Sikhism·Raag Aasaa·Shabad 299
Verse 18 of 19

You Grow Into Who You're Near

ਰਾਰੈ ਰਾਮੁ ਚਿਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਮੂੜੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਕੈ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ॥
raarai raam chit kar moorhay hirdai jinH kai rav rahi-aa.
Rarra: Center your consciousness on the Lord, you fool; abide with those whose hearts are filled with the Lord.
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਰਾਮੁ ਪਛਾਤਾ ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਰਾਮੁ ਤਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹੀ ਬੂਝਿ ਲਹਿਆ ॥੧੭॥
gur parsaadee jinHee raam pachhaataa nirgun raam tinHee boojh lahi-aa. ||17||
By Guru's Grace, those who recognize the Lord, understand the absolute Lord. ||17||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Steady your heart on the One, and spend time with people whose hearts are full of goodness.

In that good company, understanding quietly grows.

Steady your heart on what's good and keep warm-hearted company — you grow into who you're near.
The deeper layer

Near the close, the poem gives its simplest practice: raam... liv laa-i — center your heart on the One — and jinh manaee vasi-aa... sang — keep company with those whose hearts are already full. Understanding, it says, is caught as much as taught: gur parsaadee... boojhai — by Grace, in good company, recognition dawns. After all the warnings about wandering alone, the cure is togetherness: you become like those you spend time with, so spend it with the warm-hearted, and their light quietly becomes yours.

A Question to Sit With

Who are the people whose company quietly makes you a better version of yourself?

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

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