Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The one who presses his claim does not win; the one who keeps silent receives justice.
The dead sit on costly carpets — and all that the eye can see will vanish.
This one says that pushing to get your way loses, while being humble wins.
Here are two more surprises. Daadee daad na pahuchanhaaraa choopee nirna-o paa-i-aa — the one who keeps shouting their case does not win. The one who stays quiet and humble gets what is fair. Always pushing to be first loses. Humility wins.
Think of two kids waiting for a turn on the swing. One keeps yelling, "Me! Me!" The other waits kindly. Often it is the patient one the teacher calls.
The next line is a strange one: "the dead sit on costly carpets." It means the person whose proud "me" has died away. That person now sits in real honor. And nain dikhaalan dhaa-i-aa — everything the eyes can see will one day fade. So the verse points us to what lasts.
When has staying quiet served you better than insisting on being right?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI