Verse 87 of 450
Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 29 — learning how to die
ਕਬੀਰ ਮਰਤਾ ਮਰਤਾ ਜਗੁ ਮੂਆ ਮਰਿ ਭੀ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਕੋਇ ॥
kabeer martaa martaa jag moo-aa mar bhee na jaani-aa ko-ay.
Kabir, dying, dying, the whole world has to die, and yet, none know how to die.
ਐਸੇ ਮਰਨੇ ਜੋ ਮਰੈ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਨ ਮਰਨਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੨੯॥
aisay marnay jo marai bahur na marnaa ho-ay. ||29||
Let those who die, die such a death, that they shall never have to die again. ||29||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: dying and dying, the whole world has died, yet no one knew how to die.
Whoever dies, let them die such a death that they never have to die again.
Let the proud self go now, and death no longer rules you.
Learn the dying of the proud self while you live, and death loses its hold.
Martaa martaa jag moo-aa: dying and dying, the whole world has died. Mar bhee na jaani-aa ko-ay: yet no one learned how to die. The death that ends dying is the "dead while alive" kind: the proud, fearful self let go of while life goes on. After that, bahur na marnaa ho-ay, there is no dying again.
A Question to Sit With
What is something you are afraid of losing, and how might making peace with it help?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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