Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 104 — a teacher who cannot clear doubt
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: shame on the teacher who cannot take away my doubt.
He is drowning in the four Vedas himself, and he lets his followers be swept away too.
A teacher who cannot clear away doubt cannot carry anyone across.
Maa-ay moonda-o tih guroo kee is a harsh old insult, wishing shame on such a teacher. The reason follows: jaa tay bharam na jaa-ay, he cannot take away bharam, doubt and confusion.
Aap dubay chahu bayd meh: he drowns in the four Vedas, the oldest holy books of the Hindu tradition, and chaylay dee-ay bahaa-ay, his followers are swept away with him. Kabir does not attack the books. He speaks of a teacher who knows the words by heart but has not let them change him, and so cannot help anyone else across.
Who has helped you understand something that once confused you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI