ਬਾਲ ਬਿਵਸਥਾ ਬਾਰਿਕੁ ਅੰਧ ॥
baal bivasthaa baarik anDh.
In his childhood, the child is blind.
ਭਰਿ ਜੋਬਨਿ ਲਾਗਾ ਦੁਰਗੰਧ ॥
bhar joban laagaa durganDh.
In the fullness of youth, he is involved in foul-smelling sins.
ਤ੍ਰਿਤੀਅ ਬਿਵਸਥਾ ਸਿੰਚੇ ਮਾਇ ॥
taritee-a bivasthaa sinchay maa-ay.
In the third stage of life, he gathers the wealth of Maya.
ਬਿਰਧਿ ਭਇਆ ਛੋਡਿ ਚਲਿਓ ਪਛੁਤਾਇ ॥੨॥
biraDh bha-i-aa chhod chali-o pachhutaa-ay. ||2||
And when he grows old, he must leave all this; he departs regretting and repenting. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
As a little child, we are blind to what matters.
In the fullness of youth, we get caught up in wrongs that leave a bad smell.
In the third part of life, we pile up money.
When we grow old, we must leave it all and go, full of regret.
A whole life can slip by on the wrong treasure — so choose early.
The four stages of life (childhood, youth, the middle years, old age) are a classic Gurbani picture of a life spent on the wrong treasure. Durgandh, a foul smell, is the image for wrongs that cling to us.
A Question to Sit With
What is something worth building now that you'll be glad of when you're old?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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