Salok Sehskritee, Salok 65 — The Breaths Are Being Spent
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The careless, foolish one does not know that every day, the breaths are running out.
The beautiful body is wearing away. Old age, death's daughter, has taken hold of it.
He is wrapped up in family games, hoping in things that do not last, enjoying pleasures that harm.
Wandering through many lives, he is worn out. Nanak says: I seek the shelter of the One who is all mercy.
Every day the breaths are being spent, so it matters what they are spent on.
Ghatant saasaa nit partay: the breaths grow fewer every day. The body, however beautiful, wears away. Old age is called kaal kanniaa, death's daughter, who takes hold of it. Meanwhile, the careless person stays busy with family games and passing pleasures, hoping in things that will not last.
The salok is a wake-up call, gentle but clear. It ends in shelter: Guru Arjan, signing as Nanak, turns to the One who is all mercy. Noticing the days is the first step to spending them well.
If you noticed that today was a gift you cannot get back, what would you want to spend it on?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI