Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
These so-called holy men don't sit right with me at all.
They act gentle, but they gobble up everything — roots, branches, and all.
Watch out for the one who looks gentle but takes everything.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. Aisay sant na mo ka-o bhaaveh — such "saints" do not please me. Daalaa si-o paydaa gatkaavahi — they gobble up the tree along with its branches.
Think about picking an apple. A kind person takes one apple and leaves the tree to grow more. These pretenders swallow the whole tree. They do not take a little. They take everything and leave nothing behind.
Kabir is describing greed dressed up as holiness: people who use a holy look to take and take from others. Real goodness gives, and leaves the tree standing.
What's the difference between someone who shares and someone who just takes and takes?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI