Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
He does not die, so I have no fear. He does not perish, so I do not grieve.
He is never poor, so I never hunger. He is never in pain, so I do not suffer.
This one says that when you are joined to the One who never dies, you share the One's freedom from fear.
Guru Arjan uses a simple pattern, line after line. Naa oh martaa naa ham dari-aa means "He does not die, so I do not fear." Naa oh binsai naa ham karhi-aa means "He does not perish, so I do not grieve." He is never poor, so I never go hungry. He is never in pain, so I do not suffer.
See how it works? Each strength of the One becomes the speaker's strength too, because they are joined.
Think of a small child riding on a parent's shoulders at a crowded fair. The child is not scared of the crowd. Why? Because the parent is tall and steady. The child borrows the parent's safety. A soul joined to the One borrows the One's deathlessness, and it becomes fearlessness.
How might being deeply joined to something change what you become?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI