Raag Aasaa
Commentary

Raag Aasaa, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan)

A trader in the Name, given it as supplies for the road, I sing His praises in every state — suffering and peace, awake and asleep, with every breath — sure that the One is with us in life and in death.

The Arc

Pauri 0: praise inwardly and outwardly; a trader carrying the Name as supplies. The Pause (Pauri 1): other things forsaken, the Name alone my support. Pauri 2: praise in suffering and peace, walking the Path; thirst quenched. Pauri 3: praise with every breath; the faith that the Lord is with us in life and death. Pauri 4: the prayer for the dust of the Saints and every sense turned to the One.

Key Vocabulary

  • trader in the Name: the Name as supplies carried on the journey (cf. B00C840)
  • praise in every state: suffering and peace, awake and asleep
  • "with us in life and in death": the faith the Sangat establishes (ang-sang)
  • every sense turned to the One: ears, eyes, forehead in devotion

Themes and Cross-Connections

"Trader in the Name... supplies to carry" is the merchant image (B00C840, B00C731). Praise "in every state" and "with every breath" is continuous Naam (B00C786). "The Lord is with us in life and death" is ang-sang, confirmed in Sat Sangat. The closing is the Inward Turn — senses devoted.

For Raag Aasaa

Aasaa's hope is a song that never stops and a faith that the One never leaves — in suffering, in peace, in life, in death. The mood is steady and devoted.


Last updated: 2026-06-28

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