The loom falls quiet as the heart turns to the Name — come and see, these seekers are the rescuers of the drowning.
The Arc
Built from Kabir's own weaver's trade. P0 (verse 1): the abandoned loom, seen through the eyes of worried neighbors. P1 (rahau): they say he has thrown away all his wealth and worn out their patience. P2: his mind is dyed in the Name while family frets over food. P3: the honest sting — floor versus bed, dry grain versus warm bread. P4: an invitation to come and see — these seekers are 'the support of the drowning,' which is why Kabir keeps their company.
raam naam ... man raataa — the mind dyed in the Name
boodat kee tayk — the support of the drowning
Loi — Kabir's wife, addressed in the close
Themes and Cross-Connections
The shabad dramatizes the cost of devotion and the worth of satsang (holy company). It connects to the project's teaching on good company as the thing that 'lifts you back up.' Read carefully, it is not an endorsement of neglecting family but a portrait of a heart wholly dyed in the Name.
For Raag Gond
Gond's calling warmth suits a shabad that is, at its heart, an invitation ('come and see').
Translation Notes
Rahau placement: standalone P1; P0 = verse 1.
Wellbeing / gender (flagged): the literal close calls Loi 'blind and unguided'; this is turned into a tender invitation to 'open your eyes and see,' removing the rebuke of his wife. The picture of hungry children is kept light, not dwelt on, and the reason for keeping company is foregrounded as generous (rescuing the drowning), not as abandonment.
mundee-aa is rendered neutrally as 'seekers/mendicants,' since Kabir embraces them as the shelter of the drowning.
The loom falls quiet as the heart turns to the Name — come and see, these seekers are the rescuers of the drowning.
The Arc
Built from Kabir's own weaver's trade. P0 (verse 1): the abandoned loom, seen through the eyes of worried neighbors. P1 (rahau): they say he has thrown away all his wealth and worn out their patience. P2: his mind is dyed in the Name while family frets over food. P3: the honest sting — floor versus bed, dry grain versus warm bread. P4: an invitation to come and see — these seekers are 'the support of the drowning,' which is why Kabir keeps their company.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The shabad dramatizes the cost of devotion and the worth of satsang (holy company). It connects to the project's teaching on good company as the thing that 'lifts you back up.' Read carefully, it is not an endorsement of neglecting family but a portrait of a heart wholly dyed in the Name.
For Raag Gond
Gond's calling warmth suits a shabad that is, at its heart, an invitation ('come and see').
Translation Notes
Last updated: 2026-07-09