SGGS pp 475-477, Aasa Kabir Ji, Shabads 1-6.

ੴ ਸਤਿਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Ik▫oaʼnkār saṯnām karṯā purakẖ nirbẖa▫o nirvair akāl mūraṯ ajūnī saibẖaʼn gurparsāḏ.

One all pervasive Almighty with eternal virtues, Creator, beyond fear or jealousy, timeless and deathless, unborn, self existent, whose virtues may be known through the Guru ‘s grace.

ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ ਬਾਣੀ ਭਗਤਾ ਕੀ ॥ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ਨਾਮਦੇਉ ਜੀਉ ਰਵਿਦਾਸ ਜੀਉ ॥
Rāg āsā baṇī bẖagṯā kī. Kabīr jī▫o nāmḏe▫o jī▫o Raviḏās jī▫o.

Baani in Raag Aasa of (bhagtaa) the devotees, (jio) revered Kabir, Naamdeo and Ravidas.

Note: In the Shabad below Bhagat Kabir asks questions and then answers on why is one born and what is s/he expected to do. In other words what is the purpose of human life.

ਆਸਾ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਚਰਣ ਲਾਗਿ ਹਮ ਬਿਨਵਤਾ ਪੂਛਤ ਕਹ ਜੀਉ ਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਕਵਨ ਕਾਜਿ ਜਗੁ ਉਪਜੈ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਕਹਹੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਸਮਝਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
Āsā sirī Kabīr jī▫o. Gur cẖaraṇ lāg ham binvaṯā pūcẖẖaṯ kah jī▫o pā▫i▫ā. Kavan kāj jag upjai binsai kahhu mohi samjẖā▫i▫ā. ||1||

Baani of (sri) revered Bhagat Kabir in Raag Aasa. (Laag-i) touching (charan) the feet of, i.e. paying obeisance to, the guru, (ham) I (binvata) supplicate and (poochhat) ask: (Kah) for what purpose are the (jeeo = creatures) humans (upaaia) created? Please (kahaho = tell me) make (mohh-i) me (samjhaai) understand: (Kavan) for what (kaaj-i) purpose is (jag-u) a human being (upjai) born and then (binsai = destroyed) dies? 1.

ਦੇਵ ਕਰਹੁ ਦਇਆ ਮੋਹਿ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਲਾਵਹੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਭੈ ਬੰਧਨ ਤੂਟੈ ॥ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖ ਫੇੜ ਕਰਮ ਸੁਖ ਜੀਅ ਜਨਮ ਤੇ ਛੂਟੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ḏev karahu ḏa▫i▫ā mohi mārag lāvhu jiṯ bẖai banḏẖan ṯūtai. Janam maran ḏukẖ feṛ karam sukẖ jī▫a janam ṯe cẖẖūtai. ||1|| rahā▫o.

O (d-ev) enlightener guru, please (karahu = do) show (daiaa) compassion, and (laavhu) put me on (maarag) the path that (toottai = breaks) frees me of (bandhan) bondage with, (bhai/bhav) the world, i.e. being born again.
Answer : One’s soul (dukh) suffers by being in (janam maran = births and deaths) cycles of reincarnation because of past (ph-er karam) deeds; (jee-a) the soul can have (sukh) comfort when s/he (choottai) is released from (janam) birth again. 1.
(Rahaau) dwell on this and contemplate.

ਮਾਇਆ ਫਾਸ ਬੰਧ ਨਹੀ ਫਾਰੈ ਅਰੁ ਮਨ ਸੁੰਨਿ ਨ ਲੂਕੇ ॥ ਆਪਾ ਪਦੁ ਨਿਰਬਾਣੁ ਨ ਚੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿਆ ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਅਭਿਉ ਨ ਚੂਕੇ ॥੨॥
Mā▫i▫ā fās banḏẖ nahī fārai ar man sunn na lūke. Āpā paḏ nirbāṇ na cẖīnĥi▫ā in biḏẖ abẖi▫o na cẖūke. ||2||

Answer: As long as the creature does not (phaarai = tear off) remove (bandh) bondage to (phaas = tying rope) attachment to (maaia) the world-play, (ar-u) and (man) the mind is not (lookai = take shelter) absorbed (sunn-i = numb/unmoving) in the Eternal,
it does not (cheenia = recognize) think of how to achieve (pad-u) the state of (nirbaan-u) freedom (aapa) of the self from temptations; (in bidh-i = this way) because of this, (abhiau/abh-ed = not separated) attachment to the temptations does not (chookai) end – and the soul takes birth again. 2.

ਕਹੀ ਨ ਉਪਜੈ ਉਪਜੀ ਜਾਣੈ ਭਾਵ ਅਭਾਵ ਬਿਹੂਣਾ ॥ ਉਦੈ ਅਸਤ ਕੀ ਮਨ ਬੁਧਿ ਨਾਸੀ ਤਉ ਸਦਾ ਸਹਜਿ ਲਿਵ ਲੀਣਾ ॥੩॥
Kahī na upjai upjī jāṇai bẖāv abẖāv bihūṇā. Uḏai asaṯ kī man buḏẖ nāsī ṯa▫o saḏā sahj liv līṇā. ||3||

One who remains (bihoona) bereft of the understanding of (bhaav) presence and (abhaav) absence, i.e. although the Creator is unseen, IT is Eternal and present every where, but the creatures though seen are perishable; s/he (jaanai = knows) considers (upji = created) the creation as permanent, but does not (kahi) talk of the Almighty who is eternal and (upjai) present every where.
When (budh-i) thoughts of only what is (udai = rises) born and then (ast = setting) dies, i.e. attachment to the transitory physical existence, (naasi = run) leave, – and one remembers the Creator – (tau) then (man) the mind is (liv leena) absorbed in the Almighty, remaining (sahj-i) in a state of poise. 3.

ਜਿਉ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਬਿੰਬੁ ਬਿੰਬ ਕਉ ਮਿਲੀ ਹੈ ਉਦਕ ਕੁੰਭੁ ਬਿਗਰਾਨਾ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਐਸਾ ਗੁਣ ਭ੍ਰਮੁ ਭਾਗਾ ਤਉ ਮਨੁ ਸੁੰਨਿ ਸਮਾਨਾਂ ॥੪॥੧॥
Ji▫o parṯibimb bimb ka▫o milī hai uḏak kumbẖ bigrānā. Kaho Kabīr aisā guṇ bẖaram bẖāgā ṯa▫o man sunn samānāʼn. ||4||1||

For example (jio) the way when there is (pratibimb-u) reflection of (bimb) an object– say the sun or moon – in (udak) the water in (kumbh-u) a pitcher; when the pitcher (bigraana) breaks, the reflection merges with the original, i.e. the sun or moon is real but reflection is transitory. – so is the difference between the Creator and the creatures.
O Kabir (kahu) say: When one has (aiasa = such) this (gun = virtue) understanding, (tau) then (bhram-u) delusion (bhaaga = runs) leaves and (man) the mind (samaanaa-n) merges (sunn-i = numb/unmoving) in the Eternal and the soul is not born again. 4. 1.

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Note: The Shabad below describes those who pretend to be religious and display pious-looking garbs to exploit gullible people.

ਆਸਾ ॥ ਗਜ ਸਾਢੇ ਤੈ ਤੈ ਧੋਤੀਆ ਤਿਹਰੇ ਪਾਇਨਿ ਤਗ ॥ ਗਲੀ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਜਪਮਾਲੀਆ ਲੋਟੇ ਹਥਿ ਨਿਬਗ ॥ ਓਇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਬਾਨਾਰਸਿ ਕੇ ਠਗ ॥੧॥
Āsā. Gaj sādẖe ṯai ṯai ḏẖoṯī▫ā ṯihre pā▫in ṯag Galī jinĥā japmālī▫ā lote hath nibag. O▫e har ke sanṯ na ākẖī▫ahi bānāras ke ṯẖag. ||1||

Baani of Bhagat Kabir in Raag Aasa. They (paain-i) wear (dhotia) loin cloths (saadh-e tai tai) three and half meters long and (tag = thread) the sacred thread or Janeu (tihr-e) of three strings.
These are (jinha) those who have (japmaalia) prayer rosaries (gal-i) round their necks and (nibag) shining (lot-e) pots (hath-i) in hand.
(O-e) they cannot (aakhiah-i) be called (sant) the devotees of (har-i) the Almighty but (tthug) cheats (baanaas-i) of Benaras, the pilgrim centre – they are found at pilgrim centres. 1