Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Mother, the glitter of the world is such a trickster. Without keeping the One in mind, it's all like fire racing through dry straw, or a cloud's shadow sliding away, or floodwater rushing past — here for a second, then gone.
So set down your clever schemes and mind-tricks; with your hands folded, walk the way the wise walk. Keep the One who knows every heart in your mind — that's the finest reward this human life can offer.
This one says the world's glitter is real, but it is always leaving.
Maa-ee maa-i-aa chhal — mother, maya is a trick. Maya is the world's glitter. Then three pictures stack up. Tarin kee agan — fire in dry straw. Maygh kee chhaa-i-aa — a cloud's shadow. Harh kaa jal — floodwater rushing past. Each one seems to be here, and is already going. This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad.
The advice isn't to hate the world. It's to stop mixing up what passes with what stays. Think of a sandcastle at the beach. Enjoy it, but don't try to live in it.
Then comes a very practical step. Chhod si-aanap baho chaturaa-ee — let go of your cleverness and many tricks. That's the scheming mind that thinks it can outsmart life. Instead, du-ay kar jorh saaDh mag chal — with hands folded, walk the path of the wise, in good company.
Maanukh dayh kaa ih ootam fal — this is the finest fruit of a human life. Being born human is exactly the chance to wake up to the One.
What are some things that feel super important in the moment but are gone almost as fast? What lasts?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI