Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
What is passing and unreal, I keep mistaking for solid and true. And what is actually real and lasting — my mind can barely rest on it even for a moment.
Guru Arjan says we mistake the passing things for the real ones, and find it hard to rest on what is true.
This is the contrast between sach and jhooth that runs all through Gurbani. Jhooth means false: what passes and cannot last. Sach means true: what is real and lasting. Jhooth baat saa sach kar jaatee — the false thing is taken for the true one.
This mix-up is not being bad. It is more like being near-sighted. The loud passing things look more solid than the quiet real One. Think of fireworks: for a moment they outshine every star. But the stars are still there long after the smoke clears.
Sat hovan man lagai na raatee — the mind cannot rest on the true, even for a moment. It is an honest admission of how hard it is to keep our attention on what matters.
What's one thing in your life that felt hugely important a year ago but barely matters now?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI