Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 137 — a prison made of paper
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: the paper is a prison, and the ink of rituals makes the bars on its windows.
Stone idols have sunk the world, and the pandits, the learned priests, have robbed it along the way.
Rules on paper and empty rituals can lock a person in instead of setting them free.
Kaagad kee obree: a little room made of paper. Mas kay karam kapaat: the ink of rituals makes its shutters. Kabir means written rules followed only for show, which can shut the heart in.
Paahan boree pirathmee: stones have drowned the earth. Pandit paarhee baat: the pandits have robbed people on the road. Kabir is speaking about people who use learning to profit from others. The same can happen in any tradition; his aim is at the empty show, never at a faith.
When has a rule gotten in the way of the good it was meant to protect?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI