Acharya Prashant explains the meaning of a bhajan by Kabir Saheb. He begins by stating that there are three fundamental entities: Aham (the ego or 'I'), Atma (the Self or soul), and Prakriti (nature or the material world). The Aham is the one to whom everything is addressed, who experiences all happiness and sorrow, and who alone desires liberation. Both Atma and Prakriti exist for the Aham. Prakriti is defined as everything the mind can think of, experience, or imagine—the realm where the ego constantly resides. Using the metaphor of a bird, Acharya Prashant illustrates the relationship between these three. The bird represents the Aham (the individual), the ground represents Prakriti (the material world), and the sky represents the Atma (the Self). The bird's destiny is to fly in the sky, but its wings are tied, forcing it to remain on the ground. This represents the individual soul, bound by worldly attachments but longing for the freedom of the Self. The relationship between the bird and the sky is love, and reaching the sky is liberation (mukti). To achieve this, the bird must find someone on the ground who can undo its bonds—this figure is the Fakir, or the Guru. Acharya Prashant quotes Kabir Saheb: "Worry has consumed everyone, worry is everyone's pain. The one who fasts on worry, his name is Fakir." The bonds that tie the individual are the worries of the world. The Fakir is one who is free from these worries. The meeting with the Fakir is the result of the individual's long-held prayers and longing. However, breaking free from these bonds is a painful process because it involves letting go of familiar comforts and securities. The choice to endure this pain and accept the Guru's help ultimately lies with the individual. The Guru's word (shabd) is what awakens the sleeping soul from its slumber in the temple of the body and saves it from drowning in the ocean of worldly existence. The Guru's one word is about the One (Atma), which liberates from the many (Prakriti). This is how the Fakir infuses true life (pran), which is love (prem), into the individual's otherwise lifeless existence. A life without this love for the ultimate is like a dead body; only those who yearn for liberation are truly alive.