Kaal Ne Jagat Ajab Bharmaaya - Soami Ji Maharaj - RSSB Shabad

These shabads are hymns or spiritual poems written by saints and mystics from different spiritual traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The shabads convey a deep message of truth and are sung with heartfelt devotion. They express the intense longing of the soul for union with the Lord. These songs of devotion are prayers that inspire the true seeker to turn inwards to contact the ultimate Truth – the inner divine music that reverberates within every being. English Translation: How can I spell out all the subtle ways   Kal leads the world astray? In Kalyug, he has set up forms of worship   which were meant for past ages. Foolish people, their minds agitated,   are stuck with the worship of water and stone,   while the arrogant intellectuals   slavishly woo the seductress called knowledge. Then there are others,   not that foolish, not that bright,   who are preoccupied with the traditional futilities:   recitations, penances, fasting, and austerities. They simply burn in the fire of the five passions. Just look at the cunning design created by Kal   to crush some by the head and trample   others underfoot. Kal beguiles people in so many ways,   and allows none to reach their destination. When they see the world in such a state,   true Masters appear in this world. Through satsang, the true Guru brings home to us   the importance of devotion to a Master   and the significance of Nam. Knowing that all other methods are futile,   knowing that the reading of the Vedas, Puranas,   Smritis, and other scriptures is worthless,   he recommends three essential methods. Priests ridicule the saints to safeguard their livelihood. Moved by compassion, saints try to explain to them   but in their conceit they do not listen. They are motivated by wealth and status;   they have no realization of spirituality. They are caught in the wheel of transmigration,   falling time and time again into the four life forms. They acquire knowledge meant for previous ages   by studying Vedanta and the ancient law. They have no way to verify their beliefs,   rather they are proud of their learning. But they do not get the knowledge   that works in the present age;   in their ignorance they fall headlong. Accept that humility, submission,   and devotion to a Master   are the way for the present age. This makes the mind pure and still,   their soul ascends into inner sky. With the inner practice of Surat Shabd,   one holds on to the path of five sounds. Climb the ladder of Shabd step by step   and reach Sach Khand, the region of Satnam. Above all, devote yourself to the Master   and think of all else as secondary. Enshrine the form of the Master in your heart   and grow, within yourself, the kind of love   that a moonbird has for the moon. This is the only practice   that will let you find that kind of love. Once devotion to the Master is complete,   your soul will automatically ascend   to the inner sky. Know that people who struggle with Shabd   without first completing their devotion   to the Master are shortsighted. Only with the Master’s grace, will Shabd be revealed   as the all-powerful Guru pulls up your soul. Without devotion to the Guru, the soul will not rise,   nor will the sky open, nor will Nam be attained. Devotion to the Guru is the root of all other practices,   which are no more than branches   on the tree of devotion. You will advance on your path to God   only when you love your Guru   as a mother loves her child,   as a lover loves his sweetheart. Let the Master’s love sustain you   as a fish is sustained by water,   and a rainbird by swanti raindrops. This shabad is published by Radha Soami Satsang Beas. You may visit our official website at: www.rssb.org