Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Someone caught in harmful habits lets the days and nights slip by, wasted.
Puffed up with their own cleverness, they forget the One. They lose this precious life the way a gambler loses a bet.
It is easy to waste our days, like a gambler who bets away a treasure without knowing its worth.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad.
The verse talks about a person caught in harmful habits. That is more like an illness to heal than a crime to punish. Their days and nights slip by with nothing to show for them.
Why? They are maataa, drunk, on their own cleverness. That is ego: the feeling "I know best." It crowds out any room to remember the One.
Then comes the picture of joo-ai, gambling. Imagine trading a real gold coin for five minutes of a video game, never knowing what the coin was worth. A life spent that way is a treasure bet away.
What helps you use your time on things that matter to you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI