Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Sometimes we treat what is true as if it were not, and what is passing as if it would last forever.
We grab what belongs to others and call it our own - that is the muddle we get lost in.
It is easy to mix up what lasts and what does not.
Sat hotaa asat kar maani-aa: "what is true, you think is untrue." Jo binsat so nihchal jaanath: "what will end, you think will last forever."
Think of building a sandcastle right at the edge of the waves and calling it your forever house. Meanwhile the solid ground is just a few steps back.
Then the verse adds one more mix-up. We grab what belongs to others and call it our own. It is like borrowing a friend's bike and slowly starting to think it is yours.
The verse calls all this bhool, forgetting or going astray. Once we see the muddle clearly, we can start to untangle it.
How do you tell what is worth holding onto?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI