he attain his Lord? ||185||
Kabeer, worship the Lord Allah; meditating in remembrance on Him, troubles and pains depart.
The Lord shall be revealed within your own heart, and the burning fire within shall be extinguished by His Name. ||186||
Kabeer, to use force is tyranny, even if you call it legal.
When your account is called for in the Court of the Lord, what will your condition be then? ||187||
Kabeer, the dinner of beans and rice is excellent, if it is flavored with salt.
Who would cut his throat, to have meat with his bread? ||188||
Kabeer, one is known to have been touched by the Guru, only when his emotional attachment and physical illnesses are eradicated.
He is not burned by pleasure or pain, and so he becomes the Lord Himself. ||189||
Kabeer, it does make a difference, how you chant the Lord's Name, 'Raam'. This is something to consider.
Everyone uses the same word for the son of Dasrath and the Wondrous Lord. ||190||
Kabeer, use the word 'Raam', only to speak of the All-pervading Lord. You must make that distinction.
One 'Raam' is pervading everywhere, while the other is contained only in himself. ||191||
Kabeer, those houses in which neither the Holy nor the Lord are served
- those houses are like cremation grounds; demons dwell within them. ||192||
Kabeer, I have become mute, insane and deaf.
I am crippled - the True Guru has pierced me with His Arrow. ||193||
Kabeer, the True Guru, the Spiritual Warrior, has shot me with His Arrow.
As soon as it struck me, I fell to the ground, with a hole in my heart. ||194||
Kabeer, the pure drop of water falls from the sky, onto the dirty ground.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 012
You must acknowledge this, that without the Sangat, the Holy Congregation, it turns into burnt ashes. ||195||
Kabeer, the pure drop of water falls from the sky, and mixes with the dust.
Millions of clever people may try, but they will fail - it cannot be made separate again. ||196||
Kabeer, I was going on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and God met me on the way.
He scolded me and asked, "Who told you that I am only there?"||197||
Kabeer, I went to Mecca - how many times, Kabeer?
O Lord, what is the problem with me? You have not spoken to me with Your Mouth. ||198||
Kabeer, they oppress living beings and kill them, and call it proper.
When the Lord calls for their account, what will their condition be? ||199||
Kabeer, it is tyranny to use force; the Lord shall call you to account.
When your account is called for, your face and mouth shall be beaten. ||200||
Kabeer, it is easy to render your account, if your heart is pure.
In the True Court of the Lord, no one will seize you. ||201||
Kabeer: O duality, you are mighty and powerful in the earth and the sky.
The six Shaastras and the eighty-four Siddhas are entrenched in skepticism. ||202||
Kabeer, nothing is mine within myself. Whatever there is, is Yours, O Lord.
If I surrender to You what is already Yours, what does it cost me? ||203||
Kabeer, repeating, "You, You", I have become like You. Nothing of me remains in myself.
When the difference between myself and others is removed, then wherever I look, I see only You. ||204||
Kabeer, those who think of evil and entertain false hopes
- none of their desires shall be fulfilled; they shall depart in despair. ||205||
Kabeer, whoever meditates in remembrance on the Lord, he alone is happy in this world.
One who is protected and saved by the Creator Lord, shall never waver, here or hereafter. ||206||
Kabeer, I was being crushed like sesame seeds in the oil-press, but the True Guru saved me.
My pre-ordained primal destiny has now been revealed. ||207||
Kabeer, my days have passed, and I have postponed my payments; the interest on my account continues to increase.
I have not meditated on the Lord and my account is still pending, and now, the moment of my death has come! ||208||
Fifth Mehl:
Kabeer, the mortal is a barking dog, chasing after a carcass.
By the Grace of good karma, I have found the True Guru, who has saved me. ||209||
Fifth Mehl:
Kabeer, the earth belongs to the Holy, but it is being occupied by thieves.
They are not a burden to the earth; they receive its blessings. ||210||
Fifth Mehl:
Kabeer, the rice is beaten with a mallet to get rid of the husk.
When people sit in evil company, the Righteous Judge of Dharma calls them to account. ||211||
Trilochan says, O Naam Dayv, Maya has enticed you, my friend.
Why are you printing designs on these sheets, and not focusing your consciousness on the Lord? ||212||
Naam Dayv answers, O Trilochan, chant the Lord's Name with your mouth.
Section 40 - Shaloks Of Devotee Kabeer Jee - Part 013
With your hands and feet, do all your work, but let your consciousness remain with the Immaculate Lord. ||213||
Fifth Mehl:
Kabeer, no one belongs to me, and I belong to no one else.
The One who created the creation - into Him I shall be absorbed. ||214||
Kabeer, the flour has fallen into the mud; nothing has come into my hands.
That which was eaten while it was being ground - that alone is of any use. ||215||
Kabeer, the mortal knows everything, and knowing, he still makes mistakes.
What good is a lamp in one's hand, if he falls into the well? ||216||
Kabeer, I am in love with the All-knowing Lord; the ignorant ones try to hold me back.
How could I ever break with the One, who owns our soul and breath of life. ||217||
Kabeer, why kill yourself for your love of decorations of your home and mansion?
In the end, only six feet, or a little more, shall be your lot. ||218||
Kabeer, whatever I wish for does not happen. What can I accomplish by merely thinking?
The Lord does whatever He wishes; it is not up to me at all. ||219||
Third Mehl:
God Himself makes the mortals anxious, and He Himself takes the anxiety away.
O Nanak, praise the One, who takes care of all. ||220||
Fifth Mehl:
Kabeer, the mortal does not remember the Lord; he wanders around, engrossed in greed.
Committing sins, he dies, and his life ends in an instant. ||221||
Kabeer, the body is like a clay vessel or a brittle metal pot.
If you wish to keep it safe and sound, then vibrate and meditate on the Lord; otherwise, the thing shall break. ||222||
Kabeer, chant the Name of the Beautifully-haired Lord; do not sleep unaware.
Chanting His Name night and day, the Lord will eventually hear your call. ||223||
Kabeer, the body is a banana forest, and the mind is an intoxicated elephant.
The jewel of spiritual wisdom is the prod, and the rare Saint is the rider. ||224||
Kabeer, the Lord's Name is the jewel, and the mouth is the purse; open this purse to the Appraiser.
If a buyer can be found, it will go for a high price. ||225||
Kabeer, the mortal does not know the Lord's Name, but he has raised a very large family.
He dies in the midst of his worldly affairs, and then he is not heard in the external world. ||226||
Kabeer, in the blink of an eye, moment by moment, life is passing by.
The mortal does not give up his worldly entanglements; the Messenger of Death walks in and beats the drum. ||227||
Kabeer, the Lord is the tree, and disillusionment with the world is the fruit.
The Holy man, who has abandoned useless arguments, is the shade of the tree. ||228||
Kabeer, plant the seeds of such a plant, which shall bear fruit throughout the twelve months,
with cooling shade and abundant fruit, upon which birds joyously play. ||229||
Kabeer, the Great Giver is the tree, which blesses all with the fruit of compassion.
When the birds migrate to other lands, O Tree, you bear the fruits. ||230||
Kabeer, the mortal finds the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, if he has such destiny written upon his forehead.

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