Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sometimes the ones quickest to laugh at everyone else are the very ones who cannot see clearly themselves.
Seeing this, Kabir does not laugh back — he simply feels tender and a little shy about it all.
Kabir says that those quickest to laugh at others often cannot see themselves.
Avran hasat aap heh kaanay: they laugh at others, while they themselves are kaanay, one-eyed. It is a picture of seeing only half of what is there. It is about inner seeing, never about anyone's body. Tin ka-o daykh kabeer lajaanay: seeing them, Kabir feels lajaanay, embarrassed.
Kabir is not scoring a point, and he is not laughing back. He is moved by how blind any of us can be. Think of someone pointing at a spot on your shirt while their own shirt is covered in ketchup. The shabad ends not in judgment but in humility.
When you notice someone judging others harshly, can you feel a little compassion for what they might be missing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI