Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Those who act from ego do their deeds full of pride.
A whole life can turn into a losing bet. You put everything on the table chasing things, and walk away with empty hands.
Inside, there's a heavy darkness of greed, that gnawing sense of never having enough. And so the same restless circling goes round and round, coming and going, never arriving.
This one says a life run by ego is like a gambler betting everything on a game that can't be won.
After the bright, praising, love-dyed life of the last verse, the song shows the shadow side. Manmukh karam karay ahaNkaaree — the manmukh, the one facing only their own ego, does everything with ahaNkaar, pride. Every action grows from the feeling "it's all about me." When that is the root, even busy, impressive deeds come to nothing. It's like building a house on sand.
The picture is gambling: joo-ai janam sabh baajee haaree — in the gamble, they lose the whole game of life. It's an exact picture, and a kind one. A gambler isn't lazy. He is very busy, betting everything, sure the next throw will pay off. That is the sad part of a life led by ego. Huge energy, everything put in, all bet on the shiny surface of things, and the house always wins. A whole human life, the rarest of gifts, bet and lost on things that can't last.
The last line names what drives the loss: antar lobh mahaa gubaaraa — inside is the deep darkness of lobh, greed. Greed is a hunger that can never be filled, because it never knows what "enough" is. It is darkness because it blinds you. It can't see what it already has, only what it still wants. It's like a phone game that always shows one more level to unlock. And so fir fir aavan jaavani-aa — again and again they come and go. The gambler goes back to the table, sure that this time getting more will finally be enough. It never is. Read this not as blame but as sadness, like watching someone bet a treasure on a game no one can win.
Is there a 'game' you keep returning to, sure that the next win will finally be enough?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI