Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When someone forgets to keep the One in mind, it's usually because they've been swept up by chasing one tasty thing after another.
And so the mind keeps swinging — up into little highs, down into little lows — never finding steady ground.
When the mind chases one treat after another, it forgets the One and keeps swinging up and down.
This Shalok, a short couplet, shows how forgetting happens. Mohio suaad bikaar means "caught by the pull of pleasures." And so naam bisaariai: the Name slips out of mind.
The verse says narak surag avtaar, born into hell and heaven. This can be read as what happens inside a distracted mind. It swings between highs, little heavens, and lows, little troubles. It never finds steady ground.
Think of a seesaw on the playground. Up, down, up, down. It is fun for a moment, but you never get to stand still. Chasing pleasures leaves you shaky like that. The next day-verse shows this seesaw in more detail.
Have you ever noticed how chasing the next fun thing can leave you feeling more restless, not less?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI