Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Without keeping the One in mind, I've watched people ache and cry out. Deep down they are restless and unsatisfied.
A body and its riches spent only on chasing the passing world are wasted. It is like pouring your best years into something that washes away.
Guru Arjan says a life poured only into things that wash away ends up feeling wasted.
This is the rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Bin har bhajan daykh-a-u billaatay — without remembering the One, I see people crying out in pain. Bhajan means lovingly keeping the One in mind.
The word Dharig appears twice. It is often translated "cursed." But it does not mean a curse laid on people. It names the ache of a life spent only on what does not last. They are soaked in maya, the passing show of the world.
Imagine spending a whole summer building a sandcastle right at the water's edge. The tide comes in and it is gone. The teaching is about where we point our effort. It is never about how much a person is worth.
What are you pouring your best energy into — and will it still matter later?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI