Salok Sehskritee, Salok 45 — The Goat and the Tiger
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A goat enjoys eating fruits and roots, but living near a tiger, it is always afraid.
Nanak says: this is how the world is — always caught between joy and sorrow.
Joy in the world comes mixed with worry, like a meal eaten next to a tiger.
The goat eats fruit and roots. The food is good. But the tiger is close by, so the goat is always nervous. It cannot fully enjoy a single bite.
The verse says that is how the world feels. We are pulled between happy and sad. Even our good moments carry a quiet worry that they might end.
Think of a birthday party where you keep checking the clock because it will be over soon. You miss the fun while worrying about the ending. When we stay rooted in the One, that worry softens. Then we can taste the good in front of us.
Do you ever enjoy something while secretly worrying it will end? What might help you be more fully in the good moment?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI