Recollection

1          kabir sumiran sar hai, aur sakal janjal;

            adi ant sab sodhiya, dutiya dekho kal.

 

Meaning

 

Kabir says: "The recollection of God's name is the essence of all essences, and other methods of devotion are just useless.

Searching from the beginning to the end, I discovered that other methods lead to trouble".

 

Commentary

 

The best way to do devotion is to recite God's name. Though there are other methods, they start with trouble and lead to trouble. When the devotee wants to come out of them, he finds that he is already trapped in them.

  

2         tat tilak tihu lok me,            satnam nij sar;

            jan kabir mastak diya,        shobha agam apar.

 

Meaning

 

Saheb says: "The essence of God's name which is "Sat Nam" is the greatest in the three worlds.

I place it on my forehead, and it gives me matchless beauty".

 

Commentary

 

People put on the mark of sandalwood paste on their foreheads, but Kabir Saheb says that, instead of putting the mark of sandalwood paste, one has to accept the greatness of God's name on his head. It is the greatest of all, and it leads the devotee to salvation.

 

 3        lene ko hari nam hai, dene ko annadan,

            tarane ko adhinata, duban ko abhiman.

 

Meaning

 

In this world the only thing to take is the name of God and the only thing to give is food.

The only thing to liberate us is humble devotion, and the only thing to drown us is egotism.

 

Commentary

 

Only a humble person can walk on the path of devotion and get liberation from this worldly ocean. An egotistic person never gets liberation. If you want liberation, be humble. Devotion leads you to salvation and egotism to bondage.

 

 4         dukh men sumiran sab karai, sukh me karai na koi;

            jo sukh men sumiran karai, toh dukh kahe ko hoi.

 

Meaning

 

All pray to God when they suffer, but not when they enjoy pleasures.

If they prayed to Him at the time of pleasure, why should they have to suffer?

 

Commentary

 

By praying to God one can remove his sufferings. Sincere and unselfish prayer removes present sufferings, and prevents future ones. It is, therefore, better to pray at the time of pleasure also. God cannot be bribed.

 

 5         mala toh kar me phire, jibh phire mukh mahi;

            manuwa toh chahu dis phire, so toh sumiran nahi.

 

Meaning

 

The rosary is moving in the hand, and the tongue is moving in the mouth.

And the mind is wandering all around. Certainly, that is not sumiran or recollection of God's name.

 

Commentary

 

Many people do sumiran or pray by moving beads of the rosary in their hands, and at the same time they talk of worldly things. Their mind remains restless. They move the rosary to make a show of their devotion. Real sumiran is recollection of God's name, charged by the Guru, with the concentration of the mind.

 

 6         mala pherat jug gaya, gaya na man ka pher;

            karka manka dari de, manka manka pher.

 

Meaning

 

Ages have gone while moving the rosary in the hand, but the roaming of the mind has not gone.

Therefore, give up the bead from your hand, and make your mind the bead and turn it with the name of God.

 

Commentary

 

A rosary helps in sumiran for counting, but presence of mind is necessary. If the mind is not there, then movement of the rosary is useless. It is just like a chain moving on the wheel of a machine. For sumiran one has to make the rosary of his mind.

 

 7        mala toh hai kath ki, usame dala sut;

            mala bichari kya kare, japane wala kaput.

 

Meaning

 

Rosary is made of wooden beads, which are strung on a thread.

What can the poor mala (rosary) do if the person using it is unworthy?

 

Commentary

 

If someone moves a mala honestly for concentration of the mind, using God's name with every bead, then the mala is useful, otherwise the mala made of sandalwood, or of glass, or of any other material, and thread, is useless. It depends on the person who is using it.

 

 8         kabir suta kya kare, jagi na jape murai;

            ek din aisa sowana, lambe paw pasari.

 

Meaning

 

Kabir says: "O man! What are you doing sleeping in ignorance? Why don't you wake up and recite the name of God? 

One day you will have to sleep with your arms and legs outstretched, and you will never wake up".

 

Commentary

 

If a person does not recite the name of God, there is no difference between his waking and sleeping. The sleep of ignorance will lead him to bondage, and at last he will depart from the world regretfully.

 

 9         katha kirtan kali vishai, bhowsagar ki naw;

            kahe kabir jan taran ko, nahi awr upaw.

 

Meaning

 

In this age, religious gathering and chanting of God's name is the boat to cross the ocean.

Kabir Saheb says that there are no other means to liberation for the common people in this world.

 

Commentary

 

In this age people do not have time to do austerity. They cannot pray to God all the time, so the best way for them is to gather together to pray and to chant God's name. This is a simple path for them to obtain salvation.