Birha birha akhiai birha tu sultan – Shalok Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji – Ang 1379

SGGS Angg 1379

Shalok Bhagat Sheikh Fareed Ji

Slok 36. A Slok by Sheikh Fareed Ji.

Fareed Ji speaks of birha. It is a yearning for union with the Divine. As it intensifies you break away from the bonds of maya and merge into the One Formless Lord.

It is known as bairaag too.

“Birha birha akhiai birha tu sultan; Fareeda jit tan birahu na upjai so tan jan masan.”

Bhagat Kabir in His unique way says this birha is like a snake. Once it strikes you it cannot be captured by any mantra or snake charmer.

Its strike is so lethal that the biyogi of Raam (one who pines for union with God), cannot live. If however he somehow happens to live after being bitten by the snake of birha such a biyogi become baura (quite mad) i.e. the world sees such a diwana as mad.

“Kabir birho bhuyangam man basse mannt na maane koye; Ram biyogi na jiye; jiye ta baura hoye”(1368).

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shahad Kirtan available on YouTube