Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The mortal is like an unbaked clay pot in water;
puffed up with pride, he crumbles and dissolves.
This is the pause line, the Rahao, the center of the shabad. It pictures a proud person as a clay pot that was never baked.
Kaach gagree-aa ambh majhree-aa — an unbaked clay pot sitting in water. Clay has to be baked in a very hot oven to become strong. A pot that was never baked cannot hold its shape in water. It goes soft, crumbles, and melts away. Think of a sandcastle when the tide comes in.
Garab garab u-aahoo meh paree-aa — puffed up with pride, he falls apart in it. The proud soul was never made strong by humility or grace. So it dissolves under the pressure of life. Pride makes a weak container.
What makes a person able to hold their shape under pressure, instead of crumbling?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI