Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Someone thinks only of their children at the very end. They leave this life still worried.
So they come back again and again, still tied to that clinging.
This line says that even the sweetest love should not take the place of the One.
Trilochan names love for one's children. That is the kindest, most natural love there is. Ant kaal jo larhikay simrai — whoever thinks only of their children at the last moment, and leaves this life in that worry, comes back again and again, tied to it. The verse uses the old picture of being born as a pig.
This is gentle and important. The shabad (hymn) is not against loving your family. Love your family with your whole heart. The warning is about letting any love, even a good one, become the center that pushes the One out.
Think of holding a baby bird. Hold it softly, and it is safe and happy. Squeeze too tight, and the love turns into a grip. Even the dearest love is not meant to be your whole world, or your god.
Is there a good love in your life that has quietly become a grip? How do you love fully without clutching?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI