Bhagat Kabir Ji’s wisdom on 475, SGGS, is worth knowing about the Creator and us:
ਆਸਾ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣ ਲਾਗਿ ਹਮ ਬਿਨਵਤਾ ਪੂਛਤ ਕਹ ਜੀਉ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
ਕਵਨ ਕਾਜਿ ਜਗੁ ਉਪਜੈ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਕਹਹੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਸਮਝਾਇਆ ॥1॥
Āsā sarī Kabīr jī-o.
Gur cẖaraṇ lāg ham binvaṯā pūcẖẖaṯ kah jī-o pā-i-ā.
Kavan kāj jag upjai binsai kahhu mohi samjẖā-i-ā. ||1||
Raag Asa, the bani of Bhagat Kabir.
In essence: Bowing to my Guru humbly, I ask, “Why the mortal is created? What is the reason that the world comes into existence and perishes? Please explain it to me
ਦੇਵ ਕਰਹੁ ਦਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਲਾਵਹੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਭੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਤੂਟੈ ॥
ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖ ਫੇੜ ਕਰਮ ਸੁਖ ਜੀਅ ਜਨਮ ਤੇ ਛੂਟੈ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ḏev karahu ḏa-i-ā mohi mārag lāvhu jiṯ bẖai banḏẖan ṯūtai.
Janam maran ḏukẖ feṛ karam sukẖ jī-a janam ṯe cẖẖūtai. ||1|| Rahā-o.
(The continuity of the thought) Oh Satiguru! Show your kindness by putting me on that path, which cuts my bonds off; consequently, I can get free from the done deeds, all the entanglements of life and the pain of birth and death. Pause.
It is obvious; Bhagat Kabir addresses a few questions expressed in the above verses. It appears he asks those questions from his Guru. As we study the interpretation of Dr. Sahib Singh, it is hard to understand if the asked questions are answered. The interpreter of Freed Kote Wala Teeka adds his own ideas. We shall try if we can get the idea Bhagat Kabir is trying to convey to us.
ਮਾਇਆ ਫਾਸ ਬੰਧ ਨਹੀ ਫਾਰੈ ਅਰੁ ਮਨ ਸੁੰਨਿ ਨ ਲੂਕੇ ॥
ਆਪਾ ਪਦੁ ਨਿਰਬਾਣੁ ਨ ਚੀਨ੍ਹਿਹਆ ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਅਭਿਉ ਨ ਚੂਕੇ ॥2॥
Mā-i-ā fās banḏẖ nahī fārai ar man sunn na lūke.
Āpā paḏ nirbāṇ na cẖīnĥi-ā in biḏẖ abẖi-o na cẖūke. ||2||
In essence: (Answers) as long as one doesn’t get rid of the Maya bonds, one’s mind doesn’t settle in a state of equipoise. As long as one doesn’t realize one’s “inner self”, one’s doubts do not go away (what doubts? Are we separate from Him or we are His part and so on).
Now, the question regarding why the world comes and goes is addressed:
ਕਹੀ ਨ ਉਪਜੈ ਉਪਜੀ ਜਾਣੈ ਭਾਵ ਅਭਾਵ ਬਿਹੂਣਾ ॥
ਉਦੈ ਅਸਤ ਕੀ ਮਨ ਬੁਧਿ ਨਾਸੀ ਤਉ ਸਦਾ ਸਹਜਿ ਲਿਵ ਲੀਣਾ ॥3॥
Kahī na upjai upjī jāṇai bẖāv abẖāv bihūṇā.
Uḏai asaṯ kī man buḏẖ nāsī ṯa-o saḏā sahj liv līṇā. ||3||
Actually, His creation is not separate in existence, but one thinks that way, because one lacks the understanding of Ekankar’s manifestation in the creation and also His being without any formally existence. Once one stops thinking about birth and death, one can go in the state of equipoise.
ਜਿਉ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਬਿੰਬੁ ਬਿੰਬ ਕਉ ਮਿਲੀ ਹੈ ਉਦਕ ਕੁੰਭੁ ਬਿਗਰਾਨਾ ॥
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਐਸਾ ਗੁਣ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਭਾਗਾ ਤਉ ਮਨੁ ਸੁੰਨਿ ਸਮਾਨਾਂ ॥4॥1॥
Ji-o parṯibimb bimb ka-o milī hai uḏak kumbẖ bigrānā.
Kaho Kabīr aisā guṇ bẖaram bẖāgā ṯa-o man sunn samānāʼn. ||4||1||
We see the reflection of something in the pitcher full of water, and see it vanishing as the pitcher breaks down; in the same way is Prabh’s creation. Kabir says: If such understanding comes and the doubt about two separate existences goes away, the mind settles in the equipoise.
Now let us look at the ideas Bhagat Kabir is conveying after putting some questions. Why the mortal is sent here? Answer is to understand one’s inner self: what is it. Second question: why the world comes and goes? Answer given is this that the bonds of Maya don’t allow the mind to dispel its duality and doubt. Because of that, the mortal cannot achieve the state of void (Sehaj). How these bonds can be broken? Answer is to understand one’s inner self. So, what is all this creation and why it is coming and going? Answer is that there is no existence without Ekankar. It comes like a reflection in the pitcher filled with water; we see a reflection in the water and it disappears, as the pitcher is broken. The soul is seen because of the body and its life, but both perish like the reflection in broken pitcher. As it was there because of water, the creation is there because of Ekankar.
Wishes
G. Singh
