Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Like a bird caught in a snare, restless mind, that is how the pull of the passing world can catch you.
And all its glitter fades fast — like cloth dyed with safflower, bright one day and washed pale the next. The whole shimmering show is real, but it doesn't last.
Maya here means the world of appearances — everything that dazzles and grabs the attention but has no lasting substance. The kusumbh (safflower) dye is one of Gurbani's signature images: a gorgeous orange-red that fades quickly, the very picture of jhooth — the beautiful-but-impermanent. Kabir isn't saying the world is bad or that beauty is a lie; he's saying don't build your whole life on colors that wash out. Notice what lasts, and hold that.
What are some things that seem exciting for a moment but don't stay important for long?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI