If you plant a flower where a thorny stem grows, it will bloom. Although your flower may be beautiful, your foundational pole is the trident.

Kabir delivers a powerful metaphor, suggesting that simply decorating a thorny stem with a flower cannot change its inherent nature. He implies that superficial actions or good appearances are meaningless if the person's fundamental disposition or root remains harsh. The deeper insight is that lasting change requires addressing the core self—the 'trishul'—before attempting any outward transformation.