Verse 84 of 450
Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 26 — the room of soot
ਕਬੀਰ ਜਗੁ ਕਾਜਲ ਕੀ ਕੋਠਰੀ ਅੰਧ ਪਰੇ ਤਿਸ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
kabeer jag kaajal kee kothree anDh paray tis maahi.
Kabir, the world is a room filled with black soot; the blind fall into its trap.
ਹਉ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੀ ਤਿਨ ਕਉ ਪੈਸਿ ਜੁ ਨੀਕਸਿ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੨੬॥
ha-o balihaaree tin ka-o pais jo neekas jaahi. ||26||
I am a sacrifice to those who are thrown in, and still escape. ||26||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: the world is a little room full of black soot, and those who cannot see fall into it.
I give myself to those who go in and still come out.
The world can smudge you without your noticing; staying clean inside is worth admiring.
The world can smudge you without your noticing; those who pass through it clean are worth honoring.
Kaajal kee kothree: a small room full of soot, the black powder from a lamp. The anDh, those who do not see, stumble in and get smeared. Kabir gives himself to those who pais jo neekas jaahi, who enter and still come out, kind and clear inside.
A Question to Sit With
How does someone stay kind and clear even when everything around them is not?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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