Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The Giver of all is One — and He assigns each head its task.
O Nanak, those He joins to the Name, He adorns — and through the Shabad, He merges them into Himself.
One Giver takes care of everyone, and at last joins us to Himself.
Sabhnaa kaa daataa ayk hai — the One is the Giver of all. Sir dhandhai laa-ay — He gives each person a dhandhaa, a task, a place in the big work of the world. The dye shop, the market, the pasture, the good company: all the pictures in this shabad belong to one work under one Owner.
The last line pulls the pictures together with three gifts. Naamay laa-ay — He joins us to the Name. Savaari-an — He dresses us up, the same word used for a happy bride getting ready. Sabday la-ay milaa-ay — through the Shabad, the Word, He merges us into Himself. Think of a drop of color falling into water and spreading until you cannot tell where the drop ends. The cloth is dipped, the color is set, and there is no line left between the cloth and the Color.
What task do you feel assigned to — the work that seems placed on your head rather than chosen?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI