Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Some people go far away — into the forests, up the mountains — to quiet a restless mind. But the Water that truly cools you is not found by running away from life. It is found in the living presence of the One, which is with you wherever you already are.
You don't have to run away from life to find peace. The Water is right where you are.
Man maaran kaaran ban jaa-ee-ai — to still the mind, some go off to the forest. Man maaran means to calm or tame the mind. Going to the forest stands for every way of stepping away from ordinary life.
Kabir is not mocking these seekers. He honors their thirst. But so jal bin bhagvant na paa-ee-ai — that Water is not found without the One. The Water they want is a presence, not a place. Think of searching the whole house for your glasses while they are sitting on your head.
This is Kabir the householder-saint, living with work and family. Freedom is there inside daily life, not only for those who leave it.
Have you ever thought you needed to go somewhere special to feel calm, when calm was available where you already were?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI