ਦਾਸਾ ਕਾ ਦਾਸੁ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਕੋਈ ਹੋਇ ॥
daasaa kaa daas virlaa ko-ee ho-ay.
How rare are those who become the slave of the Lord's slaves.
ਊਤਮ ਪਦਵੀ ਪਾਵੈ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ootam padvee paavai so-ay. ||1|| rahaa-o.
They attain the supreme status. ||1||Pause||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
How rare is the one who becomes the servant of the One's servants.
That person reaches the highest place of all.
The one glad to serve reaches the highest place.
The rare person glad to serve those who serve reaches the highest place.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Daasaa kaa daas — servant of the servants, the ideal of lowest-place humility, which paradoxically wins ootam padvee, the highest status. A caste-leveling note: greatness is measured by service, not by rank.
A Question to Sit With
Why do you think serving others can make a person great?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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