જબ તેં મન પ્રતીત ભયી (રાગ - બિલાવલ)

નાદબ્રહ્મ પદ - ૩૯૫, રાગ - બિલાવલ
Nādbrahma pada 395, rāga - bilāval

જબ તેં મન પ્રતીત ભયી;
દિનદિન અવગુણ સુત ન લાગે, બાઢ ન લાગી પ્રીત નયી ... ટેક
Jab ten man prateet bhayi;
din-din avagun sut na lāge, bādh na lāgi preet nayi … 0

સુરત નુરત દો જ્ઞાન ઝવેરી, નીરખી પરખ માન વસ્તુ લઈ;
થોડે સે વણજ બહુત ધન બાઢે, ઉપજત લાગી લાલ ભયી ... ૧
surat nurat do gyān jhaveri, neerakhi parakh mān vastu layi;
thode se vanaj bahut dhan bādhe, upjat lāgi lāl bhayi … 1

યહ સોદા કો મર્મ ન જાને, જો જાને સો હાટે સહી;
કહે કબીર સંત કે સંગત, વિષ વિકાર સબ દૂર ગયી ... ૨
yeh sodā ko marma na jāne, jo jāne so hāte sahi;
kahe kabir saňt ke saňgat, vish vikār sab door gayi … 2

English Translation (by AI):
This bhajan is about spiritual transformation through inner faith. It uses a marketplace metaphor where consciousness and focus act as jewelers to recognize divine truth. By investing small spiritual effort, one gains immense divine love, while holy company eliminates all worldly vices and negative tendencies.
0. Ever since true faith and conviction awakened within my mind, a profound transformation has taken place. Day by day, negative tendencies and flaws have lost their grip on me, and in their place, a fresh, ever-expanding love for the Divine has begun to blossom and grow.

1. Inner consciousness (Surat) and divine focus (Nurat) act as two expert jewelers of spiritual wisdom; they carefully inspect, test, and accept the ultimate, priceless reality within. In this spiritual marketplace, even a tiny amount of devotion and effort yields an immense treasure of divine wealth, immersing the seeker entirely in the vibrant, joyful color of divine love.

2. The worldly mind cannot comprehend the hidden secret of this divine trade, but the true seeker who understands it stands firm and prospers in this inner marketplace. Saint Kabir says that by remaining in the holy company of saints, all the toxic desires, vices, and illusions of the world are completely washed away.

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Core Spiritual Essence

• The Jewelers: Surat (attention/consciousness) and Nurat (inner light/discernment) are tools of the soul. Just like a jeweler tests gold, a seeker uses these faculties to recognize the eternal truth over temporary worldly illusions.
• The Trade: Spiritual practice is compared to business. You invest a small amount of time and effort (thode se vanaj), but the return is an infinite treasure of peace and divine love (bahut dhan bādhe).

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The Spiritual Essence: A Commerce of the Soul

In the spiritual context of the Sant Mat (Path of the Saints) tradition, Kabir uses the metaphor of business and trade to explain inner alchemy—how a mundane human consciousness transforms into divine awareness.

1. The Turning Point of Faith (Prateet)

The journey does not begin with rigid rituals, but with a deep, experiential shift in the mind (Man). The moment the mind experiences true spiritual conviction (Prateet), a natural detachment occurs. Vices and flaws (avgun) drop away effortlessly, not through forced suppression, but because they are replaced by a higher, ever-expanding divine love (preet).

2. The Inner Evaluators (Surat and Nurat)

In esoteric yoga, Surat represents the soul's attention or consciousness looking outward/upward, and Nurat is the inner light, faculty of vision, or active discernment. Kabir calls them "Knowledge Jewelers" (Gyan Zaveri).

• The external world deals in counterfeit goods (temporary pleasures).

• Surat and Nurat are the only faculties sharp enough to test, recognize, and grasp the true, changeless "Vastu" (the divine commodity or the primordial Sound/Name).

3. The Divine Profit Margins

Worldly trade requires massive effort for small, fleeting gains. Spiritual trade is the reverse: a small investment of daily meditation and focus (thode se vanaj) yields an infinite treasure of internal peace and cosmic wealth (bahut dhan bādhe). The soul becomes colored in "Lāl" (the color red), which in Sufi and Bhakti traditions symbolizes the ultimate intoxication of divine love and spiritual royalty.

4. The Secret Marketplace and Holy Company

The worldly mind cannot comprehend this "secret deal" (soada ko marm) because it looks for profit in material things. This trade can only happen in the marketplace (Hāt) of the inner self, accelerated by Satsang (the company of saints). The pure vibration of holy company acts as an antidote, completely flushing out the toxic, deep-rooted conditioning of worldly desires (vish vikar).

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Key Takeaways

• Faith Changes Habits: True inner conviction (prateet) naturally removes negative habits without forceful suppression.
• Cultivate Sharp Discernment: Use your attention (surat) and inner vision (nurat) to distinguish eternal truth from temporary worldly illusions.
• Consistency Yields Abundance: Small, daily investments in spiritual practice return infinite inner peace and divine love.
• Prioritize Good Company: Surrounding yourself with spiritually evolved people (satsang) actively cleanses the mind of toxic thoughts.
• Look Inward for Value: True wealth is internal; the external world cannot understand or provide the fulfillment of the soul.