Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When someone we know passes away, the world moves on and soon barely remembers them. And the rest of us? We just tighten our belts and get back to being busy.
We throw ourselves into our tasks and errands, gripping the things of this world twice as hard as before — as if holding on tighter could make anything last.
Guru Arjan notices something odd about people: when we are reminded that nothing lasts, we hold on even tighter.
Aglay mu-ay se paachhai paray — those who have died are soon left behind. Jo ubray say bandh lak kharay — the ones still here tighten their belts and get back to work. Think of a school hallway after the older class graduates. By the next week, everyone is rushing to their own lockers again.
The sharpest phrase is dugun dirhee, "twice as hard." People grip maya twice as hard as before. Maya means the passing, glittering world of things.
Guru Arjan is not scolding anyone for being busy. He is pointing at a funny human habit. A reminder that things end should loosen our grip. Instead, we often squeeze harder. Just seeing that habit, gently, is the first step to letting go a little.
When you lose something you loved, do you hold the next thing tighter, or hold it more gently?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI