Salok Sehskritee, Salok 15 — Shiny Things That Grip
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The person of small understanding is dying in clinging, lost in the pleasures of married life,
in young good looks and golden earrings,
in wonderful houses, decorations and fine clothes. This is how the shiny world holds on to a person.
O Undying One, shelter of the saints — Nanak says: O kind Lord, I bow to You.
Shiny things can quietly take hold of a person, and the way out is to bow to the Undying One.
It describes a person of shallow understanding who is wrapped up in comforts. There is youthful beauty, golden earrings, grand houses, fine decorations and clothes. The verse says this is how maya clings to a person. Maya means the pull of things that shine but do not last.
It is like a game on a phone. It is fun at first. Then one day you notice it is choosing your time for you. This is a pull every person feels. It is not a special failing.
The salok does not scold. It ends with a bow, namah, to the Eternal, kind One, the shelter of the saints. When the shine grips you, the answer is to look up.
What is something shiny that pulls at you? Can you enjoy it without letting it run you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI