Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There are people who will not share even a small cup of water.
Yet they are quick to criticize the very ones who gave something great, who brought whole rivers to thirsty people.
Kabir says it is easy to criticize the giver while giving nothing yourself.
Aap na deh churoo bhar paanee: they do not give even a handful of water. Tih nindeh jih gangaa aanee: yet they nindeh, speak badly of, the one who brought the Ganges river down to the people. In the old story, bringing the Ganges was a great act of generosity. It gave life-giving water to many.
Kabir's contrast is sharp. The one who gives nothing is often the loudest critic of the one who gives everything. Think of someone who never helps set the table, then complains about the food. It is a gentle warning about how easy it is to judge from the sidelines.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
Is it easier for you to criticize what someone does, or to try doing something kind yourself?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI