Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People in one tradition bow before beautiful sacred images. People in another bow their heads in prayer. Both customs are heartfelt and old.
But whatever our ceremonies at the end of life, whether a body is returned to fire or laid in the earth, no outward custom by itself carries us all the way to the One. The forms are lovely. They are not the whole journey.
No outward custom, on its own, can carry anyone all the way to the One.
Bhagat Kabir sets two traditions side by side, perfectly balanced. But pooj pooj hindoo moo-ay — Hindus bow before sacred images all their lives. Turak moo-ay sir naa-ee — Muslims, called Turak in the old language, bow their heads in prayer all their lives. O-ay lay jaaray o-ay lay gaaday — at the end of life, one tradition returns the body to fire and the other lays it in the earth.
Then comes his one point: tayree gat duhoo na paa-ee — "neither finds Your true state." Gat means the One's true nature. This is not a jab at either community. Kabir treats both exactly the same. His reminder is that an outward form is never the same as the change inside.
Think of a birthday card. A beautiful card is lovely, but what matters is the love behind it. Customs can carry love. On their own, they are not the whole journey.
What matters more: the ceremony you perform, or what is happening inside your heart while you perform it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI