Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The blessed city and the feared town — to me they are exactly the same. What actually carries a heart across is love; and if the love is real, no place can hold it back.
The holy city and the feared town are the same. What carries a soul across is love.
Kaasee maghar sam beechaaree — I think of Kaashi and Magahar as sam, the same. This is the answer to the shabad's question. No place can lift a soul up, and no place can sink it.
Ochhee bhagat kaisay utras paaree — with shallow bhagat, devotion, how can anyone swim across? Think of a swimming pool. It does not matter which end you jump in from. What matters is whether you can swim. Kabir's honest worry is best heard as an invitation. It asks us to let our love grow deeper, not to be afraid.
How could you make a love you already have a little deeper today?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI