ਕਉਨ ਵਡਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
ka-un vadaa maa-i-aa vadi-aa-ee.
Who is great by the greatness of Maya?
ਸੋ ਵਡਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਰਾਮ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
so vadaa jin raam liv laa-ee. ||1|| rahaa-o.
They alone are great, who are lovingly attached to the Lord. ||1||Pause||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
So who is truly great? Not the one with the biggest pile of things -- that greatness is borrowed and passes. Truly great is the one whose heart is woven into love for the One.
True greatness is not what you pile up but what you are lovingly connected to.
The Rahao. Maa-i-aa vadi-aa-ee -- greatness measured by wealth and illusion. Raam liv laa-ee -- lovingly attached to the One. The pause line delivers the shabad's redefinition: greatness is not accumulation but connection. Liv is that thread of loving attention that ties a soul to its Source.
A Question to Sit With
If greatness is not about having the most, what do you think makes a person truly great?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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