Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The cow dung is unclean, the kitchen square is unclean, and the lines drawn around it are unclean.
Kabir says: the only clean people are the ones whose understanding has become clear and true.
A clear heart and a true understanding are what make a person clean.
Kabir names the last things people used to keep a kitchen "pure": the floor wiped with cow dung (thought in old India to purify), the cha-ukaa (the cooking square), and the lines drawn around it. By the rule, even these are unclean.
Then the turn. kahi kabeer tay-ee nar soochay saachee paree bichaaraa — Kabir says the only clean people are those who have gained true understanding. Think of a spotless room with a grumpy, unkind person inside it. A clean room does not make a kind heart. Being clean starts inside, and anyone at all can have it. It does not depend on birth, family or marks on a floor.
What helps your own heart feel clear and settled?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI