O Nanak, the world lasts for only a few days; indulging in pleasures, pain is produced.
ਗਲਾ ਵਾਲੇ ਹੈਨਿ ਘਣੇਰੇ ਛਡਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਈ ॥
galaa vaalay hain ghanayray chhad na sakai ko-ee.
There are many who boast and brag, but none of them can remain detached from the world.
ਮਖੀ ਮਿਠੈ ਮਰਣਾ ॥
makheeN mithai marnaa.
The fly dies for the sake of sweets.
ਜਿਨ ਤੂ ਰਖਹਿ ਤਿਨ ਨੇੜਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਤਿਨ ਭਉ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਤਰਣਾ ॥੨॥
jin too rakheh tin nayrh na aavai tin bha-o saagar tarnaa. ||2||
O Lord, death does not even approach those whom You protect. You carry them across the terrifying world-ocean. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
The elephant eats a hundred measures of ghee and sweet molasses, and five hundred of grain.
It belches and snorts and throws up dust, and when its breath leaves, it is sorry.
Blind with pride, it puffs itself up and dies foolish.
Whoever bows and melts into the Master is pleasing to the Master.
The sparrow eats only half a grain, then flies up into the sky and chirps.
The sparrow is good and pleases her Master when she chirps the Naam of the One.
The strong tiger kills hundreds of deer, and all sorts of other animals eat what it leaves.
It grows so strong its den cannot hold it, but when it has to go, it is sorry.
So who is impressed by the roar of that blind beast? It does not please its Master at all.
The little insect loves the milkweed; it sits on the milkweed branch and eats.
It is good and pleases its Master when it chirps the Naam of the One.
Nanak says: the world lasts only a few days; chasing pleasures brings pain.
Many boast and brag, but none of them can let go of the world.
The fly dies for the sake of something sweet.
O One, death does not even come near those You protect; You carry them across the frightening ocean of the world.
The heart that sings is dear to the One, whatever its size.
The deeper layer
Size, strength and appetite do not please the One; the small creature that sings the One's Name does.
A salok of Guru Nanak. The elephant and the tiger stand for power and appetite; the sparrow and the little insect for smallness with the Naam. The Gurmukhi has them sing Khudaa-ay, Khudaa-ay, a Persian name for the One. The fly that dies for sweets is the pull of pleasure. Bhau saagar, the frightening world-ocean, is crossed safely by those the One protects.
A Question to Sit With
Where do you feel pressure to be the biggest or the best, when being true might matter more?
