Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They scrub every pot before it goes on the stove, and they even wash the firewood before they light it.
They dig the ground to make two separate fireplaces.
So careful about tiny specks of dirt — yet they harm real people!
Fussing over tiny bits of dirt while hurting people turns holiness upside down.
Kabir uses sharp humor here. Baasan maanj charaaveh — they scrub their pots before putting them on the fire. Oopar kaathee dho-ay jalaaveh — they even wash the firewood before burning it. Basudhaa khod karahi du-ay choolhay — they dig the ground to build separate fireplaces. They are terrified of the smallest speck of "impurity."
And yet, saaray maanas khaaveh — they swallow whole people. Kabir means they use and harm real human beings without a second thought.
It is like someone who wipes every crumb off the table but is mean to the family sitting around it. Other verses in this raag teach the same thing. Real dirt is not a speck on a pot. It is greed and harm in the heart. Care for people matters far more than spotless pots.
Why is it worse to be careless with people than careless about small tidy-up rules?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI