Kabir doha · Be Grateful · Level 3
दुःख में सुमिरन सब करे, सुख में करे न कोय।
जो सुख में सुमिरन करे, तो दुःख काहे को होय।
Dukh mein sumiran sab kare, sukh mein kare na koy
Jo sukh mein sumiran kare, to dukh kahe ko hoy
Dukh mein sumiran sab kare means: everyone remembers the divine when they are sad, but no one does when they are happy. Kabir asks: if we remembered in happy times too, why would sorrow come at all? For children, it becomes a gentle habit of saying thank you on good days, not only asking for help on bad ones.
Updated
Meaning in English
When things go wrong, everyone prays.
But in happy times, no one remembers.
If you say thank you in good times too
why would sadness ever come?
अर्थ (हिंदी में)
दुःख में तो सब भगवान को याद करते हैं, लेकिन सुख में कोई नहीं करता। अगर सुख में भी शुक्रगुज़ार रहो, तो दुःख आएगा ही क्यों?
When Naina scrapes her knee, she calls for Nani. When the power goes out, she calls for Nani. When the maths is hard, she calls for Nani.
One sunny evening, with nothing wrong at all, she climbs into Nani's lap.
"What happened?" Nani asks. "Nothing," says Naina. "I just wanted to say thank you for the laddoos."
Keep it light. Let the child answer in their own words, draw it, or hum the line again.
Try this: Start a "good day" thank-you: at bedtime, each person names one person or thing they are thankful for, even on ordinary days.
This doha pairs well with a gratitude circle. After reciting it, each child names one small thing they are thankful for today.
It means: everyone remembers in sorrow, but no one remembers in joy. If we remembered in joy too, sorrow would not come. It is a doha about gratitude.
Sumiran means remembering, especially remembering the divine with love. For children, it can simply mean remembering to be thankful.
It is traditionally credited to Kabir, the 15th-century poet-saint and weaver from Varanasi. His dohas were sung and passed on by word of mouth for centuries before they were written down, so small differences in wording are common.