Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When power and youth and the rush of shiny things fill us, the One slips out of mind — and the wise call that the great sorrow.
And the deep thirst to sing what is good in the One — that is the treasure the fortunate find.
The biggest loss is forgetting the One. The biggest treasure is wanting to sing about the One.
The verse sets a loss next to a treasure.
The loss comes first. Raaj joban ... har maa-i-aa mahaa dukh — when power, youth, and shiny things fill our days, it is easy to forget the One. The wise call that the great sorrow. It is like being so busy with a new video game that you forget your best friend is waiting outside.
Then the treasure: aas pi-aas raman har keertan. It is the longing, the real thirst, to sing the One's praise. That wish is padaarath, true wealth. The fortunate are the ones who find it.
What shiny thing has ever made you forget something that mattered more?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI