Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A frown creases her forehead, and her glance is cruel.
Her words are bitter, and her tongue is harsh.
She is forever hungry, and she is sure her Husband is far away.
Illusion is hungry and bitter because it feels far away from the One.
This verse paints Maya as a person with an angry face. Maya means illusion: the pull of things that look like they will make us happy but do not last. In the poem she frowns. Her look is cruel. Her words are bitter and her tongue is harsh. Most of all, she is always hungry. Nothing is ever enough.
Why is she like this? The verse gives the reason: sadaa bhookhee pir jaanai door — always hungry, she believes her Husband, the One, is far away. Feeling cut off from the One is what makes illusion hungry and bitter. Think of a phone hunting for a signal it cannot find. It keeps searching, drains its battery, and never rests. A holy person is the opposite. They know the One is near, and so they are at peace.
Have you noticed how a sense of lack or separation can make a person restless and harsh?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI