Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
They tied me up and threw me down in front of a great elephant, hoping it would trample me.
But the elephant would not do it. It backed away, trumpeting — as if it could see the One shining right there, and chose to bow to that instead.
In the traditional accounts of Kabir's life, this shabad is read against an episode in which powerful men sought his death and an elephant was set on him. In the telling, even the elephant recognizes the One in the helpless prisoner and refuses. The frightening details are kept gentle; what shines is the presence that protects the innocent. I-aa moorat kai ha-o balihaarai — 'I bow to this living image of the One.'
When you feel powerless, what helps you remember you are not actually alone?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI