Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
People talk endlessly about pleasures and thrills — but not one of them comes along with you in the end.
The Name is my dearest friend; it's the treasure I actually get to keep.
This one weighs two kinds of riches, and picks the one that stays.
Bikhai bilaas kahee-at bahutayray — people talk a lot about pleasures. They are real. But chalat na kachhoo sangaaray — none of them goes along with you in the end. They leave you at death's door. The Name is the one treasure that isn't left behind. Har naam mayrai bhandaarai — the Name is my bhandaar, my storehouse.
Guru Arjan also calls the Name his meet, his dearest friend. That keeps the whole thing warm. He isn't giving up fun because he's cold or stern. He's choosing the friend who will actually stay. Think of the difference between a fun ride at a fair and a best friend. The ride ends in two minutes. The friend walks home with you.
Who or what stays with you through everything? How is that different from things that come and go?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI