These couplets depict the humility that the devotee should try to inculcate within himself. He should feel as insignificant as a pebble on the street; but unlike pebbles, which sometimes hurt the traveler, the devotee should never hurt anyone by his words, thoughts or actions. He should feel as low and trivial as dust, but avoid the characteristic of dust of flying up and falling on people — that is, he should never talk ill of others in their presence or otherwise, nor try to expose their faults. He should also be like water, which has no I-ness insofar as it adopts the shape of the vessel that contains it; but he should never lose his coolness and composure, nor his love and devotion. In the end Kabir says that the devotee, though living in the world and dealing with others, should be completely absorbed in God; thus he will reflect the divine qualities of the Lord himself.

Kabir, become a pebble of the path,
Banish all pride from your heart;
He who becomes such a slave
Meets the Lord.

Kabir, what if one does become a pebble —
It could hurt the traveler's feet;
The Lord's slave should rather be
Like dust on the earth.

Kabir, what if one does become dust —
Dust rises and clings to people;
The devotee should rather be like water
Which takes the shape of the pot it fills.

Kabir, what if one does become water —
Water becomes hot, water becomes cold;
The Lord's lover should rather be
As the Lord himself is.

A.G., p. 1372:146-149