Kabir Dohavali Part 2 | 20 Kabir Ke Dohe with English Meaning

21.
जो तोकु कांटा बुवे, ताहि बोय तू फूल ।
तोकू फूल के फूल है, बाकू है त्रिशूल ॥ 21 ॥

Meaning: If someone sows thorns for you, you sow flowers for him. Meaning, even if someone does bad with you, do good to him. This is a character of a good person. So, if you sow flowers for other, there will be flowers around you. If someone is sowing thorns he will be surrounded by thorns only.
In this couplet Kabir Das tries to emphasize on being good hearted. If you are good hearted and keep good thoughts, you will always be surrounded by goodness.

22.
दुर्लभ मानुष जन्म है, देह न बारम्बार ।
तरुवर ज्यों पत्ती झड़े, बहुरि न लागे डार ॥ 22 ॥

Meaning: Kabir Das says that this birth as a human being is rare. You do not get the human body every time. As per Hinduism there are 84 lakhs births as different creatures before you get a human body. So, the birth as human being is precious and rare. This is similar as the leaves of the tree falls once, does not get attached or grow on the same branch.

Hence, this birth is precious, and you never know what your next birth will be or what was your previous birth. So, live your life with good virtues. Do not waste it simply eating and sleeping.

23. 
आय हैं सो जाएँगे, राजा रंक फकीर ।
एक सिंहासन चढ़ि चले, एक बँधे जात जंजीर ॥ 23 ॥

Meaning: Kabir Das in this couplet mentions the ultimate truth, death. He mentions that whosoever has born or came to this earth, will depart one day. It does not matter if he is a King, Poor or Saint (Fakir). One will depart sitting on the throne, while the other one will depart bounded in chains.
Whatever the way, everyone has to die someday, and this is the ultimate truth.

24.
काल करे सो आज कर, आज करे सो अब ।
पल में प्रलय होएगी, बहुरि करेगा कब ॥ 24 ॥

Meaning: Anything planned should be done today, do not leave it for tomorrow. Anything that needs to be done today, do it now. You never know the behavior of uncertainty; anything can happen any moment. So, what is planned, start doing it. Elese, everything can get destroyed within moments, when will you do it?

This simply means, do not waste your time, do whatever you have planned, and this is the best time to do it.

25.
माँगन मरण समान है, मति माँगो कोई भीख ।
माँगन से तो मरना भला, यह सतगुरु की सीख ॥ 25 ॥

Meaning: In this couplet, Das Kabir shows his views about begging or asking for alms. He says that begging is equal to death. So, anyone should not beg. He mentions that a good teacher will teach you that it is better to die than begging.
this couplet shows Kabir’s non supportiveness of begging.

26.
जहाँ आपा तहाँ आपदां, जहाँ संशय तहाँ रोग ।
कह कबीर यह क्यों मिटे, चारों धीरज रोग ॥ 26 ॥

Meaning: Where there is anger, there is disaster and trouble. Wherever there is doubt, there is disease. Kabir says that these 4 diseases (Anger, Disaster, Doubt and Disease) has only one solution and that is patience.
Kabir in this couplet says that patience is the virtue that can eliminate these 4 problems of life.

27.
माया छाया एक सी, बिरला जाने कोय ।
भगता के पीछे लगे, सम्मुख भागे सोय ॥ 27 ॥

Meaning: Illusions and shadow have the same characteristics. Here illusions mean the desires of life (Wealth, Prosperity etc.). So, these illusions of life and shadow are the same thing. This secret is known by only rare person. Both of these, shadow and desire, always run away from the one who tries to catch them. Simply the desires cannot be fulfilled like a shadow cannot be caught.

28.
आया था किस काम को, तु सोया चादर तान ।
सुरत सम्भाल ए गाफिल, अपना आप पहचान ॥ 28 ॥

Meaning: In this couplet, Kabir asks to understand the meaning of a human life. He says that the God gave you this birth for a good reason and you are wasting this by sleeping. O! careless person, understand and recognize the meaning of your life. Try and get a purpose in your life. Recognize yourself and do not waste this life.

29.
क्या भरोसा देह का, बिनस जात छिन मांह ।
साँस-सांस सुमिरन करो और यतन कुछ नांह ॥ 29 ॥

Meaning: Kabir Das talks about the uncertainty of life again. He says, there is no assurance of this body as it can get destroyed in a moment. On every breath take the name of God and that is the only effort you can do.
Kabir Das asks to remember God with every breath.

