ਨਹੀ ਛੋਡਉ ਰੇ ਬਾਬਾ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ॥
nahee chhoda-o ray baabaa raam naam.
O Baba, I will not forsake the Name of the Lord.
ਮੇਰੋ ਅਉਰ ਪੜ੍ਹ੍ਹਨ ਸਿਉ ਨਹੀ ਕਾਮੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
mayro a-or parhHan si-o nahee kaam. ||1|| rahaa-o.
I will not bother with any other lessons. ||1||Pause||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O Baba, I will not let go of the Naam of Raam.
I have no use for any other lessons.
Some things your heart holds are worth keeping no matter what.
Hold on to the Naam, and let every other lesson wait.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. Prahlaad speaks to his teacher. Nahee chhoda-o ray baabaa raam naam — O Baba, I will not let go of the Name of the One. Baabaa is a respectful way to speak to an elder. He adds that no other lesson matters to him.
Think of holding a friend's hand in a big crowd. People push and pull, but you keep your grip. Prahlaad holds the Name like that.
A Question to Sit With
What is something you would keep holding even if others told you to let it go?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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