Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
They may live in heavenly realms and conquer all the regions of the world.
But if they forget the One, Nanak, they are just lost wanderers in the wild.
This part says that even the greatest winners are lost if they forget the One.
Basant savarag lokah — they may live in heavenly worlds. Jittay parithvee nav khandnah — they may conquer all nine regions of the earth. Yet bisrant har gopaalah — if they forget the One, udi-aan bharamneh, they are just wanderers in the wild. The highest heights, on earth or in heaven, count as being lost without the One.
This long poem keeps saying the same thing from new angles. Being poor or failing doesn't make a life a wilderness. Winning or living in paradise doesn't make it a home. Only remembering the One turns a wilderness into a home.
Think of a champion holding the trophy, who still feels far from anyone who loves them. Forget the One, and even heaven feels empty. Remember, and even a broken shack becomes a kingdom, as an earlier verse of this poem said.
If even ruling the world or living in paradise could feel like being lost, what actually turns a life from a wilderness into a home?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI