Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The heart is still tangled in what's harmful, and still it hopes for happiness.
How can it ever come to rest in the Sovereign One, its true home?
Kabir asks how a heart can rest in the One while it is still running after what harms it.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. It is the turning point of the hymn. Bikhi-aa ajahu surat sukh aasaa — the heart is still caught in bikhi-aa, what is harmful, and still it hopes for happiness. Kaisay ho-ee hai raajaa raam nivaasaa — how will it find its home in the One, the true King?
You cannot chase harm and rest at the same time. Think of trying to fall asleep with a phone buzzing on your pillow. The rest never comes. Kabir's question sends us hunting for the mind itself. That is what the rest of the hymn does.
What's something that promises happiness but actually pulls you away from peace?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI