Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Everyone is drunk on the wine of Maya, and no one is awake.
The thieves are right there with them, robbing their homes.
While everyone is dazed by the world's shine, the thieves are already inside the house.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Sabh mad maatay ko-oo na jaag — everyone is drunk on the wine of Maya, and no one is awake. Maya is the dazzle of the world, the shiny surface of things that pulls us away from what is real.
Sang hee chor ghar musan laag — the thieves are right there with them, robbing the house. While we are dazzled, good things like our peace and kindness quietly slip away.
Think of scrolling a phone so long that dinner goes cold and a friend gives up waiting. Nothing loud happened. Something good just slipped away. Staying awake means noticing.
What is one thing that easily pulls your attention away from what you care about most?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI