Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You could live for millions of years. But if you never once remembered the One, all that time would be wasted.
Remember the One for even a single moment, and you will live forever and ever.
A life is measured by how awake it is.
Kot barakh jeevai means living millions of years. Without simran, loving remembrance, the verse calls all of that time barithaa, wasted.
Then the other side. Ayk nimakh, a single moment of remembering gobind, the Lord of the world, and you sadaa sadaa jeevaanad, live forever and ever.
Think of a long car trip spent staring at a screen, next to five minutes of really watching a sunset. The five minutes can mean more. Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru, says the same about life. Being fully present counts for more than a long stretch of time.
When was a single moment so alive that you still remember it clearly?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI