Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Don't let your heart fill up with envy and squabbling, dear mind.
Keep doing good, steadily — that's what quietly builds a good life.
This is the pause line, the Rahao, the center of the shabad. It gives Kabir's advice: skip the envy, keep doing good.
Ahirakh vaad na keejai ray man — do not fall into envy and quarreling, O my mind. Envy is when comparing yourself to others turns sour. It can quickly become arguing.
Sukarit kar kar leejai — keep doing good deeds, again and again. That is how the good things are gained.
Kabir turns the energy around. Envy is like looking sideways, always measuring yourself against someone else. Goodness is looking forward, at what you can actually do. Think of a runner who keeps glancing at the next lane. They slow down. The one who looks ahead runs their own race.
You cannot control what others have. You can always keep quietly doing good. That is what builds a life worth having.
What could you focus on doing well, instead of comparing yourself to what others have?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI