Age, knowledge of books, or birth and lineage does not guarantee understanding of true nature. Only introspection can lead to salvation.
Kabir das says:
"Bada Hua To Kya Hua, Jaise Ped Khajoor
Panthi Ko Chaya Nahin, Phal Laage Atidoor
Translation
If You are Big so what? Just like a date tree
No shade for travelers, fruit is hard to reach
Meaning
Being big, aged, important, powerful, wealthy is of no consequence - Kabir likens this to a date tree that does not give shade to the traveller and its fruit is out reach.
Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye
Translation
Reading Books and Scriptures everyone died, No one became Pandit
Two and Half Words of Love, Who ever reads, Pandit he becomes
Meaning
Forget about book learning, no mater how many books you read, you won't become wise, you won't became the Pundit.. Words of love will make you Pundit. Try it.
Jaise Til Mein Tel Hai, Jyon Chakmak Mein Aag
Tera Sayeen Tujh Mein Hai, Tu Jaag Sake To Jaag
Translation
Like seed contains the oil, fire in flint stone
The Divine is within you , realize if you can
Those Brahmin haters Pundit here is meaning learned person, please take off your caste glass. LOL
Non-hindi speakers: Prem written in hindi is 2 1/2 alphabets. प्रेम
I will slightly change the order of these Dohe as under:
1.पोथि पढ पढ जग मुआ, पन्डित भयो न कोई ।
ढाइ अक्षर प्रॆम के जो पढॆ सो पन्डित हॊय ॥
pothi paḍha paḍha jaga muā, panḍita bhayo na koī |
ḍhāi akṣara prema ke jo paḍhe so panḍita hoya ||
This has to be seen in the context of Kabir's life and the relationship (or enmity) which the brahmins had towards Kabir during his lifetime. Here Sant Kabir is emphasizing the need for "prem" between humanbeings and not the questionable (according to me) type of prem which is nowadays sought to be marketed in the name of Krishna and his Rasleela. The doha adjacent to this, as I have found, goes like —
ऐसी वाणी बोलिये मन का आपा खोय़ ।
औरन को शीतळ करे आपु शीतळ होय़ ॥
aisī vāṇī boliye mana kā āpā khoẏa |
aurana ko śītaḷa kare āpu śītaḷa hoẏa ||
(Speak such words which drives away the fears from mind; which calms and soothes others as also yourself (oneself)).
2. बडा हुआ तो क्या हुआ, जैसे पेड खजूर ।
पन्थी को छाया नहीं, फल लागे अतिदूर ॥
baḍā huā to kyā huā, jaise peḍa khajūra |
panthī ko chāyā nahīṃ, phala lāge atidūra ||
3. जैसे तिल में तॆल है ज्यॊं चक्मक में आग ।
तेरा साई तुझ में है तू जाग सके तो जाग ॥
jaise tila meṃ tela hai jyoṃ cakmaka meṃ āga |
terā sāī tujha meṃ hai tū jāga sake to jāga ||
The word "pandita" meant "A learned Hindu scholar, especially having knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and law." Generally brahmins were the only learned people in Varanasi during Kabir's times. It is also relevant that the short form of Pandaa, the surname Pande, Pandey etc., all emerge from 'Pandita'. Hence and having regard to the intolerance exhibited by brahmins towards Kabir which went to the extent of the brahmins complaining to the Emperor Sikander Lodi that Kabir was 'be dharam', he was having illicit relationship with a woman of ill fame and also Rai Dass, the chamar, of the fallen caste, and thus getting a sentence of death upon Kabir, my humble opinion is that Kabir could not have had anyone else in his mind except those unfeeling, inhuman brahmins when he spoke of Pandits and "prem".
And, Shri Prasad, here is something additional on which you may still decide whether Kabira was a friend of Brahmin Bashers or otherwise (emphasis mine please):
"Kabir saheb had occurred during regime of Delhi Sultanate. Sikandar Lodhi was the Sultan than at Delhi. He was a cruel ruler and everybody feared him because of his cruelty. Since Kabir saheb was raising a voice of protest against the religious ostentation's of both the Hindus and Moslems, Pundit, Mullah, Shaiv, Sanyasi, Bambhan and Baniya etc. all of them had begun to unite against him. Hindu Pundits said that Kabir was anti-religious, while Moslem Maulavis declared him a Kafir because he did not follow the Islam despite being a Moslem. But at local level, i.e. within Benaras, they did not succeed at suppressing Kabir.
But Pundits and Maulavis bother convinced that neither Hunduism nor Islam would survive unless and until Kabir was not suppressed and his tongue not reigned. Kabir regarded Pundit as a low grade creature and Mullah as devoid of knowledge. He said that Rama was present in his house, and temple and mosque are a place of keeping stone and discharging night soil… regarded Vedas and Qur-an as human creation… inspired each and all to seek Rama and Rahim, Keshav and Kareem in their own heart… declared fast, Ekadashi and Roza as falls… and said that pilgrimage to Kashi and Kaba, Dwaraka and Mecca was a wastage of time."
Jab Mein Tha Tab Hari Nahin‚ Ab
The third verse above speaks of 'God within you', that is, it is this phenomenon we call as "LIFE" which verily is God. Many of the saints and Acharyas probably tried to express the same but in so far as Hinduism governed by the inerrant vedas were concerned, they could not go beyond what Sankara brought out in his advaita viewpoint.
tat tvam asi, ’காவியுடுத்தும் தாழ்சடை வைத்தும் காசினிமுற்றும் திரியாதே,...பரஞானதீபவிளக்கம் காண எனக்குள் சீதளபத்மம் தருவாயே’, ’வாசித்துக்காணொணாதது, பூசித்துக்கூடொணாதது, வாய்விட்டுப்பேசொணாதது, நாசிக்குட்ப்ராணவாயுவை ரேசித்தெட்டாத யோகிகள் நாடிற்றுக்காணொணதென நின்ற நாதா’, etc., appear to me to be the unsuccessful attempts to bring out that the Supreme God is nothing but what each one of us experiences as life. Religions have twisted this for their own ulterior and nefarious purposes, imho.
