Verse 218 of 450
Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 160 — where each heart is turned
ਕਬੀਰ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ ਨਾਰੀ ਕਿਉ ਨਿੰਦੀਐ ਕਿਉ ਹਰਿ ਚੇਰੀ ਕਉ ਮਾਨੁ ॥
kabeer nrip naaree ki-o nindee-ai ki-o har chayree ka-o maan.
Kabir, why do you slander the wife of the king? Why do you honor the slave of the Lord?
ਓਹ ਮਾਂਗ ਸਵਾਰੈ ਬਿਖੈ ਕਉ ਓਹ ਸਿਮਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ॥੧੬੦॥
oh maaNg savaarai bikhai ka-o oh simrai har naam. ||160||
Because one combs her hair for corruption, while the other remembers the Name of the Lord. ||160||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: why is the king's queen spoken badly of? Why is the One's servant woman honored?
Because one makes her hair beautiful for empty pleasures, while the other remembers the One's Naam.
Where the heart is turned matters more than rank.
Where we turn our hearts decides our worth, more than our rank.
Nrip naaree ki-o nindee-ai: why is the king's wife blamed? Ki-o har chayree ka-o maan: why is the One's maidservant honored?
The queen savaarai bikhai ka-o: she adorns herself for pleasures. Oh simrai har naam: the other remembers the Naam. The question is about where each heart is turned, not about being a woman, a queen or a servant.
A Question to Sit With
What are you reaching for when you do your daily tasks?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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