Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In this long story I've been every kind of person, high and low.
I've been the disciplined seeker. I've been the mighty king on a throne, and the one with nothing at all.
Every role, I've worn it.
Kabir has played every kind of role, and none of them is who he really is.
Jogee jatee tapee barahamchaaree — a jogee, or yogi; a jatee, who stays unmarried; a tapee, who does hard penance; a barahamchaaree, a strict student of the spirit. Kabhoo raajaa chhatarpat kabhoo bhaykhaaree — sometimes a king on a throne, sometimes a beggar.
Kabir runs through every kind of life to make his point about equality again. No role, high or low, is the true you. The disciplined one, the powerful one, the one with nothing: all are costumes over the same life-spark. Think of actors after the school play. The king and the beggar take off their costumes and walk home as friends. Once more, Kabir quietly melts away rank.
If you've played very different roles — leader, helper, beginner — what part of you stayed the same through all of them?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI