Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
What can you possibly offer to the one who proclaims the Word to you?
By His grace the Name comes to dwell in the mind.
Offer this head — let the self go.
The one who understands His Command finds lasting peace.
What can you give back to someone who gave you the Word?
Tis ki-aa deejai je sabad sunaa-ay — what shall we give to the one who shares the Word? That is a real puzzle. Money would insult the gift. Even years of service cannot even the score. Think of a grandparent who taught you everything they knew. No present could ever pay that back.
The verse names the only fair payment: ih sir deejai aap gavaa-ay — give this head, and let go of the self. The head here means the proud self, the part of us that argues and insists. You hand it over with the pride inside it.
Notice how the verse ends. It is not a big, dramatic sacrifice. It is the quiet reward this hymn keeps giving: understand the Hukam, the One's will, and find lasting peace. The head you gave away was the only thing standing between your mind and its rest.
What is the most a teacher has given you — and what would truly honoring it look like?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI