Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
These two words — the Name of the One — are my whole rosary.
Telling this rosary over and over, the One has shown mercy to His servant.
The best prayer beads are the Name, kept in your heart.
A maalaa is a string of prayer beads, like a rosary. People move one bead at a time as they pray. Guru Arjan says: har har akhar du-ay ih maalaa — these two words, "Har, Har," are my maalaa. Har is a name for the One.
So this rosary is not made of wood or glass. It is the Name, said again and again inside. And as the Guru keeps saying it, the One shows kindness to this humble servant. Another shabad in Raag Aasaa does the same with the janeu, the sacred thread: it turns an outer object into something worn inside.
What inner practice could replace an outer object you thought you needed?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI