Dona ghadicha daav

 दोन घडीचा डाव 

त्याला जीवन ऐसे नाव

This is an old song from the Marathi movie Ram Shastri released in 1944 almost two decades before my birth. Yet the opening lines still play like fresh in the mind since I first heard them as a child. Written by Shantaram 

दोन घडीचा डाव 

त्याला जीवन ऐसे नाव

A play( game) lasting for two moments. 

This is called Life.

जगताचे हे सुरेख अंगण

खेळ खेळू या सारे आपण

रंक आणखी राव

The world is a beautiful playground.

Let us all come together to play.

Whether rich or poor.

माळ यशाची हासत घालू

हासत हासत तसेच झेलू 

पराजयाचे घाव

Let us wear the garland of victory joyously.

With the same joy, let us bear the wounds of defeat.

मनासारखा मिळे सवंगडी

खेळाला मग अवीट गोडी

दु:खाला नच वाव 

When one finds a playmate of one’s liking,

The play proves to be highly enjoyable,

Leaving no room for sadness.

The central idea in this short and sweet poem is that life is short. Before you realize it may be over. Spend it joyfully in the company of likeminded people who don’t take everything too seriously. 

It talks about equanimity in the face of good times and bad times. It prioritizes attitude of goodness, generosity, sharing and inclusivity, without discriminating between rich and poor. 

It is about recognizing the fleeting nature of life and prioritizing friendships and joy. Not allowing useless things to ruin the brief time at hand.