Kabir Dohas

Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Ub
Pal Mein Pralaya Hoyegi, Bahuri Karoge Kub

Translation

Tomorrows work do today, today's work now
If the moment is lost, the work be done how

My Understanding

This doha is a little difficult to translate, particularly when the words "Pal mein Pralaya Hoyegi", have been translated by many scholars as the doomsday may come at any moment or in similar words. In my understanding Kabir, would not have meant this. He knew more than anyone else that if God is eternal, his creation is also eternal. Also being a Guru, Kabir would not like to talk about doomsday, as he himself was full of life.

In this Doha, Kabir has clearly tried to explain the human tendency of laziness and procrastination. It is a known fact that we all tend to postpone matters, we are indecisive and given a choice we would like others to be doing work and we simply enjoying a cool time. When it comes to us, we try to get away by saying, "Very busy, no time." Don't we?

This lethargy is what Kabir is condemning. Besides, according to me, his emphasis is on now, the present, the moment as it is. Now, that is Life, the moment. It is in the now, in the spontaneousness that one gets energized to do, to achieve, to realize. As they say, it is now or never.

Keeping this context in mind, this Kabir Doha clearly teaches us to shed all procrastination and lethargy. It motivates us to do whatever we have to do, and do it now. If we will keep postponing it, then the work will never be done.


Rajender Krishan
Visual Art by Simi Nallaseth

Views: 258456      Comments: 44


Comments on this Doha

Comment Doha is clearly inspired from upanishads/ Bhagavatam. Human body is given to us for limited time and true goal is to realize one ness with the absolute. So kabir is asking to find a true guru and get the govind darshan before the body is gone or the creation getsdissolved. Withiut understand Hindu knowledge systems there will be really shallow understanding of his poetry.

Abhishek Agrawal

29-Aug-2023 23:39 PM


Comment Well explained! Lesson on time.

annmary

13-Jun-2021 04:06 AM


Comment This is very helpful and very nice

Harihar Pratap Singh

29-Feb-2020 10:55 AM


Comment Parlay here means distruction of something to extend there is no recovery of it. That something is time and our ability to use it for a great potential. We are all souls and part of God, yet we are lost in the world of Maya and illusion of 5 senses. The ask is to not lose this human life, which is extremely rare for us to realize our true nature as soul and know God. He is asking to meditate and stay in current moment, as soon as we can (not could). Those who have taken blessed message from a living enlightened master already, start assimilating the teachings. Those who haven't, find an enlighten Guru who can show you the way out of the myserly of life and death.
What we are losing is the opportunity and choice if we keep procastinating.

Each time we hear God's call we have an opportunity to return to Him. Some of us pass these chances by and go back into the ever-revolving merry-go-round of the world.
SANT RAJINDER SINGH JI MAHARA

Arvind Naik

02-Sep-2019 09:08 AM


Comment With all due respect, maybe it was said with good intention but the latter part appears too negative... It appears someone is asking people to forcibly do work today by creating fear in mind of people... If I am doubtful that I am going to die by tomorrow then rather than doing work to earn money I will prefer enjoying my life.. it doesn't give the feel of live in a moment, it's instead give feel of work forcibly in a moment.. anyways more appropriate as per present time wud be tomorrow we will party if you finish your work today....

Puneet

18-Apr-2019 08:54 AM


Comment hi,
nice explaination

aman chauhan

27-Sep-2016 08:05 AM


Comment I have thought about this couplet for many years. My interpretation is this: If you keep putting off what you must do then it will become pointless whether or not you do it. Pralay (to me) = the flood of time. Time will wash away the meaningfulness of what you do if you fail to do it at the right moment. It is best to do something when you know that your action will have the maximum (good) impact. Otherwise, time will simply wash away the desire and the capacity to do what you should have done. And even if you do it, in the end, after too much delay, it will be meaningless.

Nandan Choksi

30-Mar-2016 01:51 AM


Comment it is so nice mind blowing awesome

manaswini

17-Oct-2015 23:26 PM


Comment nice

muskan

12-Jun-2015 07:27 AM


Comment Thank you!

jyo

01-Apr-2015 04:28 AM


Comment lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
Trollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollolloll

lol

23-Jan-2015 18:21 PM


Comment

IT HELPED MEIN MY SST PROJECT .......!!!!!!

aish

26-Dec-2014 13:43 PM


Comment it's a very nice and mind touching couplet

Hrutvik

23-Nov-2014 00:49 AM


Comment very nice

harsh agrawal

11-Jun-2014 04:56 AM


Comment He was the spiritual guru. So, he pointed his finger to all of us
to take care of our spiritual life and start as early as possible since the life span of human being is very very short.

prabir pal

30-Aug-2013 07:02 AM


Comment In my opinion I believe the second half of the Doha is open to far too much interpretation when it shouldn't, because this causes too much confusion amongst the believers. The first part has always been used correctly because its straightforward. The second part is much more complex but dealt in a logical way I find it as meaning to be this. If your are lazy and delay things which are important, you are giving time for nature to take it course by bringing about disaster, famine and disease. The meaning of this is focused on farming, trader and agriculture of the time. I wouldn't have thought Sant Kabir wouldn't have had to deal with the visionary dimension to see into the future and express his Doha taking into consideration that cars, skyscrapers and money was the most important. Disease is what the body gets from lack of exercise and movement and disaster and famine is the onset of misfortune by nature and disaster is what the land suffers from. The Doha still places a important place today just as much as it will in the future because the Dohas deals with people on grass root level. The word pralaya means disaster or the beginning of the end. Kabir is asking if the pralaya come at a moments notice have you prepared for your end. I am sorry but I don't agree with Mr. Rajender Krishan on the part that Kabir Bhagat was not familiar with doomsday or pralaya. He was a sage of his time his thoughts were divine. One truth we all tend to forget is that death is the ultimate truth there is no other truth with is so precise.

A Bhagat of Kabir Bhagat

26-Aug-2013 17:13 PM


Comment In my opinion I believe the second half of the Doha is open to far too much interpretation when it shouldn't, because this causes too much confusion amongst the believers. The first part has always been used correctly because its straightforward. The second part is much more complex but dealt in a logical way I find it as meaning to be this. If your are lazy and delay things which are important, you are giving time for nature to take it course by bringing about disaster, famine and disease. The meaning of this is focused on farming, trader and agriculture of the time. I wouldn't have thought Sant Kabir would have a visionary dimension to see into the future and express his Doha taking into consideration that cars, skyscrapers and money was the most important. Disease is what the body gets from lack of exercise and movement and disaster and famine is the onset of misfortune by nature and disaster is what the land suffers from. The Doha still places a important place today just as much as it will in the future because the Dohas deals with people on grass root level.

A Bhagat of Kabir Bhagat

26-Aug-2013 08:40 AM


Comment thank you very much u helped mi in completing my homework

Priyanka Singh

05-Aug-2013 11:11 AM


Comment it was wonderful but next time come with more dohe

anupama

31-May-2013 03:00 AM


Comment awesome

awesomeabd

12-May-2013 09:22 AM


Comment thanks for the translation. a very beautiful doha of kabir which gives moral to all . its very important moral for all of us.really time and tide waits for none. time is free but its priceless you can't own it but you can use it.you can't keep it but you can spend it.once you have lost it you can never get it back.

ipkknd

21-Apr-2013 09:01 AM


Comment This doha explaining two things clearly.Number one,you should live in present and number two,your life and death moving on two parallel lines and both can fuse any time and the tomorrow will come never.

Dr. Prakash kachhwal

03-Apr-2013 22:04 PM


Comment very nice, helpful

Hindi

16-Feb-2013 10:10 AM


Comment this is realy truth of the world becouse the time is not stop for any person or any natural calimities so do the work what you want today

sangitamanekar

01-Feb-2013 23:47 PM


Comment While the first sentence of the Doha is clear for many people, several different interpretations exit for "Pal mein Parlaya hoyega"

My interpretation is that, Saint Kabhir really meant that, everything can come to an end within a wink of an eye, especially death. So, if someone is thinking of doing something good either for spiritual benefit or welfare of others, one has to get into it immediately. In the present day world, we really shun the word death, so, to make the doha appealing to everybody, some milder explanation is provided. But, for adults, I feel, the above explanation is right and something which we should be in a position to digest.

The reason I think the above is correct is because, several saints, around that period of time, have voiced similar opinion, that is, you need to embrace the truth of life. Anything that comes from the earth
has to go back to earth. Even Lord Krishna and Lord Ram also had to renounce their bodies before leaving the planet. So, it is not something uncommon that a great realized soul like Khabir das has meant the above interpretation.

Srini

04-Oct-2012 23:50 PM


Comment I think so that KABIR want to say that {you want to do your work at time nd agar ham kaam time par pura n kare to tabahi hoegi
nd sab kabh karenge apna kaam!!!!!!!!!!..............

JIGYASA

26-Sep-2012 05:52 AM


Comment i need hindi essay on subject kal kare so aaj kar, if i need to become a scientiest

milind

06-Sep-2012 11:37 AM


Comment great sayings of saint kabir very nicely translated and explained by rajinder krishenji.

dr.b.b.jolly

06-Aug-2012 13:21 PM


Comment what does "bahuri" mean?