30. 
गारी ही सों ऊपजे, कलह कष्ट और मींच ।
हारि चले सो साधु है, लागि चले सो नींच ॥ 30 ॥

Meaning: Abuse or bad words is the from which quarrel, pain and misery is born. The one who accepts his defeat and stops using bad words is the saint and the one who keeps lingering to the subject and wants to win is a lowly person.
In this couplet Kabir Das emphasizes on the acceptance and move on.

31.
दुर्बल को न सताइए, जाकि मोटी हाय ।
बिना जीव की हाय से, लोहा भस्म हो जाय ॥ 31 ॥

Meaning: Do not harass the weaker, his curse will be big. When weaker people are harassed or tortured, they do not fight back or retaliate, however, they curse silently, and Kabir Das say that this kind of curse is larger and has more impact.
Here, Kabir Das gives a context of a blacksmith bellow ¹, that is made of dead animal skin and does not have life in it. Kabir Das says, though there is no life inside the backsmith bellow, but the air it blows, melts the iron. Similar is the silent curse of a weaker man.

 32.
दान दिए धन ना घटे, नदी ने घटे नीर ।
अपनी आँखों देख लो, यों क्या कहे कबीर ॥ 32 ॥

Meaning: Wealth does not decrease by giving donations, like the water of the rivers does not decrease. If you do not believe, try it yourself. This is what Kabir wants to say.
Kabir Das says that the money or wealth does not decrease by giving donations.
 

33.
दस द्वारे का पिंजरा, तामें पंछी का कौन ।
रहे को अचरज है, गए अचम्भा कौन ॥ 33 ॥

 Meaning: There is a cage with 10 doors, no-one knows, which is one is for the bird. Kabir Das talks abou the life. He considers this human body as a cage that has 10 ways for the soul to go out.
The soul is the bird and resides inside this body which has 10 doors. The soul will leave the body one day and no-one knows from which door it will exit. Till the time the soul is inside the body, there is a confusion, however, after it leaves this body, there is no surprise and confusion.

Here, Kabir talks about life ad death. Life is like a cage and death is freedom.

34.
ऐसी वाणी बोलेए, मन का आपा खोय ।
औरन को शीतल करे, आपहु शीतल होय ॥ 34 ॥
 
Meaning: Speak such words that people listening to your words get overwhelmed. They get pleased and enchanted. Speak such words that calm others and calm yourself too.

35.
हीरा वहाँ न खोलिये, जहाँ कुंजड़ों की हाट ।
बांधो चुप की पोटरी, लागहु अपनी बाट ॥ 35 ॥

Meaning: Here Kabir Das tries to say that, do not speak or express your views where people are of low quality and low wisdom. It is like opening a diamond at a place, where it does not get recognized or valued. It is better to keep quiet (keep the pouch of diamond closed) and move on your path.

Where people do not recognize your knowledge and wisdom, it is better to keep quiet at such places. It is better that you mind your own business and walk on your path.

36.
कुटिल वचन सबसे बुरा, जारि कर तन हार ।
साधु वचन जल रूप, बरसे अमृत धार ॥ 36 ॥

Meaning: Bad words or cursing is worst, they burn and destroy the body and the soul. Good words are like water, it falls like pious nectar.

Kabir Das says that the crooked words burn everyone form inside, however, good words are like nectar and sooths everyone.

37. 
जग में बैरी कोई नहीं, जो मन शीतल होय ।
यह आपा तो ड़ाल दे, दया करे सब कोय ॥ 37 ॥

Meaning: Nobody is your enemy in this world if you are clam from inside. If our mind is calm and composed, then we do not consider anyone as our enemy. If we give up our ego and have compassion towards everyone, then no one in the world is our enemy. So everyone should leave the ego aside and should follow the path of mercy.

38.
मैं रोऊँ जब जगत को, मोको रोवे न होय ।
मोको रोबे सोचना, जो शब्द बोय की होय ॥ 38 ॥

Meaning: This couplet teaches us that we should be mindful of our actions and words. When we cry about the problems of the world, we should also think about what kind of consequences our words and actions can bring.

39.
सोवा साधु जगाइए, करे नाम का जाप ।
यह तीनों सोते भले, साकित सिंह और साँप ॥ 39 ॥

Meaning: This doha teaches us that a sadhu should be awakened and encouraged to chant the name of GOD. While a sākit (ignorant person), singh (lion), and snake are better left asleep as they can cause harm if they are awakened.

40.
अवगुन कहूँ शराब का, आपा अहमक साथ ।
मानुष से पशुआ करे दाय, गाँठ से खात ॥ 40 ॥

Meaning: This couplet shows the demerits of alcohol. It tells that drinking alcohol fills a person with stupidity and arrogance, and it turns him from a human being into an animal. Alcohol not only ruins a person’s health but also his financial condition.