You Cannot Put the Maker in Your Pocket

ਇਸੁ ਕਰਤੇ ਕਉ ਕਿਉ ਗਹਿ ਰਾਖਉ ਅਫਰਿਓ ਤੁਲਿਓ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥

is kartay ka-o ki-o geh raakha-o afri-o tuli-o na jaa-ee.

How can you keep the Creator under your control? He cannot be seized or measured.

ਮਾਇਆ ਕੇ ਦੇਵਾਨੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੀ ਝੂਠਿ ਠਗਉਰੀ ਪਾਈ ॥

maa-i-aa kay dayvaanay paraanee jhooth thag-uree paa-ee.

Maya has made the mortal insane; she has administered the poisonous drug of falsehood.

ਲਬਿ ਲੋਭਿ ਮੁਹਤਾਜਿ ਵਿਗੂਤੇ ਇਬ ਤਬ ਫਿਰਿ ਪਛੁਤਾਈ ॥

lab lobh muhtaaj vigootay ib tab fir pachhutaa-ee.

Addicted to greed and avarice, the mortal is ruined, and then later, he regrets and repents.

ਏਕੁ ਸਰੇਵੈ ਤਾ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਪਾਵੈ ਆਵਣੁ ਜਾਣੁ ਰਹਾਈ ॥੬॥

ayk sarayvai taa gat mit paavai aavan jaan rahaa-ee. ||6||

So serve the One Lord, and attain the state of Salvation; your comings and goings shall cease. ||6||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You can't grab the Maker and keep it in your pocket — it can't be caught or measured or owned.

Maya, the pull of shiny things, drives people crazy; it slips them a drug made of lies.

Hooked on greed and grabbing, a person is ruined, and later is sorry, again and again.

So serve the One, and you find freedom; the coming and going of birth and death comes to an end.

The Maker can't be grabbed or owned — only served and loved.

The deeper layer

Afri-o tuli-o na jaa-ee — the Maker cannot be seized or measured. Thag-uree is the sweet drug of falsehood — Maya as enchantress, a made-up story we get dizzy on. Aavan jaan rahaa-ee — the restless circling is stilled by turning to the One.

A Question to Sit With

What have you tried to hold onto that only made you more restless?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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