Sikhism·Raag Aasaa·Shabad 297
Verse 1 of 8

The Relief of Being Fully Known

ਸਭ ਬਿਧਿ ਤੁਮ ਹੀ ਜਾਨਤੇ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਕਿਸੁ ਪਹਿ ਕਹਉ ਸੁਨਾਇ ॥੧॥
sabh biDh tum hee jaantay pi-aaray kis peh kaha-o sunaa-ay. ||1||
You know all about my condition, O Beloved; who can I speak to about it? ||1||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

You already know everything about how I am — every bit of it. So who else would I even go to? Who else could I tell?

There's a special relief in being with someone who already knows everything about you.
The deeper layer

This one says the One already knows everything about you, so you can rest.

This is a song of longing, sung by someone who misses the Beloved. It begins with deep trust: "sabh biDh tum hee jaantay" — You know all about how I am, in every way. When someone knows you completely, you do not have to explain. You do not have to defend yourself or put on a show.

Think of coming home after a hard day. Someone who loves you sees your face and just knows. You do not need to say a word.

Then comes a gentle question: "kis peh kaha-o sunaa-ay" — who else would I tell? It is not lonely. It is relieved. There is one place where you are already fully understood, so there is nowhere else you need to go.

Right at the start, the longing turns into the rest of being known.

A Question to Sit With

Who knows you so well that you don't have to explain yourself to them?

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

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