Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In the one fortress of this body live five rulers. All five keep demanding their taxes.
But I never farmed anyone's land! Paying them is so hard for me.
Kabir pictures the body as a little fort with five bossy rulers inside, all demanding to be paid.
This song is by Bhagat Kabir, a poet-saint whose words are part of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is sung in Soohee mixed with Lalit, another musical mood.
Ayk kot panch sikdaaraa — one kot, fort, and five sikdaar, rulers. The fort is the body. The five rulers are the five senses and the urges that come with them. Panchay maageh haalaa — all five demand haalaa, tax. Think of five little voices that always want more: more snacks, more screen time, more of everything.
Jimee naahee mai kisee kee bo-ee — "I never farmed anyone's land," so why do I owe them? The demand feels unfair. The lesson is to stop paying them every time, just because they ask. Noticing them is where freedom starts.
The picture also pokes fun at the greedy tax collectors of Kabir's own day, who squeezed ordinary farmers for money they didn't owe.
Which of your senses is the loudest at demanding more, and how do you answer it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI