Nothing Here Lasts; Steadiness Comes From Loving the One
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Nothing here lasts forever — so why plant your feet as if you owned the ground? Chasing after the world's shine, people bend and twist themselves, filling up their bags with a lot of tiring effort — yet at the very end none of it helps.
Steadiness comes another way: by remembering the One and taking to heart the wisdom of the good. Love the One, always — that is true love.
The One is the Doer, the cause behind every cause; every path is in those hands. Nanak says: wherever we are drawn, there we go — and we are gently cared for, never on our own.
Nothing here lasts, so do not plant your feet as if you owned it; steadiness comes from loving the One, the true love, who cares for you wherever you go.
This is the verse for the letter T'hat'ha, and it is about how nothing stays. Thir ko-oo nahee — nothing is permanent. Kaa-ay pasaarahu paav — so why stretch out your feet, as if you were staying forever? Think of building a sandcastle right where the tide comes in.
The verse uses sharp words for the person who grabs and hoards. Banch and chhal mean cheating and tricks. Gaavaar means fool. The sharpness is aimed at the grabbing, not at hating the person. Ego is something to heal, not a crime.
The turn is thit paavhu gobid bhajahu — find steadiness by remembering the One. Then comes a lovely letting-go at the close. Kaaran karan karaavano sabh biDh aikai haath — the One is the Cause of causes; every way is in the One's hands. Jit jit laavhu tit tit lageh — wherever You join us, there we go.
The singer calls himself jant anaath, a helpless creature. That is not putting himself down. It is the honesty of empty hands, held safely by grace. We are cared for, and never truly on our own.
If nothing you own can be kept forever, what is worth putting your love into instead?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI