Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Gold, silver, money — not finally yours. Even the finest things you could own can't come with you where it matters.
The things the world ranks you by cannot come with you where it truly counts.
Su-inaa roopaa fun nahee daam — gold, silver and money are not yours. Haivar gaivar aapan nahee kaam — fine horses and grand elephants are no use to you.
In Guru Arjan's time, horses and elephants were the biggest show-off items. Today it might be the newest phone, a fancy car, or the biggest house. The lesson stays the same. These things cannot come with you. They cannot hold you up when it really matters. They are nahee kaam, of no use, at that deeper level.
This is not saying nice things are bad. It is simply clear about what they can and cannot do.
What are the "fancy horses and elephants" that people show off today — and what can't they actually give you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI