कबीर मन मिरतक भया, दुरबल भया शरीर ।
पाछे पाछे हरि फिरें, कहत कबीर कबीर ।।
Meaning: When the mind dies in the infinite and body gets weak, Kabir says that God follows calling you Kabir Kabir.
Kabir is one of the most famous poets of India. He was a mystic poet and saint who lived in the 15th century. His poetry is known for its simplicity and spiritual depth. Kabir’s couplets are called ‘Dohas’ and are written in Hindi language.
Kabir Couplets: Exploring the Wisdom
Kabir man mirtak bhaya, durbal bhaya shareer
paache paache hari phiren, kahat kabir kabir.
कबीर मन मिरतक भया, दुरबल भया शरीर ।
पाछे पाछे हरि फिरें, कहत कबीर कबीर ।।
Full Verse Meaning
In English:
Kabir says – When my mind died and my body became weak (dry like a thorn), then God started following me and calling my name repeatedly – ‘Oh Kabir! Oh Kabir!’. Then he started chanting my name in reverse.
In Hindi:
कबीर कहते हैं -मेरा मन जब मर गया और शरीर सूखकर कांटा हो गया, तब, हरि मेरे पीछे लगे फिरने मेरा नाम पुकार-पुकारकर-`अय कबीर ! अय कबीर !’- उलटे वह मेरा जप करने लगे ।
Once this is achieved, the rest of the things mentioned in the couplet are easy.
Also Read: How to Unlock the Secret to a Blissful Life?
Merging with the Self: Kabir’s Objective
Kabir’s main objective is how to get to the highest goal in life – knowing the Self, the source of peace and joy which ultimately leads to emancipation. He points out the realities of life as well. He poses questions and while posing questions, he provides solutions to the problem too. He tries his best to clarify the points made, still, it remains obscure when it is not understood clearly and thoughtfully.
Kabir talks about that entity in detail meditating on how we can get that result. For this let us see one of his bhajans where he says: Fish is thirty is water and hearing this makes me laugh.
पानी में मीन पियासी, मोहे सुन सुन आवे हांसी.
Next, in this bhajan, he says: Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Sustainer), Mahesh (Destroyer) and 88 thousand ascetics meditate upon reside in you. And that power is beyond your intellect. It is indestructible. Now it is clear that we do not have to go search for that power somewhere else. It is already within us. We can safely say it has been attained.
Now, merely knowing that something is within me, doesn’t ensure that it has been known, or realized. We have got the address only. The good news is that we already have it.
‘Fish is thirsty in water’, poses us with a question. ‘What we look for is within and we are not familiar with that’ is a question to us as well. Fish is just a comparison to the situation.
In the last lines of the bhajan, he says: the doubt cannot be resolved without the help of Guru, the guide.
Also Read: Ram Naam: The Infinite Power Within Every Particle of the Universe
The Role of a Guru in Spiritual Growth
Even after knowing the fact that that power lies within, one cannot have access to that – this is where the role of the guide comes in. There is a very simple definition of that Guru or that Master: the person who can reveal that power within is the guide, the master. There is no other definition. Put all the definitions aside and look for a guide on this practical aspect: Show me my own thing – the power within me.
When that entity or power is known or realized, more than 80 percent of the work has been completed. But the mind is still alive. Now the responsibility is yours. You have to practice what is taught to such an extent that you merge yourself into that.
The Secret of Merging with the Power Within
Practice, practice, and practice. This will lead you to merge with that power. There should be no letup in the practice. This is constant in nature – continuous. As we are aware throughout of this mind, in the same way, we will have to be aware of the that power lies within. Continuous practice can lead the mind to be merged or dead. This continuous practice may make you physically weak which is talked about in the couplet.
Now, one can realize what state, Kabir talks about. It cannot be described in words.
