Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I feel like a heavy stone, sinking in the mud, unable to lift myself. So please — reach down and take me by the arm.
And the wonder is: the One did take me by the arm, lifted me right out, and gave me a place to stand.
The shabad closes on one of Gurbani's most moving admissions of helplessness — and the grace that answers it. Main patthar — I am just a stone — stuck in the swamp of attachment, sinking; a stone cannot swim, cannot lift itself. So the only prayer left is baa(n)h pakar — take me by the arm. And the answer comes in the same breath: God took me by the arm and lifted me up with ease. The whole verse is the difference between struggling and being carried. You don't have to be light enough to float; you only have to reach up. A stone can't save itself — but it can be lifted, and it is.
When you feel stuck and heavy, who do you reach out to for a hand up?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI