Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Coming into this world is judged worthwhile for one alone: the one who lovingly attunes to the True Lord.
Meeting the Guru, a person becomes priceless — the light merges into the Light.
This one says a life is worth living when it is lovingly tuned to the True One.
"Taa jag aa-i-aa jaanee-ai" — only then is coming into the world counted as worthwhile. "Saachai liv laa-ay" — when you keep loving attention (liv) on the True One. Not a long list of prizes. Just which way your love is pointed. That is what makes the whole trip worth the ticket.
Then the shabad pays back in the same coin it started with: worth. "Gur bhaytay paaras bha-ay" — meeting the Guru, a person becomes a paaras. A paaras is a magic touchstone from the old stories that turns iron into gold. It is priceless.
The last picture is gentle: "jotee jot milaa-ay" — the little light joins the great Light. No seam, nothing left over. Like a raindrop falling into the ocean. It is not lost. It finally becomes the ocean.
At the end of a life, what do you think actually counts as having made it worthwhile?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI