Gaathaa, Salok 8 — a fallen leaf cannot go back
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When leaves dry up and fall, they cannot be joined to the branch again.
Nanak says: without the Naam, life is hard, and a person wanders from birth to birth, day and night.
Without the Naam, a person drifts like a leaf that has fallen from the tree.
Patar bhurijayn jharhee-ya(n): leaves wither and drop. Nah jarhee-a(n) payd: they cannot be fixed back onto the tree. A moment of life, once gone, does not return.
Naam bihoon bikhmataa: without the Naam, the road is rough. Bahant jon baasro rainee: a person keeps wandering through lives, day and night. The picture asks us to use this life well, while the leaf is still on the branch.
What helps you stay close to what matters most?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI