Boloji.com is not affiliated with any other website.
Boloji.com is not affiliated with any other website.
Jun 02, 2026
Jun 02, 2026
Transliteration:
Aasaa
Barah Baras Baalpan Beete Bees Baras Kachu Tap Na Kiyo
Tees Baras Kachu Dev Na Puja Fir Pachhtana Birdhi Bhayo
Mere Meri Karte Janam Gaiyo
Sadhru Sokhi Bhunj Balayio
Sooke Sarvar Paal Bandhave Lune Kheti Hath Vaar Kare
Aaiyo Chor Turant Le Gaiyo Meri Rakhat Mugadh Fire
Charan Sees Kar Kampan Laage Naninee Neer Asaar Bhaey
Jihva Bachnu Sudh Nahin Nikse Tab Re Dharam Ki Aas Kare
Hari Jiyo Kirpa Kare Liv Laave Laha Hari Hari Naam Liyo
Gur Parsadi Hari Dhan Payiyo Antey Chaldiya Naal Chaliyo
Kahat Kabir Sunhu Re Santo Aan Dhan Kachu Lai Na Gayio
Aai Talab Gopal Rar Ki Maya Mandir Chodh Chaliyo
-- (SGGS, Pg. No. 479)
Life Stages Elucidated by Kabir
Translation:
Aasaa:
Twelve years pass in childhood, and for another twenty years,
he does not practice self-discipline and austerity.
Next thirty years, he does not worship God in any way,
and then, when he is old, he repents and regrets. ||1||
His life wastes away while he cries out, "Mine, mine!," after the material possessions.
The pool of his physical power has dried up, and the body strength has depleted. ||1||Pause||
(At this stage he tries to ward death of by) making a dam around the dried-up pool,
and with his hands, he makes a fence around the harvested field.
When the thief of Death comes, he quickly takes away
what the fool had tried to preserve as his own. ||2||
His feet and head and hands begin to tremble,
and eyes are watery. Unable to pronounce the words correctly
(because of age – known as acquired stuttering),
but now, he hopes to practice religion! ||3||
If the Dear God shows His Mercy, one enshrines love for Him,
and obtains the Profit of the God's Naam.
By Guru's Grace, he receives the wealth of the God's Naam,
which alone shall go with him, when he departs in the end. ||4||
Says Kabir, listen, O Saints - he shall not take any other wealth with him.
When the summons comes from the King, the God of the Universe,
the mortal departs, leaving behind his wealth and mansions. ||5||2||15||
Commentary
| Age Bracket | Life Stage | Remarks |
| Up to 12 | Childhood | First twelve years of human life are spent in childhood - exploring everything but being nurtured, taken care of, protected, and provided for by the family. |
| Next 20 | Youth | Next twenty are spent making friends and playing with them. At home and school, the child learns to gain independence, confidence, finds a sense of identity, and prepares to face the world. From an adolescent s/he has developed into a young adult; full of vigor, sees her/his own beauty (becoming a kind of a little narcissistic). S/he is now physically and mentally ready to explore the world and also form intimate and loving relationships outside the family and start a new family. |
| Next 30 | Prime | At this stage, the development of physical strength and mental capabilities are at its peak. The person raises a family, becomes a productive member of society. Apparently, the forties are the average mid-point of life span as well as its peak, like a parabolic curve. A confirmation for it emerges from the data on the average age of research of Nobel laurates which is 44.1. It indicates that they had started their research in their field when they were at this stage of their lives. Although they may have been awarded their Nobel prize at a much later age. |
| Remaing | Old Age | After the peak, a slow, and irreversible decline towards old age sets in. The stride starts missing a beat and the person starts slowing down. As the decline progresses one finds that forgetting details has become second nature, memory impairment is noticeable. Walk and talk become impaired and feet and hands tremble. Most folks with dementia, Alzheimer, and Parkinson disease are from the age group of the sixties. It is also termed as becoming senile. Over time one experiences frailty, and inability to take care of oneself without assistance from others. Certain physical activities of life become beyond reach; this becomes a new reality in life. Now the essentials of life are reading glasses, dentures, hearing aids, walker/walking cane, and medicines etc. The body joints need replacements, heart, cholesterol and diabetes become health concerns. |
| Way Out | At Any Age | Kabir is showing an opening to get out of the life cycle. The antidote is Naam. The literal translation for the word in English is name. But the term transcends literal translation to encompass the vast array of Creator God’s divine qualities and virtues. When the Naam is imbibed, then one becomes virtuous like the Creator. The process is in internalization and getting Creator’s Grace. Kabir Ji concludes by saying that one leaves all other material wealth and assets behind in this world. It is the wealth of Naam alone that one can take with him/her from this world. In other words, Naam is only tangible asset one can take after leaving this world, while everything else remains here only. |
June 2, 2026
Artwork by Arpana Caur