[salok] Bhagat Kabeer Jeeo Kae

[lowest of the low singhni]

vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

ਕਬੀਰ ਮਰਤਾ ਮਰਤਾ ਜਗੁ ਮੂਆ ਮਰਿ ਭੀ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਕੋਇ ॥

kabeer martaa martaa jag moo-aa mar bhee na jaani-aa ko-ay

Kabeer, dying, dying, the whole world has to die, and yet, none know how to die.

ਐਸੇ ਮਰਨੇ ਜੋ ਮਰੈ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਨ ਮਰਨਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੨੯॥

aisay marnay jo marai bahur na marnaa ho-ay

Let those who die, die such a death, that they shall never have to die again.

“marta” = dying

“jag” = world

“jaani-aa” = know

“bahur” = again

Bhagat Kabeer Ji highlights one of the fundamental certainties in life in this Salok – the fact that someday, we all must die. The translation given up above is quite literal and this Salok can be interpreted on more than one level.

Firstly physical death – most of the people in the world are basically living in order to die (eventually). Not many of us realise how important death is, and how valuable this life is. We fear death, not realising that we can eradicate that fear by meditating on Maharaj at every opportunity we get. We don’t realise that we could die any day or any minute, and that it is all Maharaj’s sweet Hukam. We’re more interested in having a nice time – but this life is hardly a second of our existence.

The only reason we think of things as having time limitations is because of the Sun – it goes from East to West and we think a day has passed. Maharaj is not limited by ‘time’. But Maharaj says we have been through countless life-forms to become human – we’ve been elephants and mountains. If we imagine the time-span of a mountain’s existence, it gives us only a tiny inkling of how long we’ve waited and how valuable this life is. Yet we throw away what we have by forgetting Maharaj who has given us everything.

For Gurmukhs who make full use of this chance it’s possible to merge with Maharaj within this life itself. When their physical bodies died, Dharamraj would bow down to them and rip up their life-account, having no power to judge those Gurmukhs who have so lovingly submitted their entire bodies and minds to their King. Their would be no more wandering through the 8.4 million lives, and everlasting peace.

Secondly; the other type of death, where the mind is cooled and calmed instead of burning away through Maya and other vices. I’ve heard some say that every soul in the world is waiting to be liberated and that one day Kaljug will be overcome and every soul will Jap Naam. I’m not sure of the Panktee which backs this idea up.

Spiritual death has been mentioned before in Bhagat Kabeer Ji’s Saloks – involving the concept of surrendering *everything* to Akaal Purakh; our bodies, souls, minds, everything. I can’t describe this state of mind.

How we can be saved.

There are probably more, deeper meanings to this Salok – as there are for every limb in Gurbani. Time is short right now, but please add more ideas if there is a need to :D .

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vaheguru ji ka khalsa vaheguru ji ki fateh

[lowest of the low singhni]

*not sure why this ended up being posted twice :D - if admin have time, please delete this topic*