"ਮੈ ਬੇਕੈਦ"

These words "ਮੈ ਬੇਕੈਦ" are inspired by the influence of Baba Bullah Shah.

Baba Bulleh Shah (1680–1757) was a Punjabi Sufi mystic, poet, and philosopher who is arguably the greatest historical example of someone who successfully "broke the framework."

His influence was not just "poetic"—it was a sociopolitical and intellectual revolution that defined the "Punjabi Enlightenment."

In 18th-century Punjab, while Europe was going through its Age of Reason, Bulleh Shah was leading a parallel movement in the East. He shifted the culture from Blind Obedience (Dogma) to Direct Understanding (Experience).

He was born a Syed, the highest caste in the Muslim hierarchy (descendants of the Prophet). In his time, Syeds were the "elites"—respected, wealthy, and spiritually superior by birth.

He was expected to be a traditional scholar, maintain his dignity, and associate only with other elites.

He did the unthinkable. He chose a spiritual master named Shah Inayat Qadiri.

Shah Inayat was an Arain (a gardener/farmer caste)—considered "low class" in the social framework of that time.

You cannot find Originality (Truth) while you are still protecting your Identity (The Framework).

ਮੈਂ ਬੇਕੈਦ, ਮੈਂ ਬੇਕੈਦ ਨਾ ਰੋਗੀ, ਨਾ ਵੈਦ
I am unbound, I am lawless (free from all prisons). I am neither the sick patient, nor the doctor (healer). (I am beyond the cycle of suffering and fixing.)

ਨਾ ਮੈਂ ਮੋਮਨ, ਨਾ ਮੈਂ ਕਾਫ਼ਰ ਨਾ ਸੱਯਦ, ਨਾ ਸੈਦ
I am neither a Believer (Muslim), nor an Infidel (Non-believer). I am neither a Syed (Holy/High Caste), nor a Hunter (Low/Killer). (I refuse to be categorized by my religion or my social rank.)

ਚੌਦਾਂ ਤਬਕਾਂ ਸੈਰ ਅਸਾਡਾ ਕਿਤੇ ਨਾ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਕੈਦ
My spirit roams through the Fourteen Worlds (The 7 Heavens and 7 Earths). Nowhere can I be imprisoned or trapped. (My consciousness has expanded to the cosmic scale; no physical or mental jail can hold me.)

ਖਰਾਬਾਤਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਾਸਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾ ਸ਼ੋਭਾ, ਨਾ ਐਬ
My dwelling is in the Kharabat (The Tavern / The Ruins). I have neither glory (honor) nor defect (shame). (I live in the place of intoxication and ruin, where the dualities of "good reputation" and "bad reputation" do not exist.)

ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹਾ ਸ਼ਹੁ ਦੀ ਜ਼ਾਤ ਕੀ ਪੁੱਛਨੀ? ਨਾ ਪੈਦਾ, ਨਾ ਪੈਦ
Bulleh! Why do you ask about the caste of the Lord? He is neither born, nor does He leave a trace (He has no origin and no end). (The Truth is unborn and uncreated; it cannot be defined by lineage.)