Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When my usual way of thinking came undone and even my familiar sense of "up there" dissolved — where did all my chatter go?
This wondering follows me day and night, and I keep searching for someone who can help me understand it.
When the usual self goes quiet, Kabir is left with a big, honest question.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. Taagaa tootaa gagan binas ga-i-aa — the thread has snapped, and the sky has vanished. Tayraa bolat kahaa samaa-ee — where did your talking go? The everyday scaffolding of self and speech has fallen away.
Then Kabir is very honest. Ayh sansaa mo ka-o an-din bi-aapai — this puzzle troubles me day and night. Sansaa is a searching puzzlement. It holds doubt and not-knowing as much as wonder.
Mo ka-o ko na kahai samjhaa-ee — who can explain it to me? That is a real, humble question. It is like staring at a math problem you can't crack and asking, "Can someone please help me see this?"
This is honest searching, doubt and all, not despair. The whole shabad sits with one mystery: what is left when the familiar self goes quiet?
Do you ever wonder about the quiet "you" that is still there underneath all your thoughts?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI