Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Elephants, fine horses, gold, children, loved ones —
you can spend your whole life anxious over all of it, and still walk off the field having lost the game.
It's like playing a board game with a piece that was never going to reach home.
This one says you can spend your whole life worrying over things you will one day leave behind.
The verse lists what people treasure: gaivar haivar kanchan sut naaree. That means elephants, horses, gold, children, and a spouse. These are not called bad. They are shown to be not enough to build a whole life on.
Baho chintaa — so much worry over them. And still, chaalai haaree: people leave having lost the game.
Then comes a game picture: joo-ai khaylan kaachee saaree. In a chess-like board game, the piece is "unripe" and cannot reach its home square. Think of a game where your piece keeps sliding back, and time runs out before it gets home. This is not about fearing loss. It is about choosing wisely what to rest your peace on.
What are you tempted to worry about endlessly that you won't actually get to keep?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI