Raag Aasaa
Commentary

Raag Aasaa, Mehl 5 (Guru Arjan), Seventeenth House, Aasaavaree

Turn from the many to the One; the mud of attachment can only be escaped by Sanctuary — and then, steady within, wilderness and household are the same, and you dwell with people yet remain apart.

The Arc

The Pause (Pauri 0): cherish the Beloved, turn from others to Him, and obtain Him. Pauri 1: the mud of attachment holds the feet; only Sanctuary releases. Pauri 2: then the mind is steady, wilderness and household one — dwell with people, yet apart.

Key Vocabulary

  • turn from the many to the One: single-mindedness as the key
  • the mud of attachment: holding the feet, escaped only by Sanctuary (cf. B00C687)
  • wilderness = household: the same poise anywhere (Sahaj; cf. B00C670)
  • with people yet apart: engaged outwardly, rooted inwardly (Grihast, the lotus)

Themes and Cross-Connections

"Wilderness and household are the same" and "dwell with people yet apart" are core Grihast and the lotus in water (B00C670, B00C779) — engagement without entanglement, Sahaj steadiness. The mud of attachment escaped by saran recurs from B00C687.

For Raag Aasaa

Aasaa's hope is the householder's poise: rooted in the One within, free among the many without. The mood is steady and practical.


Last updated: 2026-06-28

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