Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
My mind has tumbled into a whirlpool of worry.
Without the Name to hold onto, how will I ever cross to the other side?
Even a loved child sometimes feels swept up in worry, and that is when we reach for something steady.
Kabir is honest. Chint bhavan man pari-o hamaaraa — my mind has fallen into a whirlpool of worry. A whirlpool is a good picture for worry. It spins you around and pulls you down. Thrashing does not get you out.
Then he asks, naam binaa kaisay utras paaraa — without the Naam, the Name of the One, how can I cross to the other side? The Name is the steady thing to hold. The shabad does not pretend that being loved means never feeling anxious. It means that when the whirlpool grabs you, there is a hand to reach for. Think of a swimmer grabbing the side of the pool. The mother-love from the earlier lines is that hand, pulling the worried child out of the swirling water.
When your worries start spinning, what steady thing can you reach for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI