Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You made the world and set everyone to their work, even the wrong things people go on doing.
They lose the treasure of this human life in a gamble, and never tune their minds to the Guru's word.
Life is precious, like a treasure, and it is sad to lose it in a careless game.
Jagat upaa-ay tudh dhandhai laa-i-aa — You made the world and gave everyone their work. Bhoondee kaar kamaa-ee — that even includes the wrong things people end up doing.
Janam padaarath joo-ai haari-aa — padaarath means a treasure. Some lose the treasure of life in joo-ai, a gamble. Think of trading a rare, one-of-a-kind card for a sticker that peels off by lunch. Sabdai surat na paa-ee — they never tune in to the word.
The verse is a wake-up call. Surat, a mind tuned in to the word, is the thing worth staying awake for.
What is something precious you would not want to waste or lose track of?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI