Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Maya — like a harsh mother-in-law — kept me apart from my Beloved.
Hope and craving — like a meddling brother- and sister-in-law — are now dying of grief.
The fear of death — like a stern elder brother-in-law — no longer pushes me around, for my all-knowing, wise Beloved protects me.
Guru Arjan maps the soul's inner obstacles onto an in-law household: Maya the mother-in-law who keeps the bride from her Husband, hope and desire the meddling younger in-laws, the fear of death the bullying elder. One by one they lose their power — because the wise Husband (the One) protects the bride (cf. Shabad 47, Maya as mother-in-law).
What pressures around you act like meddling relatives, getting between you and what matters?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI