Twenty Dohas of saint Khabir in english.

My effort  is   to introduce  the contributions   of the great saint  Kabir   to  my friends   who do not  know Hindi.  I  am sure  you would appreciate   this great saint   and start searching  for more translations of his work  . May God  bless you.

Twenty  Dohas  of saint  Khabir

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

   Saint Kabir  was born in a Mulim family in 15^th centuary  . Later he became  disciple  of a  great Guru called  Ramananda.He was  a very great poet and Guru  and has mostly used  two lines  called  Dohas to express  himself ,They   are pithy  expressions of great wisdom  .He can be compared   to the great Valluvar   who also   used   the kural poetic style which  again had  only two lines. While  saint Valluvar   was a treasure  of wisdom,. Kabir was a  a combined treasure  of great wisdom and Pithy  sarcasm  .He has written  his dohas   using many dialects of Hindi which  I am not conversant  .But  I want  My friends    who do not know Hindi   the  greatness  of this very great saint .So I am just giving translation   of  twenty  of his Dohas. This would introduce   you to  saint Kabir . He has got a huge following in nOrth India who are  called  Kabir Panthis.

1.Chintha aisa   dakini  , khat khaleja  khaye  ,

Vaid Bichara  Kya kare  , Kahan thak  dawa lagaye.

1.Worry  is like a thief  and it  eats one’s heart,

What can poor doctor do  , for  how far  will the medicine reach

2.Kabira  , garv na  keejiye , uncha deek aavaass,

Kal  paron  punya  Letna, ouper  jamsi grass.

2.Do not be proud Kabir  , looking at  tall residences,

Tomorrow  you would under feet and grass  will grow on your  top.

3.Jo naino may Putli  , thyon malik  ghat mein,

Mookrkha log   na janhi  bahar  dudan jahi

3.Just like eye balls are inside the eye  , your God is within you,

Not knowing this  foolish people  search for him outside

4.Jab tun  aaya jagat mein  , log hanse  , Tu Roye,

Aise Karni na kari  , Pancha Hase   sab koye

4.When you came in this world,  People laughed  and you cried,

Do not do such actions that when you go  then also they laugh.

5.Chalthi chakki  dekh kar  , Dhiya Kabire  Roye,

S Do paataan  ke beech  main  , sabit  bacha  na koye.

5.The lamp of Kabir cried on seeing a grinding  stone,

For when  you  are  in between the stones, no one survives.

6.Bura  jo dekhan mein   chala.Buraa naa milya j koyi,

Jo man koja  apnaa , to mujase  bura na koi

6.I went in search of a bad fellow but I  could not get anyone  who is bad,

Then I searched   within my mind and found nobody was  nastier than me.

7.Kal kare  so Aaj kar  , Aaj kare  tho ab,

Pal may pralaya  hoyegi ,poori  karoge  kab.

7.If you want it to  do anything tomorrow, do it today,

If you want to do anything   today  , do it now,

Within a second deluge can come , how can you do it then?

8.Mala tho kar maein phire  , jeeb phire   muh mein,

Manua   tho  chahun   dish phire  , Yeh  tho  simran nahi

8.The  rosary is rotating  in the hand, the toungue  is rotating in the mouth  ,

The Mind  rotates   as  it likes, then  it is not  meditation.

9.Manus  janam  durlabh  hai  , mile  na barambar,

Pakka  phal   jo gir para , bauri  na lage  dar.

9.To get human birth  is difficult   as you will not get it again and again,

For when a ripe fruit falls from tree , it can be never be   attached   again.

10.Sain ithna  deejiye , jame  kutum samai,

Mein bhi   bukha  na rahu  , sadhu na bukha jai

10.God give me only what is needed to manage  my family ,

So that  I would not starve , nor would the sadhu   starve.

11.Rukha  sukha  khaike , thanda  pani pee ,

Dekh parai   chupadi  math  lalchjo ji.

11.Eat   dry food  and drink  cool water,

And do not look a buttered Roti  and long for it.

12.Kabir  saab jag nirdhana , dhanvantha nai kohi,

Dhanvantha  so janiye  , ram nam dhan hoi

12.Kabir says , Lord , the  whole world is poor  as there is no one who is rich,

Understand that only one with wealth of “name of Rama”  is rich,

13.Kathani  mithi  khand si, karni vish  ki loi,

Kathani  chaandhi karni kare , vish ka amrith  hoi.

13.Words are like sugar candy   but actions are  like poison,

But instead of words  action is good, even poison   would become nectar.

14.Madhur  vachan hai aushadhi, ktuk  vachan  hai   tir,

SRavan  dwar  hwai sanchare , sale  sakal   sarir

14,Sweet words   are medicines  , harsh words are  arrows,

And they  enter through ears and hurt the  entire body.

15,Meetha  sabse  boliye, sukh  upaje  chahu  aur,

Baseekaran  yaha  manthra  hai  , tajiye  bachan kator

15.Talk sweetly with all  and   create joy for   all,

This is the manthra  of attraction  and so give up words which are  harsh.

16.Kaga  kako  dhan hare , koyal  kajo dhiya  ,

Meethe bachan   sunai ke , jag apni   kari leya

16.Crow does not rob one;s wealth nor does koel give it,

But it speaks   sweet words    and enchants     the world.

17,Awath  gari  yek hai  , ultai hoth anek,

Kahe  kabir  na  ultayiye, rahi ek hi ek.

17.Harsh abuse is one  but  harsh reply makes  it many  ,

Says Kabir, Do not reply   , so that  it remains  as one.

18.JO  took  kata bowai  , tako  bo thum phool,

Toko phool ke phool hai  , wako hai   trishul.

18.When some one puts thorns on the way, put  flowers in his,

Then at  heaven you will get flowers   and he thorns.

19.Aj  kahe  hari  kal  bhajunga , kal kahe   phir kal,

Aj  kal  karath  hi avasar  jasi chal.

19.Today you would say , I will pray  Hari  tomorrow,

And when tomorrow  comes  , say tomorrow   and so on,

And by making today as  tomorrow, you lose  your chance.

20.AAya hai   so Jayega  , raja, rank, fakir,

Koi singhasan   charih chale  koi bandhe  jat  janjeer.

20.The one who comes will go  whether  he is king  , poor person or a saint  ,

But one of them will occupy the  throne and another  may be handcuffed.