Sikhism·Raag Aasaa·Shabad 285
Verse 3 of 9

Her Beauty Is His Gift; Her Ornament, the Name

ਸੋਹਾਗਣੀ ਆਪਿ ਸਵਾਰੀਓਨੁ ਲਾਇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
sohaaganee aap savaaree-on laa-ay paraym pi-aar.
He Himself adorns the happy soul-brides; they bear Him love and affection.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਣੈ ਚਲਦੀਆ ਨਾਮੇ ਸਹਜਿ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ॥੨॥
satgur kai bhaanai chaldee-aa naamay sahj seegaar. ||2||
They live in harmony with the Sweet Will of the True Guru, naturally adorned with the Naam. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

The happy soul-brides — He Himself has adorned them, joining them to His love.

They walk in harmony with the True Guru's sweet Will, and the Name is their effortless ornament.

Her beauty is His gift, her ornament is the Name, and she wears it without effort.
The deeper layer

Now we meet the happy bride, and the first thing we hear is that her beauty is a gift.

The sohaaganee is the happy bride, the soul united with the Beloved. Aap savaaree-on — He Himself adorned her. Even the loveliness that pleases the Beloved is the Beloved's own gift. That is grace again.

Then come her two ornaments. The first is walking with the true Guru's sweet Will. This is how she walks every day, not one big moment of giving in. The second is naamay sahj seegaar — the Name, worn with sahj, easily and naturally. True elegance never strains. Think of someone who is kind without trying, simply because kindness is who they are. What many people struggle to put on by hard effort, she wears with ease.

A Question to Sit With

What is the difference between beauty that strains to impress and beauty that is simply at ease?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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