Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The richest and most powerful people have kingdoms, thrones and royal canopies, and every luxury.
They have sweet spices and fragrant sandalwood. Yet they too, in the end, come to the same place as everyone else.
Kabir is saying: power and riches are no shield against the end.
Now the list reaches the powerful and wealthy. Raaj bhog — ruling and enjoying. There are royal canopies and thrones, every pleasure, sweet spices and sandalwood oil. And once more: ant ta-oo marnaa — in the end, they too will die. The things people chase hardest do not protect anyone from the one sure thing.
Look at what Kabir has done. He has walked through the three things people chase to feel important and safe: holiness, knowledge, and power with money. None of them changes the ending. It is not a gloomy poem; it is a freeing one. Think of a race where every runner reaches the same finish line. There is no need to push and shove to get ahead. If none of these can save you, you can stop chasing them so hard. Then you can give your heart to what truly lasts.
If wealth and power can't buy the things that matter most, what's actually worth working toward?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI