Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The fortress of Lanka was made of gold.
But what could Raawan, the foolish king, take with him when he left?
Even a city of gold stays behind when its king is gone.
Lankaa gadh sonay kaa bha-i-aa: the fortress of Lanka was made of gold. In the old Indian epic, the Ramayana, Lanka is the golden city of King Raawan. Moorakh raavan ki-aa lay ga-i-aa: what did foolish Raawan take with him? The word moorakh, foolish, names the mistake more than the man: treating gold that stays behind as treasure that lasts. Even the greatest king could not carry his fortress with him.
If the richest person in an old story couldn't keep any of it, what's worth building your life around?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI