Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You could taste every pleasure there is. You could rule the whole earth.
Nanak says: without the Name held inside, it would all feel hollow, like being asleep to the best part of life.
You could have everything in the world and still feel empty without the Name.
This is a Dakhanay shalok, a short verse in a southern Punjabi way of speaking. It imagines having sukh samoohaa, every pleasure there is, and ruling the whole earth.
Then Nanak says something surprising. Without the Name, all of that is like a rog, a sickness. The person is like someone mirtak, not alive. It means they are asleep to the best part of life.
Think of a room full of new toys and games. It is fun for a while. But if no one there loves you, the room still feels empty. What makes life full is the One inside.
Can you think of someone who had a lot but still seemed unhappy?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI