Kabir Dohas

Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye

Translation

Reading books everyone died, none became any wise
One who reads the word of Love, only becomes wise

My Understanding

To understand this doha in its true perspective is important. We all read and now with tremendous media exposure, we are seemingly more informed. Everyone seems to know everything. Yet, the truth is that inspite of all this information, there is no awareness.   We are not at peace. There is a lot of frustration all around.  Our minds are not quiet and relaxed.  We talk of Love but have no compassion.  Selfishness, greed, fear, hatred and similar tendencies seem to grip us all the time. Why?

I have found myself in this quagmire a number of times.

Kabir in this doha shows the way, in his simple but dynamic style. He daringly says that despite all our readings, despite all our knowledge, we cannot become wise.  Only if we 'read' Love, become loving and loveable, only then wisdom will dawn on us.  Only then Life will be worth living.

 


Rajender Krishan
Visual Art by Simi Nallaseth

Views: 98447      Comments: 31


Comments on this Doha

Comment literally amazing lines!

preeti

04-Jan-2017 02:29 AM


Comment

Very Nice Script of Dhoha


Love is Emotional

Manmohan Singh

13-Jul-2015 06:00 AM


Comment You go to sadguru and he will says this dohas meaning

HIRWANI

21-Feb-2015 06:23 AM


Comment One of my favorite doha by Kabirji. Though my mother tongue is not Hindi, I learned Hindi in school. From what I was thought, the doha means "The world is dumb even after learning all the books. No one became knowledgeable" "Learn the word called love and become knowledgeable"

I think mua stands for moorak.

This doha applies even today. Awesome!

Arun

12-Aug-2014 12:02 PM


Comment This is a very famous doha from Kabir Das, which I was searching with meaning. Thanks for the explanation. Though not a Hindi speaking person, I have studied Hindi and I think the verse is not written correctly and the meaning given is also not correct. "Podhe padh padh, not pad"; "dhaaee akshar prem ka..." I think the meaning is this: No one becomes a learned man (pandith) by mere book learning. Truly wise person is he who has understood the meaning of the two and half letters PREM (p-re and half m). Here, mere earthly love is not intended such as between two lovers. That kind of love changes over time and at least vanishes with death. So what is constant? It is the Love of God. The person who has understood this is the true pandit. Kabirji advises us to love God and his creations, man and animals alike. That is seflless love. When selfishness goes, love comes in the mind and that is true Love. Material love is good, but inferior. In life's journey, if one does not understand this and always goes after selfish things till death, that life is wasted...." "Reading books, everyone died." We kill our own passion for Truth when we settle for the symbols of Truth. Whether the symbol is carved out of stone or wood or gold or written on papyrus, it is the hand of a human that creates that symbol. The real Truth is not something created by human hands. Never has. Never will. The real Truth is not tied up in symbols. Those who cling to the names, the words, and the so-called "holy" places on the face of this Earth, and those who worship these symbols with fierce abandon, they die even while they live. The holiest of all places is within you and me!!! This is what needs to be worshipped more than any symbol!!!

Kabir is telling us that to be truly wise, we need to read the words of Love itself. The words of Love cannot be found in a book or a scripture. The words of Love are to be found in your own being - your own heart. Here is where you and I can know the richest of the rich. Kabir cannot eat for you. Nor can he taste for you. He cannot know the taste of an orange for you - you must know yourself what the real Truth is. Only Love itself can make you wise. Only Love itself can fill you with unfathomable joy. Only Love itself can fill you with unfathomable clarity and understanding. The words of Love come to us as feelings - feelings that teach - feelings that imbue knowledge. "Belief" is like the flower on a tree that precedes the coming of the fruit. Knowledge is the fruit. When the fruit of knowledge comes, the petal of belief falls away. Having served its’ purpose, it is no longer needed now that knowledge has arrived. The real truth shines in a place that does not require our vocabulary. In this place, the King of all knowledge becomes obvious.

rita

14-Apr-2014 05:52 AM


Comment pandit koi nahi ho paya........ magar dekhiye na kabir ji!!! log aab bhi pothi padh rahe h aur padha rahe h!!!

DEEPAK RUDRA KANTI

22-Sep-2013 17:39 PM


Comment I LIKE STROY

PRATIKSHA

17-Jun-2013 01:04 AM


Comment kabir wants to say that studying of holy books is totally useless till you not understand them .only message of each and every book is to love everyone.

Dr. Prakash kachhwal

31-May-2013 21:59 PM


Comment I think a little nearer rendering might be

In this world, by reading books, none became any wise
By reading the four letters of Love, wisdom does arise

Vijay

19-Apr-2013 04:17 AM


Comment nice lines kabeer g

Deepak jaswal

12-Mar-2013 06:35 AM


Comment very very good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

manasa

09-Jan-2013 11:23 AM


Comment I likes Kabir doho from my childhood,

Denis Anthony

03-Aug-2012 08:54 AM


Comment ye sach hai sirf kitab padh lene se hi koi gyanwan nahi ban jaata--jisne prem ko nahi padha wo kabhi gyani nahi ban sakta--

ARUN TRIVEDI

31-Jul-2012 06:46 AM


Comment I likes Kabir's doha, each doha give us a lesion to learn some moral etc.

Denis Anthony

31-Jul-2012 06:35 AM


Comment This is a very famous doha from Kabir Das, which I was searching with meaning. Thanks for the explanation. Though not a Hindi speaking person, I have studied Hindi and I think the verse is not written correctly and the meaning given is also not correct. "Podhe padh padh, not pad"; "dhaaee akshar prem ka..." I think the meaning is this: No one becomes a learned man (pandith) by mere book learning. Truly wise person is he who has understood the meaning of the two and half letters PREM (p-re and half m). Here, mere earthly love is not intended such as between two lovers. That kind of love changes over time and at least vanishes with death. So what is constant? It is the Love of God. The person who has understood this is the true pandit. Kabirji advises us to love God and his creations, man and animals alike. That is seflless love. When selfishness goes, love comes in the mind and that is true Love. Material love is good, but inferior. In life's journey, if one does not understand this and always goes after selfish things till death, that life is wasted...."

Suresh Shenoy

10-Jun-2012 14:00 PM


Comment True lines never lies. Great ideas remember for ever.

Shahrukh Asundaria

30-Mar-2012 00:15 AM


Comment nice doha!!! loves in the air........

Priyam sharma

21-Mar-2012 06:16 AM


Comment this doha is very good

sehaj verma

15-Aug-2011 04:44 AM


Comment so nic doha of kabir

bharat bhushan

24-Feb-2011 12:33 PM


Comment kabir ji here is taking about the eternal love for god, jisne use paa liya usne sab kuch pa liya , he alone is pandit and gyani

sudhir

20-Feb-2011 02:25 AM


Comment Awonder ful line by kabir ..and it really a truth which no one can denied.

santosh

13-Feb-2011 10:57 AM


Comment Wonderful and essential to be practiced

krishnamurthy

11-Feb-2011 04:58 AM


Comment "Reading books, everyone died." We kill our own passion for Truth when we settle for the symbols of Truth. Whether the symbol is carved out of stone or wood or gold or written on papyrus, it is the hand of a human that creates that symbol. The real Truth is not something created by human hands. Never has. Never will. The real Truth is not tied up in symbols. Those who cling to the names, the words, and the so-called "holy" places on the face of this Earth, and those who worship these symbols with fierce abandon, they die even while they live. The holiest of all places is within you and me!!! This is what needs to be worshipped more than any symbol!!!

Kabir is telling us that to be truly wise, we need to read the words of Love itself. The words of Love cannot be found in a book or a scripture. The words of Love are to be found in your own being - your own heart. Here is where you and I can know the richest of the rich. Kabir cannot eat for you. Nor can he taste for you. He cannot know the taste of an orange for you - you must know yourself what the real Truth is. Only Love itself can make you wise. Only Love itself can fill you with unfathomable joy. Only Love itself can fill you with unfathomable clarity and understanding. The words of Love come to us as feelings - feelings that teach - feelings that imbue knowledge. "Belief" is like the flower on a tree that precedes the coming of the fruit. Knowledge is the fruit. When the fruit of knowledge comes, the petal of belief falls away. Having served its’ purpose, it is no longer needed now that knowledge has arrived. The real truth shines in a place that does not require our vocabulary. In this place, the King of all knowledge becomes obvious.

M. Donahoe

23-Dec-2010 21:50 PM


Comment on the same line ...."Chahe Geeta Baanchiye, Ya Padiye Kuraan
Tera Mera Pyar hi , Har pustak ka Gyan "...

Vivek Joshi

14-Nov-2010 02:32 AM


Comment Its fun reading these Dohas

Madhu

27-Oct-2010 09:31 AM


Comment this doha is universal truth.

rksaluja

10-Oct-2010 12:27 PM


Comment it is very very very meaningful dohas of kabir


aparna

07-Oct-2010 11:45 AM


Comment That is very good doha of kabir

DEVANAND MAHAWAR

07-Oct-2010 08:25 AM


Comment so lovely.

chhotu kumar jha

23-Sep-2010 04:54 AM


Comment Thanks for the definition I want to add into that.

What Kabirji want to state that essence of learning is love or wisdom, if one doesnot have love his all knowledge and lerning is useless

Debojyoti

06-Sep-2010 07:38 AM


Comment Thanks for these great posts. It is Kabirji's genius that can be seen through his dohas. Another literal translation, that I have personally noted to be true, implies that one can study a subject matter all they like but only if one has true passion for the subject matter would one become an expert in it or gain an indepth understanding. Thanks.

Deepak

30-Jul-2010 17:11 PM





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