Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They dress in all the holy clothes — the special cloth, the sacred threads, the prayer beads, the shiny water-jugs.
But don't call them holy people. Under all that costume, they're just cheats.
Anyone can dress up to look holy. The clothes are not the person.
Kabir was a weaver who worked with his hands. He had no patience for fake holiness. In this shabad he describes people wearing every sign of a holy life. Gaj saadhay tai tai dhotee-aa — a long special cloth wrapped around the waist. Tihray paa-in tag — sacred threads wound three times. Japmaalee-aa — prayer beads around the neck. Lotay hath nibag — shiny water-jugs in their hands.
Then comes his bold verdict. O-ay har kay sant na aakhee-ahi baanaaras kay thag — do not call them saints of the One; they are cheats of Benares. Benares is a famous holy city. Kabir means pretenders who dress as holy people there to fool others.
This is not about any faith or any city. Truly holy people are honored in every tradition. Kabir is pointing at the empty costume. Think of someone wearing a doctor's coat who has never studied medicine. The coat does not make them a doctor. Anyone can dress holy. What matters is whether a person is truly good.
How can you tell if someone is truly good, rather than just looking the part?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI