Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You could live a very, very long life without ever holding awe of the One, and enjoy every pleasure there is.
But Nanak says: if you leave this world with no awe in your heart, you depart ashamed, your face darkened.
This verse says a long, fun life isn't the same as a life that mattered. What matters is living with loving awe of the One.
It's by Guru Amar Das, and it pairs with the verse just before it. That one said that living and dying in bhai, loving awe of God, makes a life blessed. This one shows the other side. The old English says "fear of God." It doesn't mean being scared. It means deep respect and wonder, like standing at the edge of the ocean.
"Bhai vin jeevai bahut bahut khusee-aa khusee kamaa-ay" — without awe, you may live a very, very long time and enjoy pleasure after pleasure. "Naanak bhai vin jay marai muhi kaalai uth jaa-ay" — Nanak says, if you die without awe, you leave with a darkened face.
Notice what the verse gives this life on purpose. A long life. Lots of fun. Everything the world calls success. It doesn't pretend a life without awe always looks sad from the outside. It might look great for a very long time. And that's the point. A long, comfy life isn't the same as a life that mattered. You can have years of fun and still reach the end empty.
The "darkened face" isn't a punishment someone hands out in anger. It's the natural feeling of a soul that gets to the end and sees it never did the one thing a life was for. It's the sadness of waste. Think of spending a whole summer vacation on a game you don't even remember, and realizing you never once went to the beach.
Put next to the verse before, these two ask the real question of a life. Not "Will I live long and comfortably?" You might, and it still wouldn't be enough. The question is "Will I live in loving awe of the One?" That awe, not length or comfort, is what makes a life blessed. These verses aren't threatening us. They're trying to wake us up, while there's still time, to spend our years on what counts.
If you had a long and comfortable life that never touched what's deepest, would that be enough — and if not, what would you change now?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI