ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲੈ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥
manmukh bharam bhulai sansaar.
The self-willed manmukh wanders around the world in doubt.
ਬਿਨੁ ਰਾਸੀ ਕੂੜਾ ਕਰੇ ਵਾਪਾਰੁ ॥
bin raasee koorhaa karay vaapaar.
Without any capital, he makes false transactions.
ਵਿਣੁ ਰਾਸੀ ਵਖਰੁ ਪਲੈ ਨ ਪਾਇ ॥
vin raasee vakhar palai na paa-ay.
Without any capital, he does not obtain any merchandise.
ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਭੁਲਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥੩॥
manmukh bhulaa janam gavaa-ay. ||3||
The mistaken manmukh wastes away his life. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The self-willed wanders the world in doubt.
With no real capital, he makes empty deals; with nothing to trade, he goes home with nothing.
So the mistaken one wastes his whole life.
Without the one real currency, a whole life of busy dealing comes home empty.
The merchant image returns: the manmukh trades "without any capital." His currency — the Name, real virtue — is missing, so all his "transactions" are empty and he "obtains no merchandise." A whole life of busy dealing yields nothing, because he never had the one asset that buys anything real (cf. Shabad 49, the one profitable transaction).
A Question to Sit With
What are you "investing" your days in — and does it have lasting value?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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