Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
We would have reason to be sad if the One were outside, far away from us.
We would have reason to be sad if we forgot the One.
We would have reason to be sad if we loved something other than the One.
But why should we be sad, when the One is everywhere, filling everything?
Sadness would make sense if the One were far away or forgotten, and the One is everywhere.
The whole shabad is built on the word karheeai, "should we grieve?" Each verse lists a reason grief would make sense, then answers it. Doojaa bhaa-ay is the love of something other than the One, the feeling of being a separate self, cut off. Sadness quietly assumes you are alone; the last line answers that: ki-aa karheeai jaa(n) rahi-aa samaa-ay, why grieve, when the One fills everything?
What helps you remember you are not as alone as sadness tells you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI