Re: Kabīr jis marne ṯe jag darai mere man ānanḏ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਮਰਨੇ ਤੇ ਜਗੁ ਡਰੈ ਮੇਰੇ Ą
Wow! Thank you for asking a question about such a powerful collection of shaloks!
Unfortunately many of us can't understand Prof. Sahib Singh's darpan, so here's my very uneducated take on the Gurbani. There is so much I don't understand, but I hope I've got some hint of a small thread being woven through these amazing pages. Apologies in advance if I've got the wrong end of the stick.
The tuk in the OP is from a series of shaloks by Kabir, starting on
panna 1364 and numbering from 1 to 208 before Guru Arjan adds to the mix. If we read from the beginning we get a broader context for the tuk in question in the OP. I'll pull out some of the more explicit shaloks, but if you read from the beginning you get the full effect of this exhilitaring collection! Wow!
ਕਬੀਰ ਐਸਾ ਏਕੁ ਆਧੁ ਜੋ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਿਰਤਕੁ ਹੋਇ ॥
Kabīr aisā ek āḏẖ jo jīvaṯ mirṯak ho▫e.
Kabeer, rare is such a person, who remains dead while yet alive.
ਨਿਰਭੈ ਹੋਇ ਕੈ ਗੁਨ ਰਵੈ ਜਤ ਪੇਖਉ ਤਤ ਸੋਇ ॥੫॥
Nirbẖai ho▫e kai gun ravai jaṯ pekẖa▫o ṯaṯ so▫e. ||5||
Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, he is fearless. Wherever I look, the Lord is there. ||5||
ਕਬੀਰ ਜਾ ਦਿਨ ਹਉ ਮੂਆ ਪਾਛੈ ਭਇਆ ਅਨੰਦੁ ॥
Kabīr jā ḏin ha▫o mū▫ā pācẖẖai bẖa▫i▫ā anand.
Kabeer, on the day when I die, afterwards there shall be bliss.
ਮੋਹਿ ਮਿਲਿਓ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਆਪਨਾ ਸੰਗੀ ਭਜਹਿ ਗਬਿੰਦੁ ॥੬॥
Mohi mili▫o parabẖ āpnā sangī bẖajėh gobinḏ. ||6||
I shall meet with my Lord God. Those with me shall meditate and vibrate on the Lord of the Universe. ||6||
...
ਕਬੀਰ ਸੂਖੁ ਨ ਏਂਹ ਜੁਗਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਜੁ ਬਹੁਤੈ ਮੀਤ ॥
Kabīr sūkẖ na eʼnh jug karahi jo bahuṯai mīṯ.
Kabeer, peace does not come in this world by making lots of friends.
ਜੋ ਚਿਤੁ ਰਾਖਹਿ ਏਕ ਸਿਉ ਤੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਨੀਤ ॥੨੧॥
Jo cẖiṯ rākẖahi ek si▫o ṯe sukẖ pāvahi nīṯ. ||21||
Those who keep their consciousness focused on the One Lord shall find eternal peace. ||21||
Here is the tuk in question in the OP:
ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਮਰਨੇ ਤੇ ਜਗੁ ਡਰੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨਿ ਆਨੰਦੁ ॥
Kabīr jis marne ṯe jag darai mere man ānanḏ.
Kabeer, the world is afraid of death - that death fills my mind with bliss.
ਮਰਨੇ ਹੀ ਤੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਪੂਰਨੁ ਪਰਮਾਨੰਦੁ ॥੨੨॥
Marne hī ṯe pā▫ī▫ai pūran parmānanḏ. ||22||
It is only by death that perfect, supreme bliss is obtained. ||22||
...
ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹੁ ਤਨੁ ਜਾਇਗਾ ਕਵਨੈ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਲਾਇ ॥
Kabīr ih ṯan jā▫igā kavnai mārag lā▫e.
Kabeer, this body shall perish; place it on the path.
ਕੈ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਧ ਕੀ ਕੈ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ॥੨੮॥
Kai sangaṯ kar sāḏẖ kī kai har ke gun gā▫e. ||28||
Either join the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, or sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||28||
ਕਬੀਰ ਮਰਤਾ ਮਰਤਾ ਜਗੁ ਮੂਆ ਮਰਿ ਭੀ ਨ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਕੋਇ ॥
Kabīr marṯā marṯā jag mū▫ā mar bẖī na jāni▫ā ko▫e.
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॥
Aise marne jo marai bahur na marnā ho▫e. ||29||
Let those who die, die such a death, that they shall never have to die again. ||29||
(in other words, face your death now, before your actual physical death)
Then here it is in plain language!:
ਕਬੀਰਾ ਤੁਹੀ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਤੂ ਤੇਰੋ ਨਾਉ ਕਬੀਰੁ ॥
Kabīrā ṯuhī Kabīr ṯū ṯero nā▫o Kabīr.
Kabeer, you are Kabeer; your name means great.
ਰਾਮ ਰਤਨੁ ਤਬ ਪਾਈਐ ਜਉ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਤਜਹਿ ਸਰੀਰੁ ॥੩੧॥
Rām raṯan ṯab pā▫ī▫ai ja▫o pahile ṯajėh sarīr. ||31||
O Lord, You are Kabeer. The Jewel of the Lord is obtained, when the mortal first gives up his body. ||31||
ਕਬੀਰ ਝੰਖੁ ਨ ਝੰਖੀਐ ਤੁਮਰੋ ਕਹਿਓ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Kabīr jẖankẖ na jẖankẖī▫ai ṯumro kahi▫o na ho▫e.
Kabeer, do not struggle in stubborn pride; nothing happens just because you say so.
ਕਰਮ ਕਰੀਮ ਜੁ ਕਰਿ ਰਹੇ ਮੇਟਿ ਨ ਸਾਕੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੩੨॥
Karam karīm jo kar rahe met na sākai ko▫e. ||32||
No one can erase the actions of the Merciful Lord. ||32||
You will not live forever. The control you try to have over life is nothing before reality.
ਕਬੀਰ ਕਸਉਟੀ ਰਾਮ ਕੀ ਝੂਠਾ ਟਿਕੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Kabīr kasa▫utī rām kī jẖūṯẖā tikai na ko▫e.
Kabeer, no one who is false can withstand the Touchstone of the Lord.
ਰਾਮ ਕਸਉਟੀ ਸੋ ਸਹੈ ਜੋ ਮਰਿ ਜੀਵਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੩੩॥
Rām kasa▫utī so sahai jo mar jīvā ho▫e. ||33||
He alone can pass the test of the Lord's Touchstone, who remains dead while yet alive. ||33||
And then this!
ਕਬੀਰ ਗਰਬੁ ਨ ਕੀਜੀਐ ਦੇਹੀ ਦੇਖਿ ਸੁਰੰਗ ॥
Kabīr garab na kījī▫ai ḏehī ḏekẖ surang.
Kabeer, do not be so proud, looking at your beautiful body.
ਆਜੁ ਕਾਲ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਤਜਿ ਜਾਹੁਗੇ ਜਿਉ ਕਾਂਚੁਰੀ ਭੁਯੰਗ ॥੪੦॥
Āj kāliĥ ṯaj jāhuge ji▫o kāʼncẖurī bẖuyang. ||40||
Today or tomorrow, you will have to leave it behind, like the snake shedding its skin. ||40||
To my mind, Kabir is summing up the essence of life: everything will die, everything is impermanent, especially your small human life. Accepting the fact of your own inevitable death is the key the living life, and if you can fully accept that, you gain an awareness of the blissful paradox of being dead while alive.
In essence, stop worrying about the complexities of this life-illusion and focus on the One reality that has been there from the beginning, all through the ages, is here right now, and will always be even after you are long gone. Wow - sweet relief.
Kabir then goes on to talk about humility and devotional worship, giving examples of how someone who is dead while alive would live compared to someone who is not, and how it is good to associate with those who are on the right track, and who live by example.
This is my favourite part so far:
ਕਬੀਰ ਮਾਟੀ ਕੇ ਹਮ ਪੂਤਰੇ ਮਾਨਸੁ ਰਾਖਿਓ*ੁ ਨਾਉ ॥
Kabīr mātī ke ham pūṯre mānas rākẖi▫o nā▫o.
Kabeer, we are puppets of clay, but we take the name of mankind.
ਚਾਰਿ ਦਿਵਸ ਕੇ ਪਾਹੁਨੇ ਬਡ ਬਡ ਰੂੰਧਹਿ ਠਾਉ ॥੬੪॥
Cẖār ḏivas ke pāhune bad bad rūʼnḏẖėh ṯẖā▫o. ||64||
We are guests here for only a few days, but we take up so much space. ||64||
This is just a scratch on the surface of a very intriguing set of shaloks. I hope it is food for though for you, Ji.