Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The great elephant came at him with its trunk.
But Namdev came through unharmed, safe in the shelter of the One.
A charging elephant came at Namdev, and the One kept him safe.
Namdev was a saint and a cloth-printer. Earlier in this long shabad, a proud king arrested him and told him to show his Lord's power. Namdev said only the One decides what happens. The angry king then set an elephant on him. Karai gajind sund kee chot: the great elephant strikes with its trunk.
Naamaa ubrai har kee ot: Namdev is saved, in the ot of the One. Ot means shelter, like a shield held in front of you. The verse does not stay on the danger. The rescue is what it holds up.
Think of a small child caught in a storm who runs under a big porch roof. The rain still pours, but the child is dry and safe. Namdev did not grab that safety for himself. He trusted, and it held him.
If someone is being unkind to you or hurting you, that is never something you have to accept. Telling a grown-up you trust is always the right thing to do.
When have you felt looked after, even without knowing exactly how?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI