Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
He may enjoy a beautiful bed, endless pleasures and every kind of delight.
He may own golden mansions studded with jewels, fragrant with sandalwood.
He may revel in whatever his mind desires, and have not a single worry.
But if he does not remember the One, he is like a grub in filth.
Without the One's Name there is no peace at all. How could such a mind be at peace?
This part says that you can have every comfort and still have no peace.
Guru Arjan piles up every luxury you can picture. Sundar sayj — a beautiful bed. Garih so-in — houses of gold, set with pearls and diamonds, scented with sandalwood. Every wish granted. Kichh naahi visooray — not a single worry.
Then he pulls the rug out. So parabh chit na aavee — if the One never comes to mind, it all falls flat. He uses a strong picture: a grub in filth. Bin har naam na saant ho-ay — without the Name, there is no peace at all.
This is the steady, bold claim of this long poem, a vaar (a ballad of many verses): comfort is not peace. Think of a kid with the biggest room and every toy who still feels lonely. You can have everything the world calls good and still feel empty. Peace isn't made of things. It is made of being connected to the One. What the heart needs can't be bought.
Can someone have everything they could want and still not feel at peace? What does that tell you about where peace really comes from?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI