Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In the same way, know this well: whoever is born will die.
Only the One's devotee becomes steady and lasting.
This one says that everything in this world passes, but a soul rooted in the One stays steady.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Jo janmai so jaanhu moo-aa means "whoever is born, know that they will die." That is true for every living thing, plants, animals, and people.
Then comes the answer. Govind bhagat asthir hai thee-aa means "the devotee of the One becomes steady and lasting." Govind is a name for the One, Lord of the whole world. Asthir means steady, not shaking.
Think of a tree on a riverbank during a flood. Leaves and loose sticks get swept away. But a tree with deep roots stays standing. The body and the harvest do not last. The soul rooted in the One, the only thing that lasts, becomes lasting too.
What in your life feels truly steady, no matter what changes around it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI