Not How Much You Carry, but Whether You Packed the One Thing
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A traveler who set out without loading up the one thing that lasts arrives with empty hands.
But wonderful, and worthy of every cheer, are those who meet the teaching and come to know the One.
The image is a caravan — saath — the old merchant convoys that crossed deserts loaded with goods. A caravan that packed the wrong cargo (or forgot the real treasure) reaches its destination with nothing of worth. The original says such caravans were muthrhay, "plundered"; here it softens to "empty hands," keeping the sense of loss without dread. The turn is warm and celebratory: say saabaas — "well done, bravo!" — for those who ik pachhaani-aa, recognized the One. It is a rare, cheering note in scripture — not a warning, but applause for the ones who loaded the right thing.
If your life were a journey and you could only pack a few things that truly matter, what would make the list?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI