Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Think of a person whose whole mind is locked on the one thing they crave.
Think of a gambler who sees nothing in the room but the dice about to fall.
Namdev uses even unhealthy cravings to show how strongly a mind can focus.
The verse speaks of a man who keeps staring at another man's wife, wanting what is not his. Ka-udaa daarat hirai ju-aaree — and of the gambler who watches the dice being thrown. Ju-aaree means gambler. Both crave so strongly that everything else disappears.
Namdev is not approving of these cravings. He is amazed at the power of the attention inside them. Think of a strong river. It can flood a town, or it can turn a mill that grinds flour for everyone. The power is the same. Namdev wants that power of focus turned toward the One.
Where does your attention go automatically, without you even choosing?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI