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Sikhism·Raag Wadahans·Shabad 47
Verse 3 of 4

Life Mixes Sweet and Hard; Don't Gulp It Down

ਬਾਬਾ ਨਾਂਗੜਾ ਆਇਆ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਦੁਖੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਲੇਖੁ ਲਿਖਾਇਆ ॥
baabaa naaNgrhaa aa-i-aa jag meh dukh sukh laykh likhaa-i-aa.
O Baba, we come into the world naked, into pain and pleasure, according to the record of our account.
ਲਿਖਿਅੜਾ ਸਾਹਾ ਨਾ ਟਲੈ ਜੇਹੜਾ ਪੁਰਬਿ ਕਮਾਇਆ ॥
likhi-arhaa saahaa naa talai jayhrhaa purab kamaa-i-aa.
The call of our pre-ordained destiny cannot be altered; it follows from our past actions.
ਬਹਿ ਸਾਚੈ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਜਿਤੁ ਲਾਇਆ ਤਿਤੁ ਲਾਗਾ ॥
bahi saachai likhi-aa amrit bikhi-aa jit laa-i-aa tit laagaa.
The True Lord sits and writes of ambrosial nectar, and bitter poison; as the Lord attaches us, so are we attached.
ਕਾਮਣਿਆਰੀ ਕਾਮਣ ਪਾਏ ਬਹੁ ਰੰਗੀ ਗਲਿ ਤਾਗਾ ॥
kamani-aaree kaaman paa-ay baho rangee gal taagaa.
The Charmer, Maya, has worked her charms, and the multi-colored thread is around everyone's neck.
ਹੋਛੀ ਮਤਿ ਭਇਆ ਮਨੁ ਹੋਛਾ ਗੁੜੁ ਸਾ ਮਖੀ ਖਾਇਆ ॥
hochhee mat bha-i-aa man hochhaa gurh saa makhee khaa-i-aa.
Through shallow intellect, the mind becomes shallow, and one eats the fly, along with the sweets.
ਨਾ ਮਰਜਾਦੁ ਆਇਆ ਕਲਿ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਨਾਂਗੋ ਬੰਧਿ ਚਲਾਇਆ ॥੩॥
naa marjaad aa-i-aa kal bheetar naaNgo banDh chalaa-i-aa. ||3||
Contrary to custom, he comes into the Dark Age of Kali Yuga naked, and naked he is bound down and sent away again. ||3||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

We come into the world with nothing, meeting both the sweet and the hard parts of life.

Everyone gets a mix of both — that's just how a life is.

A shallow, hurried way of looking can make us swallow the bad along with the good — so look carefully.

Life mixes sweet and hard together — so look carefully, and don't gulp things down without noticing.
The deeper layer

The verse names the honest truth that we arrive "naked" (with nothing) and meet "both ambrosial nectar and bitter poison" — the sweet and the hard mixed together, as every life is. A memorable image: "through shallow intellect... one eats the fly along with the sweets" — hurrying carelessly, we swallow the bad along with the good. The lesson: look carefully, discern, don't gulp life down thoughtlessly. The qMonk voice keeps this as gentle wisdom. For a child: life mixes sweet and hard together, so look carefully and don't gulp things down without noticing.

A Question to Sit With

How can looking carefully help you enjoy the good without swallowing the bad?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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