Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Mother, whoever sets the heart on something other than the One fades away.
Letting go of the One who gives all life, they get tangled up in things that pass.
When we set our heart on things that fade, something in us fades too.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Guru Arjan speaks to maa-ee, mother, the way you might tell a parent what is on your heart.
Aan simar mar jaahi — thinking about "some other," a person dies. The "other" is the passing things of the world. "Dies" here means the fading and emptying of a heart set on what cannot last. It is not a threat of doom.
Gobid jee-an ko daataa — Gobind, a name for the One, is the Giver of all life. The verse sets the Giver beside the gifts. Clinging to maa-i-aa, the passing world, leaves us tangled.
Think of loving a new toy so much that you forget the person who gave it to you. The toy breaks. The giver's love stays.
What are the things you love that will last — and the ones that won't?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI