Salok (Mehl 5), the Closing Thanks — nothing I did earned this
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I did not see all that You have done for me. You alone made me worthy.
I have no good qualities at all, and still You took pity on me, all on Your own.
You took pity on me and showed me mercy, and I met the True Guru, my friend.
Nanak says: when I receive the Naam, I live, and my body and mind turn green, like a watered plant.
Whatever worth I have was given to me; mercy came on its own, and with the Naam, body and mind turn green again.
This salok of Guru Arjan is pure gratitude. It begins with honest smallness (mai nirguni-aaray, "I have no good qualities") and opens straight into thanks. The turning words are taras (pity, tenderness) and mihraamat (mercy). Grace arrives aapay, on its own, as a gift.
The closing picture, tan man theevai hari-aa, means body and mind become green, like a plant that has been watered. Receiving the Naam is coming back to life.
Think of a kindness you were once given that you never earned. How does it feel to simply receive it, with nothing to pay back?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI