Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Lucky is the tongue that says kind, true, beautiful things.
Lucky are the ears that stop to listen to good and lovely words.
Lucky is the head that bows down, willing to learn from those wiser than itself.
I feel so grateful for the teacher who placed the beautiful Name in my heart.
This is the most famous kind of verse in the shabad: a blessing of the body parts, each praised for its holy use. Blessed the tongue that sings, the ears that listen to Kirtan, the head (siru) that bows at the Guru's feet. The teaching is beautifully concrete for a child: your ordinary body becomes sacred not by leaving the world but by how you use it — a tongue that speaks kindly, ears that listen for what's good, a head humble enough to bow and learn. Bowing (sees nivaaeeai) is not groveling; it is the posture of someone willing to be taught, the opposite of a stiff, know-it-all pride. The verse quietly redefines what makes a person "blessed": not status, but the direction their senses face.
What is one kind, true thing your tongue could say today?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI