Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Every day and every breath you have was measured out and placed in your keeping; the count doesn’t grow or shrink by even a little.
Nanak says: it’s a gentle mistake to spend those breaths lost in worry and clinging, chasing what can’t stay. Each breath is already a gift — better to live it awake.
Saas saas — every breath — is counted and set into one's bhaag (portion), and the total ghatai na badhai — neither increases nor decreases. This is the Sikh understanding of a measured life as precious: the breaths are numbered, so none should be wasted. Longing "to live in doubt and attachment" is murakh, foolish — a gentle mistake anyone can make. And so: because your breaths are a limited, given treasure, spending them awake matters more than spending them in worry.
If you knew your breaths were a counted gift, what is one worry you’d be willing to set down to make room?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI