ਰਾਖਹੁ ਕੰਧ ਉਸਾਰਹੁ ਨੀਵਾਂ ॥
raakho kanDh usaarahu neevaaN.
You lay the foundation and build the walls.
ਸਾਢੇ ਤੀਨਿ ਹਾਥ ਤੇਰੀ ਸੀਵਾਂ ॥੨॥
saadhay teen haath tayree seevaaN. ||2||
But in the end, three and a half cubits will be your measured space. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
We lay deep foundations and raise our walls high, planning to stay forever.
Yet the space we can truly call our own is smaller than we think, a reminder to hold our building lightly, and treasure what really lasts.
The things we build are smaller and briefer than they seem, so hold them lightly.
Ravidas notes how we build as if we will never leave. The traditional line about the small measured plot is softened here into a gentle reminder about proportion, not a grim image, but an invitation to loosen our grip and invest in what endures. Impermanence taught with a light hand.
A Question to Sit With
What is something lasting that is worth more than any big house?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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