Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Friends, let's sing the wonders of the One who holds all the world.
You have been given this human life — a treasure beyond price, rarer than any jewel. Why let it drift away empty? What could be worth wasting something so precious?
Your human life is a priceless gift, so fill it with praise and wonder.
This line is the rahaa-o, the "pause," the center of the shabad. Saadho gobind kay gun gaava-o — friends, holy ones, sing the praises of Gobind, the Lord of the world. Maanas janam amolak paa-i-o — you have been given this priceless human life. Amolak means priceless. Gurbani often celebrates how rare a human life is, and how full of possibility.
The tone is an invitation, not a scolding. Come, sing. Then comes the gentle question: birthaa kaahi gavaava-o — why waste it?
Think of being handed a brand-new notebook with every page blank. Why leave it in a drawer? The question is meant to wake you up to the wonder of what you are already holding, not to make you feel bad.
If someone handed you something priceless and one-of-a-kind, how carefully would you treat it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI