Sikhism·Raag Bilaaval·Shabad 5
Verse 1 of 5

A Life Can Miss Its Own Sweetness

ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ਘਰੁ ੧
bilaaval mehlaa 3 ghar 1
Bilaaval, Third Mehl, First House:
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ik-oNkaar satgur parsaad.
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਖਾਇਆ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਸੋਇਆ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਕਾਪੜੁ ਅੰਗਿ ਚੜਾਇਆ ॥
Dharig Dharig khaa-i-aa Dharig Dharig so-i-aa Dharig Dharig kaaparh ang charhaa-i-aa.
Cursed, cursed is the food; cursed, cursed is the sleep; cursed, cursed are the clothes worn on the body.
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਸਰੀਰੁ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਸਹਿਤ ਸਿਉ ਜਿਤੁ ਹੁਣਿ ਖਸਮੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
Dharig sareer kutamb sahit si-o jit hun khasam na paa-i-aa.
Cursed is the body, along with family and friends, when one does not find his Lord and Master in this life.
ਪਉੜੀ ਛੁੜਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਹਾਥਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਅਹਿਲਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
pa-orhee chhurhkee fir haath na aavai ahilaa janam gavaa-i-aa. ||1||
He misses the step of the ladder, and this opportunity will not come into his hands again; his life is wasted, uselessly. ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.

A day can go by — eating, sleeping, dressing, busy with family and friends — and never once turn toward the One who gives all of it. When that happens, all that living somehow misses the point of itself.

It is like climbing a ladder and skipping the rung right in front of you. But here is the hope: the rung is still there. This breath, this moment, you can reach for it.

A life turned away from the One misses its own sweetness — but the chance is always still here.
The deeper layer

Dharig Dharig is a strong Punjabi lament over a life lived asleep to its own source. The missed pa-orhee (ladder-rung) is a chance still standing in front of you.

A Question to Sit With

What good thing is right in front of you today that is easy to walk past?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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