Kundu

18-Apr-2012 03:03 AM


Comment this is really great work done but could you pl explain the the word Bahuri means what

kanav_monga

26-Mar-2012 09:58 AM


Comment I liked from my childhood when iwas in school

himadri dhara

24-Sep-2011 03:27 AM


Comment This IS one of the famous quotes world has ever known...I appericiate It ..Proud To BE AN INDIAN MUSLIM!!!!-even kabir was, wasnt he ??? he raised our nations name so will i !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

randomcitizen

03-Jul-2011 01:42 AM


Comment “Shubham sheegram“
Kabir Ji is dohe me ye kahe rahe hayen ki jo bhi Ache, sundar, shubh aur satya karam aap ko karni haye, usse aaj hi aarambh karro. Aaj se unka matlab haye abhi (now or present time), jab tumhare paas waqt haye aur tumhari saanse chal rahi haye. Koi bhi shubh kaarye kal (future) par mat taalo kyon ki kaal kal ka samay nahi dega. “Pal me pralaye hoyega“ se unka matlab haye ki mrityu (kaal) har pal hamare saath haye aur na jaane kab aakar hamari saanse cheen le. To iss se pahele hamari mrityu aa jaaye, har karne yog karm abhi jeete ji karna shuru kar do. Gaya waqt laut kar nahi aayega to phir karoge kab? Karam se ye bhi prayojan haye ki Jo chaar aashram haye: Bramchaarye; Grahast; Vaan paras aur Sanyaas, inko thik samaye par apna kar aarambh kar dena chahiye. Aalasye, pramod aur prapanch ko tyag kar apne paarmaarthik kartavaye ke liye har manush ko samay rahete uus ke liye prerit ho jaana chaahiye. Kyon ki kaal kal ka samay nahi dega!!!

Anil

10-Mar-2011 19:35 PM


Comment This doha of KABIR is the most inspirational stuff i have ever heard of....
please read my views aon this subject here if you would like to...
http://tarrichmania.blogspot.com/2011/03/tomorrow-next-week-next-month-new-year.html

tarosh

07-Mar-2011 00:45 AM


Comment
I feel that this doha pertains to the procrastination that we do in commencing our devotional life. Human being have a tendency to pospone devotional living to the old age, when they feel that the end is near. I think Kabir is trying to say that since life is unpredictable ( life can end any time), the time to devote our life to God/the almighty is now, not somewhere in the future.

achal

23-Jan-2011 15:48 PM


Comment This was relly the best!
I wanted these 2-liners for my Hindi activity and proved to be really helpfu, besides,
this site found me really very inspirational and moral DOHAS.
Thanks to this site, I even got a great remark as well as a superb score and grade.
HATS OFF TO KABIR AND THANKS TO RAJENDRA

Saba Salahuddin

16-Jan-2011 05:12 AM


Comment a nice poem

syed

09-Dec-2010 02:50 AM


Comment Beautifully,nerrated and your views well put. :The worlds speak for themselves:

Rajendra Maharaj.

13-Nov-2010 21:09 PM


Comment this was really useful for my hindi project

Sri Ranjini

11-Nov-2010 11:14 AM


Comment hello one and all

i think that Kabir wanted to say that you have to do your work on time
coz every living been is does work but those are successful whose work is done on time
time does matters!!

thanks

Sagar Mali

08-Nov-2010 10:10 AM


Comment pal me parlay hoegi - i believe he meant that the time would fly by without one realizing it. its like "EK PAL ME ZINDAGI NIKAL JAEGI" .... that is very natural to happen if one takes off his concentration from the task in hand. "parlay" as such is not the doomsday but the very situation where the act that was to be done for some purpose AND the purpose has been beaten ... the work that had to be done is useless now.

rahul

07-Oct-2010 04:23 AM


Comment Sir,
This is as per my humble understanding goes.......
Irrespective of whether anyone wants or not, dooms day will occur. And i feel Kabirji has rightly mentioned about it.Otherwise we wouldn't be living in this yuga,(Kali Yuga) post the many yugas like the Krita yuga, Tretha yuga etc.

Madhuravani Anandakrishnan

24-Sep-2010 07:13 AM


Comment really useful.................& informative

tina

30-Aug-2010 07:17 AM


Comment Hi,
You are right by saying that Kabir knew eternalness of God and he wanted to talk of Laziness. But here he tried to explain why you should never be lazy. Also that the people are not lazy to postpone the task but it is their mind that makes them lazy. The wavering mind always keep on shuffling the tasks to be done in priority list which creates confusion and a lead time between the two tasks. So if anyone decides the task and finalize and do it in the decided manner this wavering can be avoided.
The similar doha for this
Alasayya kuto vidya, Avidyasya kuto dhanam
Adahanasya kuto mitram, Amitrassya kuto Sukham!!!

J Ravi Bhaskar

22-Jul-2010 22:56 PM





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