One Hundred Poems of Kabir/II
II
1. 16. santan jat (jaat) na pucho nirguniyan
santan jaat na pucho nirguniyaan
saadh brahman saadh chhatri, saadhye jaati baniyaan
aadhan ma chhattis kaum hai, tedhi tor poochhaniyaan
saadhye naau saadhye dhobi, saadh jaati hai bariyaan
saadhan maan Raidaas sant hain, Supach rishi se bhangiyaan
Hindu Turk dooyee deen bane hain, kacchu nahi pahichniyaan
IT is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs;
For the priest, the warrior, the tradesman, and all the thirty-six castes, alike are seeking for God.
It is but folly to ask what the caste of a saint may be;
The barber has sought God, the washerwoman, and the carpenter–
Even Raidas was a seeker after God.
The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by caste.
Hindus and Moslems alike have achieved that End, where remains no mark of distinction.