Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The clever seekers and the mighty adepts and the silent sages all wore themselves out.
It is the One Name that is the wish-granting tree, carrying us safely across.
All kinds of effort can wear you out, but the Name carries you across.
Saadhak sidh sagal mun haaray — the seekers, the sidhs, and the silent sages all lost the game. Saadhak are seekers. Sidhs are masters of spiritual powers. Mun are sages who keep silence. Kabir gently puts all these impressive achievers on the same level. For all their effort, they lost when they leaned on technique alone.
Ayk naam kalip tar taaray — the One Name is the kalip tar, the wish-granting tree of old stories, and it carries them across. Think of trying to swim a wide river on your own strength, and then being lifted into a boat. Simple, loving remembrance does what all the striving could not.
When has trying too hard actually gotten in your way, and letting go helped more?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI