Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Listen, Saints and friends: this whole world is unreal.
Forever crying "mine, mine," people drown; the fools waste away and die.
Meeting the Guru, says Nanak, I remember the Name — and through the True Name, I am set free.
Crying "mine, mine" pulls you under, but the Name sets you free.
Sant sajan sunhu sabh meetaa — listen, saints, friends, all my dear ones. Jhoothaa ayhu pasaaraa — this whole spread of the world is false. Jhooth here does not mean it is not there. It means it does not last, and you cannot lean on it.
Mayree mayree kar kar doobay — forever saying "mine, mine," people drown. Think of a swimmer who will not let go of a heavy bag. Holding on is what pulls them down. The foolish waste away like that. Another shabad in Raag Aasaa warns about this same grip.
Against it stands the one solid thing. Meeting the Guru, Nanak remembers the Name. Saach naam nistaaraa — through the True Name, I am set free.
What do you catch yourself calling 'mine' most tightly?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI