Kabir doha · Be Grateful · Level 4
साईं इतना दीजिए, जा में कुटुम समाय।
मैं भी भूखा न रहूँ, साधु न भूखा जाय।
Saai itna dijiye, ja mein kutum samay
Main bhi bhookha na rahun, sadhu na bhookha jaay
Saai itna dijiye means: O giver, give me just enough for my family, so that I do not go hungry and no guest leaves my door hungry either. Kabir asks for enough, not more. For children, it is a gentle way to talk about sharing, and about how "enough" can feel like plenty.
Updated
Meaning in English
Dear God, just give me enough
so my family can eat
I don't go hungry
and no guest leaves without a meal.
अर्थ (हिंदी में)
हे भगवान, बस इतना देना कि परिवार का गुज़ारा हो जाए। न मैं भूखा रहूँ, न कोई मेहमान भूखा लौटे। ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा नहीं चाहिए।
There are exactly four samosas and four people at the table when the doorbell rings. It is Aunty from upstairs.
Aditi looks at her samosa, then at her mother.
Her mother cuts each samosa in half. Now there are eight pieces for five people, and somehow everyone has enough.
Keep it light. Let the child answer in their own words, draw it, or hum the line again.
Try this: Before a treat, ask together: "Is there enough to share?" Keep a small "guest portion" aside, even if no guest comes.
This works well before a shared lunch at school. Children say the doha, then pass one item to the person on their right before starting to eat.
It means: give me just enough to look after my family, so that I do not go hungry and no guest at my door goes hungry either.
Saai means master, or the one who gives, and it is often understood as God. For children, the heart of the doha is asking for enough to share, rather than for more and more.
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.