Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
It is easy to mistake what fades for what lasts, and to pour our love into things that can't hold it.
We can get so caught in wanting — a little anger, a little greed — that the thirst never settles, and the promises we chase stay empty.
We arrive on our own and we journey on alone; so much of the "me and mine" turns out to be a passing story. Better to hold what is real.
Nanak says, the pattern of what we have done is hard to wipe away.
It is easy to mix up what fades with what lasts.
Mithi-aa vasat sat kar maanee — a person treats a passing thing as if it were real and lasting. Then they pour all their love into it. The verse names what pulls us off course: kaam (strong craving), anger, greed and pride. It calls them a kind of wine that makes the head spin. The pull of maa-i-aa, the shiny passing world, soaks into mind and body.
Living only for these is like trading a whole life for a ka-udee. That was a tiny shell once used as the smallest coin. Picture giving away your bike for one sticker. The verse also says the person leaves what is truly their own and chases what belongs to others.
The thirst never settles, however much we chase. The hopes stay empty. Then comes a quiet reminder: aavat ikaylaa jaat ikaylaa — we arrive on our own, and we move on on our own. So much of our "me and you" talk is a passing story. This is not meant to scare anyone. It helps us treasure what is real.
The last lines say the One lets this confusion happen. They also say kirat, the pattern of our past actions, is not easily wiped away. Habits we build keep pulling at us. That is why turning toward the One matters so much.
What is something real that you want to carry with you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI