जब मैं था तब गुरु नहीं , अब गुरु हैं मैं नाय। प्रेम गली अति साँकरी , ता मे दो न समाय॥
— Kabir
Meaning

When I existed, there was no Guru; now that the Guru exists, I am a stranger. The path of love is very narrow; two cannot reside in it. This couplet suggests that the self (ego) was present when the Guru was absent, but the Guru's presence has made the self alien or unfamiliar. The path of love is too restricted to accommodate two entities.

Explanation

Kabir suggests that when the ego was the primary identity, the spiritual guide was unnecessary. However, once the Guru's realization enters, the ego feels like a stranger. This profound couplet uses the metaphor of the narrow path of love, emphasizing that it is too confined for two separate souls to coexist. The message is a powerful call to abandon dualistic thinking and merge into the singular truth.

Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.

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