Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I'll be honest: my heart gets caught in pride, and the glitter of the world can swallow me whole and make me forget what matters.
It's the same old trap — wanting more, then more, then more; getting tangled in the very things the One gave me. What isn't meant for me, I can't grab anyway. Chasing it is like holding on to a fire.
This one is an honest look inward. Guru Arjan speaks for us and says out loud what most of us would rather not admit.
Garab gahilarho moorh-rho hee-o ray — my foolish heart is caught in garab, pride. Then a strong picture: maa-i-o, maya, has swallowed the soul like a witch. But notice what maya means here. It isn't money or stuff. In this tradition, maya is the forgetting itself — whatever makes you lose sight of the One. This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad.
The engine under it all is craving. Ghano ghano ghano sad lorhai — more, more, more, it always wants more. Think of opening a bag of chips "just for a few" and finding it empty. Bhaahi sanjo-i-o — the unlucky one ties himself to a fire.
It's a plain, true picture of how a good heart gets pulled off center. And naming it is the first step back.
Have you noticed how getting one thing you wanted often just makes you want the next thing? Where does that end?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI