Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When actions are done just to be seen, they quietly puff up the ego instead of softening it. People can even gather to honor something outward. And still they miss the living presence right in front of them.
Doing good things just to be seen can puff up the ego instead of softening it.
Kabir's sharpest point comes first. Karam karat — doing rituals — can bind people in ego. Outward religious acts were meant to melt the separate "me." Done for show, they can feed it instead. Think of someone who helps at a charity event mostly for the photos. The help is real, but the pride grows too. The doing matters far less than the love inside it.
The next line is mil paathar kee karhee sayv — people gather and serve stones. Kabir aims this at worship that stops at the surface, when outward forms come loose from living love. It is not mockery of communities that honor sacred images. It is a caution for any worship, anywhere, that stops at the surface.
Is there a difference between doing something kind because it helps, and doing it so others will notice?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI