Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O One, please give me the company of good and holy people — their conversation, their sweetness, their love.
That's what I ask for above all.
This one says: ask to be near kind people, and you grow kind.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. It is Ravi Daas's main prayer, and what he asks for says a lot. Not money. Not fame. Not power. He asks for the company of the Saints, the sweetness of their talk, and their love.
Of all the things a person could pray for, he asks for good company. He knows that who you spend time with shapes you more than almost anything. Being near the kind and wise, hearing their words, sharing their love, is what quietly makes you good.
Think of a tea bag in hot water. Slowly the water takes on the flavor. The most valuable thing to seek is not stuff, but good people. If you want to become kind and wise, ask, and choose, to be near the kind and wise. Their goodness rubs off.
If you could ask for one thing to help you grow, why might 'good company' be a wise thing to ask for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI