Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Keep the Name close, gentle heart — this borrowed body will not last forever, so do not forget what does.
A mirage of water in the desert, a treasure won in a dream — chasing those, you end up holding nothing. Without keeping the One in mind, nothing you gather really goes with you.
Don't chase water that is only a mirage; hold on to what truly lasts.
This is the rahaa-o line, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Simrahu har har naam paraanee — "remember the Name, Har, Har, O living being." To remember lovingly like this is called simran. Binsai kaachee dayh agi-aanee — this fragile body will not last, O unknowing one. The line is a loving nudge, not a scolding. It reminds us to hold on to what does last.
Marig tarisnaa is a mirage. It is the shimmering water a thirsty deer runs toward in the desert. When the deer gets there, the water is gone. Supan manorath is a treasure you win in a dream: it feels real, then you wake up. Think of a prize in a game that looks huge on screen but disappears the moment you close the app.
Raam bhajan bin kaam na aavas — without remembering the One, nothing truly works out. Sang na kaahoo jaa-ee — nothing else goes along with us. What travels with us is the Name held in the heart.
What is something you really wanted that felt smaller once you had it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI