Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
It's easy to drift through life half-asleep. The eyes wander toward whatever glitters. The ears drink in gossip about other people.
The tongue is always chasing the next tasty thing. And the mind dozes, dazzled by the passing world instead of really awake to what matters.
This one says our senses can fall asleep, even while we are awake.
The verse pictures each sense dozing. Nainhu need par darisat vikaar — the eyes are asleep, looking at others in the wrong way. Sarvan so-ay sun nind veechaar — the ears are asleep, listening to nind, unkind talk about others. Rasnaa so-ee lobh meethai saad — the tongue is asleep, greedy for sweet tastes. Man so-i-aa maa-i-aa bismaad — the mind is asleep, dazzled by Maya, the glitter of the passing world.
"Asleep" is the key picture. It does not mean evil. It means not awake, drifting. Think of scrolling a phone for an hour, then looking up and wondering where the time went.
The tone is gentle, like someone talking to themselves. It describes a drowsiness everyone knows, without blaming anyone. It gets us ready for the pause line, which calls us to stay awake.
When does your attention "doze off" and just chase whatever's shiny or gossipy?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI