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Kabir's Sabad 'Avadhoota' (translated into English)




अवधूत, सो योगी गुरु मेरा, जो या पदकौ करे निबेरा

तरवर एक पेड़ बिन ठाड़ा, बिन फूलां फल लागा

साखा पत्र कछु नहीं वाके, अष्ट गगन मुख वागा

पैर बिन निरति करां बिन बाजे, जीभया हीणा गावे

गावणहार के रूप न रेखा, सतगुरु होई लखावे

पंखीका खोज मीनका मारग कहे कबीर विचारी

अपरंपार पार परसोत्तम वा मूरति की बलिहारी 


Avadhoot! My Guru would be a yogi of the sort

Who would know what the following verse means-

 

There is a tree that stands tall

Without ever having grown roots

It flowers all year round

Without ever having borne fruits

It has neither branches nor leaves

Yet it eclipses all the ‘eight-skies’

 

There's a bird atop this tree-

It dances, though it has no feet

It claps, without ever moving its limbs

And sings, even though it has no lips

 

It has neither shape nor form

But one may still see it,

If one is so destined

The bird seeks a way

To reach its fish

 

Such are Kabir's considered thoughts

Surrender to that infinite perfect form!

 

Hindi Original was taken from Kabir, Hazariprasad Dwivedi, Hindi Granth Ratnakar Ltd, Bombay, 1955

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