Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Think of the moth: it sees the flame clearly and still flies right into it.
It's strangely easy to rush toward what harms us, even when a part of us can see it coming.
Like the moth, we can rush toward what hurts us.
Kabir gives a famous picture. Nain daykh patang urjhai — the moth sees with its eyes, and still gets caught. It flies straight into the flame. We can be like that too. We can see that something will hurt us and still run toward it.
Then Kabir says it plainly. Kanik kaamin laag — hooked on gold and on desire, a person forgets where it all leads. Kaal faas, the noose of Death, is an old picture for the end that comes to everyone.
Kabir is not shaming anyone. He is naming something true about being human: wanting can be louder than seeing. Think of a phone game you keep playing even when you know you should sleep. Naming the pull is what helps. Once you know you are a bit like the moth, you can pause, notice the pull and choose not to fly in.
Have you ever known something wasn't good for you but felt pulled toward it anyway? What helps you pause?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI