" CAREFUL BROTHER ! SPOKEN WORDS ARE GREAT " SAYS KABIR

                                                                               

                                                                                       
( Verinag spring also known as Neel Naa

                                  

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"BOLNAA KA KAHIYE RE BHAI.".KABIR 

( Brother !   Spoken words are great )

 Once we visited Golden Temple, Amritsar  before sunrise . We were there at 5AM. Too early for some but an appropriate time for meditation and  contemplation for many .Yesterdays thoughts are washed off. The mind  wakes up   fresh for the day. The world within is calm and   noiseless and so is it  outside   . The Sikh scriptures hail it as Amrit-Vela or the Divine Time . A time  for  Naam-Japa  or reciting the name of that lone  Akaal Purukh ( the Deathless Entity )  . When we went inside the  sanctum sanctorum , the Ragi was singing  Kabir’s Nirguna Bhajan .

  

Bolnaa ka kahiye re bhai ( Brother !   Spoken words are great )

I had heard this Bhajan many times ; Once live from   Raagi Harjinder Singh  ,Srinagar-wale..  ( Baba !  Bolnaa Ka kahiye  ).This Kabir Bhajan has been  incorporated in  Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Arjun Dev Ji . 

Kabir has always laid stress on the discipline of the  spoken  word. He believes that Man gets  trapped by his own   thoughts, words and deeds.  A thought created in the mind gives rise to words and  deeds. Good thought creates good words and good deed  so does a  bad thought foul our mouth and drive us towards a misdeed . The skill lies in  handling thoughts .According to Kabir,  those who give words to every thought  get trapped  or enmesh themselves in the  Maaya Jaal.  Kabir believes that the tongue is our  access key  to the world. Used properly , every door opens   for us  but if abused or misused , every door appears locked.  

 (Shabd baraabar dhan nahin  jo koyee jaane bol ,

Heera tau daamon mile shabd ke mol na taul  )

 ( Kabir )

 (No wealth equals the spoken word,

 Should a person know the skill of the speech .

For diamond can also be bought for a price ,

But spoken word remains priceless and no balance can weigh it  .)

Aisee vaani boliye, mun ka aapa khoye 

Apna tan sheetal kare, auran ko sukh hoye 

( Kabir )

  (Speak such words, as are free from the trap of the ego,

 Then alone this  body shall be  calm and the listener  turn Joyful)

Mukh Aave soyee kahe bole nahin vichaar 

Hatey paraayi aatmaa jeeb bandhi talwaar 

( Kabir )

 (Some people say whatever comes  to their mouth  ,

Never do they  ponder  before their speech .

Such words that disturb the  soul of the listener 

Alas ! They carry a sword upon their tongue ) .

And then the silence . For Kabir it remains the universal speech.    And Silence is the final language of spirituality.Here goes the  Nirguna Bhajan  of Kabir “Bolnaa ka kahiye re bhai  ” with my simple English rendering …

"Bolnaa Ka Kahiye Re Bhai 

Bolat Bolat Tat Namayee 

Bolat Bolat Badhe Bikara 

Bin Bolyan Kyon Hoyee Bichara 

Sant Mile Katchu Kahiye Kahiye 

Mile Asant Mushti Kari Rahiye 

Gyani Suun Bolyan Hitkari 

Moorakh Suun Bolyan Jhakh Mari 

Kahe Kabir Aadha Ghat Dole 

Bharya Hoyee Tau Mushan Na Bole "

( Kabir )

 

 (Brother !   Spoken words are great

 But spoken words  veil  the truth also .

Spoken words also lead to confusion .

But then without speaking, How can one converse?

Should you meet a  saint then talk you should  ,

Keep silent should you come across an imp ,

What a blessing is it to talk to the wise ?

What a waste of time talking to a fool ?

And then Kabir says ,

 "The half filled always makes noise 

While fully filled  keeps quiet .."

( Avtar Mota)

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