Salok Bhagat Kabir, Salok 36 — seeing how it ends
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: at the end, the bones burn like wood, and the hair burns like straw.
Seeing the whole world burning away like this, I, Kabir, have become sad and quiet inside.
Seeing how quickly the body is gone can make a person quiet and thoughtful.
Kabir watches a cremation, the way many families in India say goodbye to someone who has died. The haad, bones, burn like laakree, wood. The kays, hair, burn like ghaas, dry grass.
Seeing ih jag jartaa, this world burning away, Kabir becomes udaas. The word means sad, and also quiet and less tied to things that do not last.
Think of the last day of summer camp. Knowing it is ending makes you look at everything more carefully.
How might remembering that nothing lasts change what you do today?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI