Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Honestly, One, I am so hungry it is hard to even sit and pray. My mind keeps wandering to my empty stomach.
So here, take back the prayer-beads for now. What I really long for is simply to sit humbly among good people, at their feet, learning. And I want you to know, I do not owe anybody anything. I am asking you, straight and honest, as a friend.
This beloved shabad is Kabir speaking to the One with total honesty about bodily need. bhookhay bhagat na keejai (hungry, I cannot worship). Returning the maalaa (prayer-beads) is playful, loving candor, not rejection of devotion. santan raynaa (the dust of the Saints' feet) is the humility he actually craves. The tone: intimacy so deep he can be blunt.
Is there something you have been afraid to say honestly, that might feel better simply said out loud?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI