Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Nanak says: the sickness of ego, haumai, the feeling of being a separate self, is a terrible sickness.
Wherever I look, I see the pain of that same one sickness. The First One, the Source of all, gives the Word as a gift.
Ego is a terrible sickness that is everywhere, and the One gives the Word that heals it.
This is the rahaa-o, the "pause" line, the centre of the shabad. It names the big problem and the big cure.
Naanak ha-umai rog buray: O Nanak, ha-umai, ego, is a terrible sickness. Ha-umai is the feeling of being a separate little "me," cut off from everyone. Ego here is a sickness to be healed, and that picture runs through the whole shabad.
Jah daykhaa tah aykaa baydan — wherever I look, I see the same one pain. It is like a cold going around a whole school. Everyone has it, not just one kid.
Aapay bakhsai sabad dhuray — the One gives the healing word as a free gift. It is never earned. It is already reaching toward everyone.
When you feel cut off or left out, what helps you remember you are connected to others?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI