Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
These things do not come with us when we arrive, and they do not go with us when we leave.
So what good is it to have elephants tied up at your gate?
Grand belongings stay behind; none of them come along when you go.
In Kabir's India, elephants tied at your door were the biggest sign of wealth, like a driveway full of fancy cars. Aavat sang na jaat sangaatee: they neither come with you nor go with you. Kahaa bha-i-o dar baadhay haathee: what does it matter, then, to have elephants at your door? Having things is not wicked. They just cannot come along, so building your whole self on them is building on sand.
What's something people show off to look important that doesn't make them a better person?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI