ਮਾਨਸ ਜਨਮ ਅਕਾਰਥ ਖੋਵਤ ਲਾਜ ਨ ਲੋਕ ਹਸਨ ਕੀ ॥
maanas janam akaarath khovat laaj na lok hasan kee.
You lose this human life in vain, and You are not even ashamed when others laugh at you.
ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਜਸੁ ਕਿਉ ਨਹੀ ਗਾਵਤ ਕੁਮਤਿ ਬਿਨਾਸੈ ਤਨ ਕੀ ॥੨॥੧॥੨੩੩॥
naanak har jas ki-o nahee gaavat kumat binaasai tan kee. ||2||1||233||
O Nanak, why not sing the Lord's Praises, so that you may be rid of the body's evil disposition? ||2||1||233||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You lose this human life in vain, and you are not even ashamed when others laugh at you.
O Nanak, why not sing the One's praises, so you may be rid of the body's evil disposition?
This precious human life is being lost in vain — why not turn, even now, and sing?
Guru Tegh Bahadur's plain challenge: "you lose this human life in vain" — the precious chance squandered (cf. Shabad 214) — "and you are not even ashamed." The remedy is offered as a simple question: "why not sing the Lord's Praises?" The wasted life can still be redeemed by turning to praise.
A Question to Sit With
What would it take to stop wasting the rare chance of this life?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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