Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Every other kind of deal ends in loss;
only the Name is sweet to Nanak's mind.
This one uses the language of buying and selling. Every other deal ends in loss, but the Name never loses its worth.
Sagleen sa-udeen totaa aavai — "in every other trade, there is a loss." Guru Nanak lived among traders in Punjab, so he pictures life as a market. We spend our days trading time and effort for things.
Think of a new phone. It feels amazing today, but in a few years it is worth very little. Almost everything we collect goes that way, and at death none of it comes along. The Name, the living presence of the One, is different. It only grows in value, and it stays with you. That is why naanak raam naam man bhaavai — the Name is sweet to Nanak's mind.
What are you investing your time and heart in — and will it still be worth something later?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI