Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 107 — the night ritual and the snake
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: whoever leaves behind remembering the One, and goes out at night to wake the spirits of the dead,
will be born again as a snake that turns on its own little ones.
Spending your nights on frightening rituals in place of remembering the One leads only to more harm.
Raat jagaavan jaa-ay: going out at night to wake the spirits. In Kabir's time some people held night gatherings to call up spirits and ask them for favors. Kabir is not mocking anyone's faith; he speaks to a fear-driven ritual that takes the place of remembering the One.
Sarpan ho-ay kai a-utarai: such a person is born again as a snake, jaa-ay apunay khaa-ay, one that eats its own young. It is Kabir's hard picture of where that path leads: a life that ends up harming what it should protect.
What helps you feel safe when you are afraid at night?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI