અંતર્યામીને નથી અજાણ્યું

નાદબ્રહ્મ પદ-૮૩૮
Nādbrahma pada 838

અંતર્યામીને નથી અજાણ્યું, મને માને તેમ મ્હાલો;
કર્યોં કર્મ ભોગવવા પડશે, જોઈ વિચારી ચાલો ... ટેક
aňtaryāmi-ne nathī ajāṇyu, mane māne tem mhālo;
karyā karma bhogavvā paḍashe, jo-ii vichārī chālo ... 0

પાપ પુન્યના બે માર્ગ મોટાં, જે ગોઠે તેણે જાય;
હરિને ઘેર હિસાબ જ થશે, નથી કોઈ વેરી ને વ્હાલા ... ૧
pāp punya-nā be mārg moṭā, je goṭhe teṇe jāy;
hari-ne gher hisāb ja thashe, nathī ko-ii verī ne vhālā ... 1

જોર કરી જીવ બોલાવવો બેઠો, જો મારી અવસ્થાની હેલી;
જોર કરી જીવ બોલતો નથી, ફેરા ફર્યા વણ ઠાલી ... ૨
jor karī jiv bolāvvo beṭho, jo mārī avasthā-nī helī;
jor karī jiv bolato nathī, ferā faryā vaṇ ṭhāli ... 2

આવ્યો જીવ ત્યારે મુઠી વાળી, ચઢ્યો તેમ જમને હાથે;
પીળાં પીતામ્બર પહેરવા મુક્યા, લોક મળે ને કોળ લાજે ... ૩
āvyo jīv tyāre muṭhī vāḷi, chaḍhyo tem jam-ne hāthe;
piḷā pitāmbar pahervā mukyā, lok maḷe ne koḷ lāje ... 3

કાશી ને વાટે તન વેચાયા, નીચ ઘેર પાણી ભર્યા;
વાણી જ કીધાં વ્યાપાર કીધાં, અગ્નિ કહે એ તન મારૂં;
છાપા તિલક કંઠે તુલસીની માલા, ગાયે કબીર જનદાસ ... ૪
kāshi ne vāṭe tan vechāyā, nich gher pāṇi bharyā;
vāṇi ja kidhā vyāpār kidhā, agni kahe e tan māru;
chhāpā tilak kaňṭhe tulasi-ni mālā, gāye kabir jan-dās ... 4

English Translation (by AI):
This bhajan is a wake-up call about karma and mortality. It warns that the inner Divine witnesses everything and actions have inescapable consequences. Ultimately, worldly wealth, pride, and the physical body fade into ash, making mindful living and spiritual devotion the only true priorities.

0. The Indwelling Lord knows everything; live your life as your mind pleases (but remember nothing is hidden). You will have to face the consequences of the actions you perform, so walk through life with deep thought and awareness.

1. Two major paths lie before you—sin and righteousness; a person chooses whichever one suits their desire. In the house of God, strict accountability takes place; there, no one is treated as an enemy, and no one is given special favor.

2. The soul tries desperately to hold its ground and assert its power, watching the heavy storm of aging and time take over. Yet, in the end, all that human arrogance falls silent, and the soul realizes it wasted its worldly cycles in vain.

3. The soul entered this world with a tightly closed fist (holding onto potential), but left completely empty-handed, falling into the hands of the God of Death (Yama). The beautiful yellow silk robes (worldly status and wealth) are left behind, while people gather to mourn, and the physical body is reduced to a state that brings shame.

4. Look at King Harishchandra, whose body was sold on the streets of Kashi, and who fetched water at a lowly house to preserve truth. You spoke words and conducted grand businesses with this body, but in the end, the funeral fire claims it, saying, "This body belongs to me." Adorned with religious markings, a tilak, and a Tulsi necklace, the servant Kabir sings this truth to the world.

…
The spiritual essence of this bhajan focuses on Karmic justice, radical self-awareness, and the ultimate illusion of the physical ego.

Here is the deeper spiritual philosophy embedded in these verses:

1. The Omnipresent Witness (Antaryāmi)

The bhajan emphasizes that the Divine is not an external judge sitting in the sky, but the Antaryāmi—the inner dweller residing within our own consciousness. Because God is inside us, nothing we think, say, or do is a secret. While human law requires external evidence, Cosmic law records everything instantly from within.

2. Radical Equality in Divine Justice (The Cosmic Ledger)

Kabir highlights a universe of absolute fairness (Harine gher hisāb ja thashe). In the material world, power, wealth, and relationships can manipulate justice. In the spiritual realm, however, God has no favorites (vhālā) and no enemies (verī). You are judged purely by the energy of your actions. No one can inherit your good karma, and no one can bail you out from your bad karma.

3. The Tragedy of the Wasted Life (Thaali Fera)

The text addresses the stubbornness of the human ego (Jor karī jīv). We spend our lives shouting, dominating, and trying to assert our will over others. However, when time (Avasthā) catches up, that roaring ego is instantly silenced. The bhajan warns against Thaali Fera—the tragedy of spinning endlessly through the wheel of birth and death without ever achieving spiritual awakening.

4. The Illusion of Ownership (Agni Kahe E Tan Māru)

The ultimate spiritual truth comes in the final verses regarding detachment. We build businesses, earn titles, dress our bodies in luxury (Pītāmbar), and claim total ownership over our lives. Kabir shatters this illusion by giving the final word to the funeral pyre. The fire literally says, "You thought this body was yours, but it actually belongs to me." It reminds us that our physical identity is borrowed from nature and must be returned.

…
1. Act with Radical Self-Awareness

Because your inner consciousness (Antaryāmi) witnesses everything, there is no hiding your true intentions.

• • The Lesson: Practice alignment between your thoughts, words, and actions. Live with the awareness that integrity matters most when no one else is watching.

2. Take Ownership of Your Choices

You have the free will to choose between positive and negative paths, but you cannot choose or escape the consequences.

• • The Lesson: Stop blaming luck, circumstances, or other people for your life's trajectory. Think through your choices carefully today, knowing you must balance your own cosmic ledger tomorrow.

3. Dissolve Your Arrogance Before Time Does

The bhajan warns that the human ego fights hard to stay in control, only to be instantly silenced by aging and death.

• • The Lesson: Do not let power, success, or pride get to your head. Practice humility daily, recognizing that worldly status is temporary and fragile.

4. Invest in What Outlasts the Fire

Your businesses, bank accounts, and physical comfort feel incredibly important, but they ultimately turn to ash.

• • The Lesson: Shift your focus from purely accumulating material wealth to nourishing your character, helping others, and deepening your spiritual connection—the only things that truly belong to the soul.