CAN AN ALGORITHM UNDERSTAND KABIR? AI, MYSTICAL METAPHOR, AND THE LIMITS OF MACHINE MEANING

Abstract

This paper examines whether artificial intelligence can meaningfully interpret the mystical, metaphorical, and culturally embedded language of Kabir's poetry. Kabir's dohas appear linguistically simple, yet they carry dense philosophical, spiritual, social, and poetic meanings that often resist literal translation and mechanical interpretation. Taking selected Hindi dohas of Kabir as primary texts, the study investigates how AI-based language models translate, explain, and interpret concepts such as Ram, Maya, Jeev, Satguru, Shunya, and the body as a spiritual metaphor. The paper compares human literary interpretation with AI-generated responses to explore the limits of machine meaning in relation to metaphor, paradox, silence, irony, and spiritual experience. The study brings together Hindi-English linguistics, translation studies, literary criticism, Indian spiritual thought, and AI ethics. It argues that while AI can process vocabulary, syntax, and surface-level symbolism, it struggles with the lived, oral, performative, and experiential dimensions of Kabir's poetry. The paper further asks whether algorithmic interpretation risks flattening culturally specific wisdom into generalized global English. By using Kabir as a case study, this research highlights the need for ethically responsible, culturally sensitive, and linguistically aware AI systems in literary and educational contexts. Ultimately, the paper suggests that Kabir's poetry reveals not only the power of human language but also the philosophical boundaries of artificial intelligence.