Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I want no part of a business like that.
It eats up what I started with, and the interest I owe keeps growing.
The traders weave seven threads together to do their business.
They are pulled along by the karma of what they did before.
Three toll-keepers argue with them on the road.
And the traders walk away with empty hands.
A deal that eats what you started with, while your debt keeps growing, is a deal to walk away from.
The pause line, the rahaa-o, is the center of the shabad. Mohi aisay banaj si-o naheen kaaj — I want nothing to do with a trade like this. It eats away the money you started with, while the interest you owe keeps climbing. Think of a game where every level costs more coins than it gives back. You keep playing and keep falling behind.
The traders are pulled along by karam — the pull of what they did before. Toll-keepers argue with them on the road. In the end they leave haath jhaar — with empty hands, nothing to show for the whole journey.
What is something that always seems to take more than it gives back?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI