Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O dear ones — this body and wealth shall not go along with you when you leave.
The Lord's Name is the pure wealth — the only thing that truly lasts. Through the Guru, God bestows this gift.
This one says: nothing you own goes with you, but the Name does.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Bhaa-ee ray tan Dhan saath na ho-ay: "O brothers and sisters, this body and wealth will not go with you." Everything we build or collect in this world stays behind when we leave it. The painted house, the gold, even the family ties all stay here.
This is not a threat. It is just true. And it is a reason to look again at what we treasure most.
Raam naam Dhan nirmalo: "the Lord's Name is the pure wealth." Nirmal means spotless, without a stain. The Name cannot be stolen or taxed. It does not rust or wear out, and it is not left behind at the end. It is the one kind of wealth that travels with the soul.
How do we get it? Gur daat karay parabh so-ay: God gives it as a gift, through the Guru. Not by piling things up, and not by making a deal. Think of your saved game files. Every item in the game is lost when you delete it. But the skill you learned by playing stays with you. The Name is like that.
If you could only take one thing with you when you left everything else behind, what would it be — and does how you live reflect that?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI