Chetna hai tao chet lai niss dinn meh pranee – Raag Tilang – Ang 726

SGGS Angg 726.

Raag Tilang M.9

Guru Ji tells us to remember the Lord day and night. So long as you have life within you, there is hope you can be saved, if only you would sing Praises of the Lord.

The Shabad begins with the words “chetna hai….”. It can mean, if you are going to remember anything at all, remember the Lord. Chetna also means to be “chetan” – conscious, aware. Using that meaning, the first line would mean so long as you have awareness, i.e. you are conscious of things around you, then use that consciousness to focus on the Lord; each and every moment, your life is flowing away like water from a cracked pitcher.

“Chetna hai tao chet lai niss dinn meh pranee; shin shin audh bihaat hai phutay ghat jio paanee.” (rahao).

Why do you not sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, you ignorant fool?; attached to false greedy pursuits, you do not recognize that you too will have to die.

“Har gunn kahe na gaavhee murakh agianaa; jhuthay laalach laag ke neh maran pehchanaa.”

The damage can still be contained, if only you would start singing Praises of the Lord; Nanak says, by meditating upon Him, you can arise to the State (avastha) of fearlessness.

“Ajhu kich bigrihyo nahi jo Prabh ke gunn gaavhe; kaho Nanak teh bhajan te nirbhay padh paavhe.”

Shabad Viakhya by Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji

Shabad Kirtan available on YouTube