Savaiye Sri Mukhbak (Mehl 5), Verse 15 — Saved at the feet of the saints
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I spent my breath, gave away my self-respect, begged for gifts, waited by the road to rob, and gave my whole heart and mind to gathering money bit by bit.
I kept it hidden away from my friends, relatives, companions, children and brothers.
I ran around and told lies, and in this way my life and body wore away.
Good deeds, right living, self-control, purity and good vows — I lost them all by keeping company with fickle Maya.
As animals and birds, trees and mountains, in so many ways I wandered through births, heavy and lost.
Not for a moment, not for an instant, did I remember the Naam of the Master of the humble, the Lord of all life.
The food and drink and sweet, tasty dishes all turned bitter at the very end.
Nanak says: I was saved at the feet of the saints, in their company; the others, lost in Maya, have gone, leaving everything behind.
A whole life spent grabbing turns bitter at the end, and the company of the saints is what saves.
The speaker looks back with no excuses. Mag johan: watching the road, waiting to rob travelers. Taahoo tay lay rakhee niraaree: hiding the money even from family. Chanchal sang: keeping company with fickle Maya, the world's restless pull.
Ant kee baar hot kat khaaree: at the end, the sweet things turn bitter. Think of eating too much candy; the last piece never tastes like the first. Sant charan sang uDhray: saved at the feet of the saints, in the company of the saints.
When you look back honestly at a mistake, what helps you turn toward something better instead of just feeling bad?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI