Verse 63 of 450
Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 5 — dead while alive, and fearless
ਕਬੀਰ ਐਸਾ ਏਕੁ ਆਧੁ ਜੋ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਿਰਤਕੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
kabeer aisaa ayk aaDh jo jeevat mirtak ho-ay.
Kabir, rare is such a person, who remains dead while yet alive.
ਨਿਰਭੈ ਹੋਇ ਕੈ ਗੁਨ ਰਵੈ ਜਤ ਪੇਖਉ ਤਤ ਸੋਇ ॥੫॥
nirbhai ho-ay kai gun ravai jat paykha-o tat so-ay. ||5||
Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, he is fearless. Wherever I look, the Lord is there. ||5||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: rare is the one who stays dead while still alive.
Without fear, that one sings the One's praises. Wherever I look, there the One is.
When pride falls quiet, fear goes with it.
The person whose pride has died, while life goes on, becomes fearless.
Jeevat mirtak means "dead while alive," one of Kabir's favorite phrases. It is about the proud, grabbing self falling quiet while the person keeps living fully. Such a person is nirbhai, fearless, and sings the One's praises. Then jat paykha-o tat so-ay: wherever I look, the One is there.
A Question to Sit With
What would you do if you were not afraid of looking bad or losing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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