ਸਿਮਰਨੁ ਨਹੀ ਆਵਤ ਫਿਰਤ ਮਦ ਮਾਵਤ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਰਾਤਾ ਸੁਆਨ ਜੈਸੇ ॥
simran nahee aavat firat mad maavat bikhi-aa raataa su-aan jaisay.
The mortal does not remember the Lord in meditation; he wanders around intoxicated by egotism; he is engrossed in corruption like a dog.
ਅਉਧ ਬਿਹਾਵਤ ਅਧਿਕ ਮੋਹਾਵਤ ਪਾਪ ਕਮਾਵਤ ਬੁਡੇ ਐਸੇ ॥੧॥
a-oDh bihaavat aDhik mohaavat paap kamaavat buday aisay. ||1||
Utterly cheated, his life is slipping away; committing sins, he is sinking away. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When someone forgets to remember the One, they drift about, dizzy with pride, chasing after things that never satisfy.
Their days slip by as they wander far from what matters, growing more and more turned around.
Forgetting what matters can leave anyone drifting -- and turning back is always possible.
simran nahee aavat -- remembrance not coming; mad maavat -- dizzy with pride. The literal's harsh images are carried gently: this is the aimless drifting of forgetting, drawn with compassion, not contempt -- a state anyone can slip into and step out of.
A Question to Sit With
When your days start to feel aimless, what helps you find your center again?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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