Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is a kind of wealth that fire cannot burn, wind cannot scatter, and no thief can ever reach.
Gather up that wealth — the treasure of the One's Name — because that treasure never goes anywhere. It stays with you no matter what.
Kabir says there is one kind of wealth that nothing can take away.
He sets two kinds of riches side by side. Ordinary wealth can be lost in a single night, to a fire, a storm, or a thief. Agan na dahai pavan nahee magnai — fire does not burn it, and wind does not blow it away.
That lasting wealth is Naam, the Name. It means the living presence of the One, held in your awareness. No one can take it, because it is not a thing outside you at all. Think of a song you know by heart. Even if someone took your phone, the song would still be in you.
This opening sets up the whole shabad. What the world thinks is valuable breaks easily. What the world thinks is nothing turns out to be the one thing that lasts.
What's something valuable to you that no one could ever take away?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI