Dec 15, 2024
Dec 15, 2024
Jo Dise So To Hai Nahin, Hai So Kaha Na Jayee
Bin Dekhe Parteet Na Aave, Kahe Na Koyee Patiyana
Samajh Hoye To Rabeen Cheenho, Achraj Hoye Ayana
Koi Dhyave Nirakar Ko, Koi Dhyave Aakaara
Ja Bidhi In Dono Te Nyara, Jane Jananhara
Woh Raag To Likhia Na Jayee, Matra Lakhe Na Kana
Kahat Kabir So Padhe Na Parlay, Surat Nirat Jin Jana
Translation
What is seen is not the Truth
What is cannot be expressed
Trust comes not without seeing
Nor understanding without words
The wise comprehends with knowledge
To the ignorant it is but a wonder
Some worship the formless God
Some worship His various forms
In what way He is beyond these attributes
Only the Knower knows
That music cannot be written
How can then be the notes
Says Kabir, awareness alone will overcome illusion
My Understanding
This verse of Kabir deals with the concept of Illusion and Reality. A lot has been written on this issue, yet an average person is trapped in the conflict of illusion and reality. The only Truth - the One Inexpressible God - is obviously beyond expression. In simple words, illusion is something that is mutable or changeable. And, ignorance is to believe this illusion to be true.
Kabir in this verse affirms that only when one becomes aware and regulates one's affairs with awareness, only then one can be free from the pitfalls of illusion.
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Thanks Surya Ji. I agree with your explanation 100%. |
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Actually ' kahat kabir so pde na parley, surat nirat jin jana' Means ' one who knows'surat' and 'nirat', never gets competely destroyed even when whole universe is getting destroyed.' Surat - power to 'see' real god during meditation Nirat - power to 'hear' real god during meditation. These powers cannot be achived through any means except by a ' sant satguru ' or supreme teacher who does it by himself many times a day. Kabir ji was the pioneer in bestowing these powers to his followers. He had 5.2 million devotees.He was given death sentence 52 times bu SIKANDER LODI(mughal king of that time), but everytime he came out alive. Moreover he was not born from a mother, he was placed at LOTUS FLOWER. That time some another devotee was meditating near the lake, saw amazing light and transcedence of a baby on lotus flower. During his death, hindus and muslims in india got in dispute on who will be handling his body after death. So, when kabir ji left his body, his body amazingly got converted into lotus flower leaves , which both hindus and muslims divided equally . Still now in some place (most probably aligarh) there are two tombs side by side, one made by hindus and other by muslims. |
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the beauty and wisdom of kabir words is that each person who throw himself into translation comes with some different,but all in all approaching interpretation, in which by exemple myself,the finding of an obscure word or line suddenly gets clear,I mostly try to read through ali s.jaffri kabir bani and the kabir granthavali commented by rajkishore sharma I have attached myself a solid ignorant,to read in the peculiar form of dialect,finding that the taste of kabir wisdom had much more force and flavour than in english of french ( me french) and a good exercise to wake up the mind in a useful way!! still linda hess and charlotte vaudeville come often to my rescue,its now about ten years now that I started and profit from the little light I get unfortunately its a light like the electricity india lots of load shedding but tons of determination just one thing how kahe kabir so pade na parlay surat nirat jin jana translate as awarness alone will overcome illusion I was hoping always to find a translation which would fit closely the words of the text since kabir puts in his lines a stress on shabd, our interpretations,valid as they are,seem always to me a bit deviating from the original,Must say that sometimes trying myself even the words being clear and known I cannot make a sentence the way I would like without some additional lenght,and it surprise me,admiring the short concise powerful lines, that we have to use so much more verbal effort to come up with a translation which has not in the end the explosive blooming of kabir words sai kabir bandagi |