Awake in Loving Service

ਲਾਇ ਬਿਰਹੁ ਭਗਵੰਤ ਸੰਗੇ ਹੋਇ ਮਿਲੁ ਬੈਰਾਗਨਿ ਰਾਮ ॥

laa-ay birahu bhagvant sangay ho-ay mil bairaagan raam.

Embrace love for the Lord God, and in detachment, unite with Him.

ਚੰਦਨ ਚੀਰ ਸੁਗੰਧ ਰਸਾ ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਤਿਆਗਨਿ ਰਾਮ ॥

chandan cheer suganDh rasaa ha-umai bikh ti-aagan raam.

Give up your sandalwood oil, expensive clothes, perfumes, tasty flavors and the poison of egotism.

ਈਤ ਊਤ ਨਹ ਡੋਲੀਐ ਹਰਿ ਸੇਵਾ ਜਾਗਨਿ ਰਾਮ ॥

eet oot nah dolee-ai har sayvaa jaagan raam.

Do not waver this way or that, but remain wakeful in the service of the Lord.

ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਨਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਆਪਣਾ ਸਾ ਅਟਲ ਸੁਹਾਗਨਿ ਰਾਮ ॥੪॥੧॥੪॥

naanak jin parabh paa-i-aa aapnaa saa atal suhaagan raam. ||4||1||4||

O Nanak, she who has obtained her God, is a happy soul-bride forever. ||4||1||4||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

Let your love lean fully toward the One, and travel light — free and unweighed-down.

You do not need fancy perfumes or expensive clothes or the heavy weight of me-first; you can set all of that down.

Do not wobble this way and that — stay awake and glad in serving the One. Nanak says: the heart that finds its One is a happy heart, steady and lasting, forever.

Travel light — lean your love toward the One and set the heavy me-first down.

The deeper layer

Laa-ay birahu bhagvant sangay — fix your love-longing on the One. Hoay mil bairaagan (become detached) means travelling light. Chandan cheer suganDh — sandalwood, fine clothes, perfume — are the outward ornaments set down along with haumai, the poison of ego. Eet oot nah dolee-ai: do not waver here or there. Atal suhaagan — the ever-stable happy soul-bride — becomes the happy, steady heart that has found its One.

A Question to Sit With

What could you set down to feel lighter and more free?

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI

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