Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The One is always near, always listening, always noticing with love.
A person only feels afraid inside when they're hiding something they know isn't right.
But a clean, honest heart lets go of its fears.
And when your trust rests in the fearless One, unkind words from others just bounce off.
The pauri offers a quietly profound teaching about fear and honesty: sada har nihaal-e — the One "continually watches and hears everything." To a frightened mind that could sound like surveillance; the verse turns it the opposite way. Who is afraid? So darai je karai vikaar — only the one "who commits sins," i.e. the one hiding something. A pure heart (nirmal man) has nothing to hide and so "casts off all fear." The Name is called nirbhau — fearless — and faith in it makes the slanderers' attacks land "in vain." The child-level lesson is clean and true: fear often comes from hiding; an honest heart is a light heart, and the loving attention of the One is a comfort, not a threat.
Have you noticed how a secret you're hiding can make you feel jumpy? What happens when you tell the truth?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI