The World Is a Painting; Don't Forget the Painter
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
**Ch** — look around at this whole world: it's like an enormous, breathtaking painting, full of color and detail.
But don't get so lost staring at the picture that you forget the Painter who made it. That's the mix-up — the painting is so dazzling it can pull all your attention. So keep some of your heart on the One who painted it all. Enjoy the picture, yes, and remember the Artist behind it.
The letter Chacha and a run of chitr words (picture, painter, wondrous): rachit chitar — the painted world; chitkaaree / chitayraa — the Painter. Kabir's teaching is not to despise the beautiful world but to remember its Source: taj chitrai chaytahu chitkaaree — release your grip on the picture and remember the Painter. The danger (avjhayraa, the tangle) is confusing the artwork for the artist, mistaking the gift for the Giver. Loving creation because it points to its Maker is the healthy version; getting stuck on the surface is the trap. Enjoy the painting; don't lose the Painter.
When you see something really beautiful, do you ever wonder about who or what made it possible?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI