ਚਿਰੰਕਾਲ ਪਾਈ ਦ੍ਰੁਲਭ ਦੇਹ ॥
chirankaal paa-ee darulabh dayh.
After a very long time, one obtains this precious human body, so difficult to obtain.
ਨਾਮ ਬਿਹੂਣੀ ਹੋਈ ਖੇਹ ॥
naam bihoonee ho-ee khayh.
Without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, it is reduced to dust.
ਪਸੂ ਪਰੇਤ ਮੁਗਧ ਤੇ ਬੁਰੀ ॥
pasoo parayt mugaDh tay buree.
Worse than a beast, a demon or an idiot,
ਤਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਏਹ ਸਿਰੀ ॥੩॥
tiseh na boojhai jin ayh siree. ||3||
is that one who does not understand who created him. ||3||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
After a very long time, we are given this precious human body, so hard to get.
Without the Naam, it turns to dust.
Worse off than an animal, a ghost or a fool
is the one who does not know the One who made them.
This rare human life is a gift not to sleep through.
Chirankaal paa-ee durlabh dayh: the hard-won, precious human body. The sharp comparison with an animal or a ghost is a shake to wake up: the one thing not to miss is knowing who made us.
A Question to Sit With
If being here is a rare gift, what would you most want to do with it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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