Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
You came into this life to hear and read the Guru's Word.
Forgetting the Naam, you chase after other wants, and the gift of this life slips by.
We are here to hear the sacred Word and speak it.
This is the pause line, the rahaa-o, the center of the shabad. Aa-i-o sunan parhan ka-o banee means I came to hear and read the Word. Banee is the sacred Word of the Gurus. Life's true purpose is named right at the start.
The verse also gives a warning. It is easy to forget the Name and chase an laalach, other cravings. That wastes the gift of life. Think of getting a ticket to a great concert, then spending the whole show scrolling on your phone. The music was right there. Yet the door back is always open. The verse is a nudge home, not a scolding.
What is something you meant to do that got crowded out by smaller wants? Could you return to it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI