એ રે મારગ નથી જોવા કબીર કહે

પદ - ૯૯૬
pada 996

એ રે મારગ નથી જોવા કબીર કહે, ઈરે મારગડા નથી જોવા રે...હો...જી
એ મારગડા જોઈને સંતો મારે એ મારગડા રે...હાં...
જોઈને સંતો મારે મનખા જનમ નથી ખોવા કબીર કહે ... ૧
e re mārag nathi jovā kabir kahe, ire mārag-dā nathi jovā re…ho. ji
e mārag-dā jo-ii-ne saňto māre e mārag-da re…haň
jo-ii-ne saňto māre manakhā janam nathi khovā kabir kahe … 1

એક ભુવો બીજો ભુવો, ભુવા અઢાર લાખ હુઆ રે...હો...જી
સાચી માતાની ભાળ ન કાઢી સંતો સાચી માતાની રે...હાં
ભાળ ન કાઢી, ભુવા ધુણી ધુણી મુઆ કબીર કહે  ... ૨
eka bhuvo bijo bhuvo, bhuvā aDhār lākh hu-ā re…ho…ji
sāchi mātā-ni bhāl na kāDhi saňto sāchi mātā-ni re…haň
bhāl na kādhi, bhuvā dhuni dhuni mu-ā kabir kahe … 3

એક પંડિત બીજો પંડિત, પંડિત અઢાર લાખ હુઆ રે...હો...જી
જ્ઞાની થયા પણ ધ્યાની થયા નહીં, જ્ઞાની થયા પણ...હાં
ધ્યાની થયા નહીં, પોથા પઢી પઢી મુઆ કબીર કહે ... ૩
eka paňdit bijo paňdit, paňdit aDhār lākh hu-ā re…ho…ji
gnāni thayā pan dhyāni thayā nahiň, gnāni thayā pan…haň
dhyāni thayā nahiň, pothā paDhi paDhi mu-ā kabir kahe … 3

એક જોગી બીજો જોગી, જોગી અઢાર લાખ હુઆ રે...હો...જી
ભગવા પહેર્યા પણ પામ્યા નહીં ભગવંતને, ભગવા પહેર્યા પણ...હાં
ન પામ્યા ભગવંતને, લોટ માંગી માંગી મુઆ કબીર કહે ... ૪
eka jogi bijo jogi, jogi aDhār lākh hu-ā re…ho…ji
bhagavā paheryā pan pāmya nahiň bhagvant-ne, bhagavā paheryā pan…haň
na pāmyā bhagvaňt-ne, lot māňgi maňgi mu-ā kabir kahe … 4

એક ગુરુ એવા બીજા ગુરુ, ગુરુ અઢાર લાખ હુઆ રે...હો...જી
કહેત કબીર ગુરુ ગમ ન પાયો, કહેત કબીરા...હાં
ગુરુ ગમ ન પાયો, કાન ફુંકી ફુંકી મુઆ કબીર કહે... ૫
eka guru evā bijā guru, guru aDhār lākh hu-ā re…ho…ji
kahet kabir guru gam na pāyo, kahet kabirā…haň
guru gam na pāyo, kān fuňki fuňki mu-ā kabir kahe … 5

YouTube Video(s):
1. Derod-Phoenix - July 31, 2010, Bhakta Bhajan Sammelan at Humble Civic Center, Humble, TX, USA
2. SRBS-Southern California - February 13, 2009, Bhakta Cultural Center, Norwalk, CA, USA

English translation (by AI):
1. Kabir says, do not look down that path, do not seek that way... oh revered soul. Look at this path, oh saints, look at this true path... yes...By choosing this path, oh saints, I do not want to waste this precious human birth, says Kabir.

Core Meaning:
In this verse, Sant Kabir is advising spiritual seekers (saints/santos) away from the wrong path (worldly illusions, superficial rituals, or materialistic pursuits). He urges everyone to look toward the true spiritual path instead. He reminds us that human life (manakhaa janam) is a rare and precious gift, and it should not be wasted on meaningless things.

2. There is one priest, then another, until there are eighteen lakh (1.8 million) such occultists... oh revered soul. But they never found the trace of the true Divine Mother, oh saints, of the true Mother... yes...Without finding Her trace, these priests simply shook their heads violently in trance until they died, says Kabir.

Core Meaning:
Sant Kabir is critiquing blind faith, superficial rituals, and false spiritual guides who claim to have divine powers.
"Bhuva adhaar laakh hua" : He uses a hyperbole ("eighteen lakh" or 1.8 million) to show that the world is full of self-proclaimed gurus and shamans.
"Saachee maataa" : The "True Mother" here symbolizes the ultimate truth, pure consciousness, or God.
"Dhunee dhunee muaa" : "Dhunvu" refers to the ritualistic, violent swaying of the head or body when a shaman claims to be possessed by a spirit. Kabir sharply points out that these hypocrites spend their entire lives putting on a dramatic, exhausting show but die without ever experiencing true spiritual awakening or finding God.

3. There is one scholar, then another, until there are eighteen lakh (1.8 million) such pandits... oh revered soul. They became knowledgeable but never became meditative; they became knowledgeable but... yes...Never became meditative, and they died simply reading book after book, says Kabir.

Core Meaning:
After addressing false occultists in the previous verse, Kabir now warns against dry intellectualism and ego-driven scholarship.
"Pandit" : Refers to scholars, priests, or academics who memorize scriptures.
"Gyaanee vs. Dhyaanee" : Kabir draws a sharp line between a Gyaanee (someone who has academic, bookish knowledge) and a Dhyaanee (someone who actually practices meditation and has inner spiritual experience).
"Pothaa padhee padhee muaa" : This mirrors one of Kabir's most famous Hindi couplets ("Pothi padhi padhi jag mua, pandit bhaya na koy"). He points out that carrying a heavy load of scriptures (pothaa) is useless if it does not lead to self-realization. These scholars waste their entire lives in debates and reading, yet die without ever experiencing true peace or divine connection.

4. There is one ascetic, then another, until there are eighteen lakh (1.8 million) such yogis... oh revered soul. They wore saffron robes but never found God; they wore saffron robes but... yes...Never found the Divine, and they died simply begging for flour from door to door, says Kabir.

Core Meaning:
Kabir exposes the hypocrisy of superficial renunciation and cosmetic spirituality.
"Jogee" : An ascetic or hermit who claims to have renounced the world.
"Bhagvaa" : The traditional saffron or ochre-colored clothing worn by monks and saints in India, symbolizing detachment. Kabir points out that simply changing the color of your clothes does not bring you closer to God (Bhagavant).
"Lot maangee maangee muaa" : Instead of focusing on deep meditation, these false ascetics turned spirituality into a livelihood. They spent their lives wandering around begging for food (lot means flour or alms) and died without ever achieving the spiritual liberation they claimed to seek.

5. There is one such guru, then another, until there are eighteen lakh (1.8 million) such gurus... oh revered soul.Kabir says, they never received the true secret knowledge of a Guru; Kabir says... yes...They never understood the ultimate secret, and they died simply whispering secrets into people's ears, says Kabir.

Core Meaning:
Kabir concludes the bhajan by warning seekers about the dangers of blindly following unqualified spiritual masters.
"Guru gam" : This refers to Guru Gamya—the profound, experiential, and ultimate spiritual secret that can only be given by a truly enlightened master. Kabir states that these millions of worldly gurus lack this actual experience.
"Kaan foonkee foonkee muaa" : "Kaan foonkvo" (literally whispering in the ear) refers to the ritual practice where a guru whispers a secret mantra into a disciple's ear during initiation. Kabir mockingly notes that without inner realization, this ritual is completely hollow. These false gurus spent their entire lives performing this ritual for fame or money, dying without ever finding the truth themselves.

Summary of the Entire Bhajan:
This beautiful Gujarati bhajan is a masterpiece of Kabir's signature Nirguna philosophy, which strips away external illusions to find the internal truth. Throughout the five verses, Kabir systematically dismantles the false pillars of religious ego:

Verse 1: Warns against taking the wrong path and wasting the precious human life.
Verse 2: Critiques blind faith and dramatic occultists (Bhuva).
Verse 3: Critiques dry intellectualism and bookish scholars (Pandit).
Verse 4: Critiques superficial renunciation and cosmetic ascetics (Jogi).
Verse 5: Critiques exploitative spiritual guides who rely only on empty rituals (Guru).

His ultimate message is that God is not found in robes, rituals, scriptures, or secret mantras, but through genuine, internal devotion and meditation (Dhyan).