qMonkqMonkSikhism
Sikhism·Raag Wadahans·Shabad 52
Verse 9 of 64

Leaning on What Can't Hold Makes Life Sour

ਮਃ ੩ ॥
mehlaa 3.
Third Mehl:
ਹੋਰ ਵਿਡਾਣੀ ਚਾਕਰੀ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਜੀਵਣੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਵਾਸੁ ॥
hor vidaanee chaakree Dharig jeevan Dharig vaas.
Cursed is the life, and cursed is the dwelling, of those who serve another.
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਛੋਡਿ ਬਿਖੁ ਲਗੇ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਟਣਾ ਬਿਖੁ ਰਾਸਿ ॥
amrit chhod bikh lagay bikh khatnaa bikh raas.
Abandoning the Ambrosial Nectar, they turn to poison; they earn poison, and poison is their only wealth.
ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਣਾ ਬਿਖੁ ਪੈਨਣਾ ਬਿਖੁ ਕੇ ਮੁਖਿ ਗਿਰਾਸ ॥
bikh khaanaa bikh painnaa bikh kay mukh giraas.
Poison is their food, and poison is their dress; they fill their mouths with morsels of poison.
ਐਥੈ ਦੁਖੋ ਦੁਖੁ ਕਮਾਵਣਾ ਮੁਇਆ ਨਰਕਿ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥
aithai dukho dukh kamaavanaa mu-i-aa narak nivaas.
In this world, they earn only pain and suffering, and dying, they go to abide in hell.
ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੁਹਿ ਮੈਲੈ ਸਬਦੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਨੀ ਕਾਮ ਕਰੋਧਿ ਵਿਣਾਸੁ ॥
manmukh muhi mailai sabad na jaannee kaam karoDh vinaas.
The self-willed manmukhs have filthy faces; they do not know the Word of the Shabad; in sexual desire and anger they waste away.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਭਉ ਛੋਡਿਆ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕੰਮੁ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਰਾਸਿ ॥
satgur kaa bha-o chhodi-aa manhath kamm na aavai raas.
They forsake the Fear of the True Guru, and because of their stubborn ego, their efforts do not come to fruition.
ਜਮ ਪੁਰਿ ਬਧੇ ਮਾਰੀਅਹਿ ਕੋ ਨ ਸੁਣੇ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ॥
jam pur baDhay maaree-ah ko na sunay ardaas.
In the City of Death, they are bound and beaten, and no one hears their prayers.
ਨਾਨਕ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਕਮਾਵਣਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਨਿਵਾਸੁ ॥੨॥
naanak poorab likhi-aa kamaavanaa gurmukh naam nivaas. ||2||
O Nanak, they act according to their pre-ordained destiny; the Gurmukh abides in the Naam, the Name of the Lord. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

When we lean our whole weight on things that can't truly hold us, life feels sour and hard.

It's like living on something bitter when sweet water is right there.

But that's never the end of the story — the sweet is always available to turn back to.

Leaning your whole weight on things that can't truly hold you makes life feel sour — but the sweet is always there to turn back to.
The deeper layer

A stern warning-Shalok, heavily softened per the wellbeing rules. The Gurmukhi warns against "serving another" (leaning your whole life on lesser things) using intense imagery — poison for food, dwelling in hell, the City of Death. None of that frightening imagery is rendered to a child. What's kept is the gentle kernel: leaning your whole weight on things that can't hold you makes life sour and hard, "like living on something bitter when sweet water is right there" — and the raag's steady hope that the sweet is always there to turn back to. For a child: leaning your whole weight on things that can't truly hold you makes life feel sour — but the sweet is always there to turn back to.

A Question to Sit With

What's something worth leaning on that will actually hold you up?

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

About this shabad →
← Verse 8 of 64 Make Truth What You Do, Wear, and Lean On
Verse 10 of 64 →Learning From the Wise Lights Up the Good Path
Use ← → to navigate