ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
aasaa mehlaa 3.
Aasaa, Third Mehl:
ਸਬਦਿ ਮੁਆ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥
sabad mu-aa vichahu aap gavaa-ay.
One who dies in the Word of the Shabad, eradicates his self-conceit from within.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੇ ਤਿਲੁ ਨ ਤਮਾਇ ॥
satgur sayvay til na tamaa-ay.
He serves the True Guru, with no iota of self-interest.
ਨਿਰਭਉ ਦਾਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਮਨਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
nirbha-o daataa sadaa man ho-ay.
The Fearless Lord, the Great Giver, ever abides in his mind.
ਸਚੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਪਾਏ ਭਾਗਿ ਕੋਇ ॥੧॥
sachee banee paa-ay bhaag ko-ay. ||1||
The True Bani of the Word is obtained only by good destiny. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The one who dies to his own pride in the Word roots out his self-importance from inside.
He serves the true Guru with not a speck of selfishness.
Then the Fearless One, the Great Giver, lives in his mind always — though this true Word comes only by good fortune.
When pride is rooted out, service stops being about you — and that's when the One moves in.
Amar Das ties jeevat marnaa (dying in the Shabad) directly to selfless service: when self-conceit is rooted out, service becomes free of "self-interest." Only then does the Fearless Giver abide within. The closing reminder — the true Bani comes "only by good destiny" — keeps even this from becoming a self-made achievement.
A Question to Sit With
Have you ever helped someone with truly nothing in it for you? How did it feel?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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