Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Kabir says: listen, friends — life's deep waters can be frightening and hard.
So don't wait — hold onto the One now, and let that carry you through.
Kabir closes by naming life's difficulty honestly — the terrifying world-ocean, the hard and frightening stretches every person meets — and the suffering that shadows a life lived without the One. But the whole shabad has been building toward one loving urgency: don't wait. Because the lamp burns only so long, because no one stays forever, because the deep waters are real — the time to hold onto the One is now. This isn't gloom; it's a friend grabbing your hand and saying: life is precious and hard and short, so give your heart to what truly carries you before you need it. Tend the flame that doesn't go out, and the frightening ocean becomes crossable.
What's worth giving your heart to now, so it can carry you through hard times later?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI