Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Helper is right beside us, and we do not think of Him - while we give our love to things that hurt us.
We build our homes in castles of sand and play games of pleasure, certain they will last forever.
The end does not even cross our minds. Hate, conflict, craving, anger, clinging, lying, cheating, bottomless greed -
whole lifetimes drain away in these. Nanak says: lift us, redeem us, Mercy - it is all we have left to ask.
We build our lives on sand as if it were stone, and mercy is still willing to lift us.
The main picture is the house of sand. Baloo-aa kay garih bheetar basai — they live inside a house of sand. It is not evil. It just does not last. And we live in it as if it will. Think of a sandcastle on the beach, with the tide coming in.
Jo bairaa-ee taa si-o pareet — they love their enemies. This does not mean other people. The enemies are named a few lines later. Hate, fighting, kaam (runaway desire), krodh (anger), moh (clinging), lying, cheating, huge greed, and trickery. These are the five thieves of the heart, the Panch Vikaar, plus their cousins.
We love the very things that are tearing us down. It is like a hand that keeps reaching for a hot stove.
Kaal na aavai moorhay cheet — the end does not even come to mind. This is Gurbani being honest, not gloomy. Pretending the sand is stone is what wastes whole lifetimes.
And once more the ending will not give up. Naanak raakh layho aapan kar karam — save them, show Your mercy. This is the fourth verse in a row to end with a prayer for the very people it describes.
If you honestly knew your time was limited, what would you stop wasting it on first?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI