Sikhism·Raag Bilaaval·Shabad 172
Verse 2 of 4

Never Forgotten for an Instant

ਇਕੁ ਤਿਲੁ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਦੀਨਾ ਰਾਮ ॥
ik til parabhoo na veesrai jin sabh kichh deenaa raam.
I shall not forget God, even for an instant; He has blessed me with everything.
ਵਡਭਾਗੀ ਮੇਲਾਵੜਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਿਰੁ ਚੀਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਰਾਮ ॥
vadbhaagee maylaavarhaa gurmukh pir cheenHaa raam.
By great good fortune, I have met Him; as Gurmukh, I contemplate my Husband Lord.
ਬਾਹ ਪਕੜਿ ਤਮ ਤੇ ਕਾਢਿਆ ਕਰਿ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਲੀਨਾ ਰਾਮ ॥
baah pakarh tam tay kaadhi-aa kar apunaa leenaa raam.
Holding me by the arm, He has lifted me up and pulled me out of the darkness, and made me His own.
ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਤ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀਵੈ ਸੀਤਲੁ ਮਨੁ ਸੀਨਾ ਰਾਮ ॥੨॥
naam japat naanak jeevai seetal man seenaa raam. ||2||
Chanting the Naam, the Name of the Lord, Nanak lives; his mind and heart are cooled and soothed. ||2||

Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa

In plain words

May I always keep the One in sight, even in the space of a blink — the One who has given me everything.

By great good luck I met it; walking with the Guru, I recognize the One I love. It took me by the arm, lifted me out of the dark, and made me its own.

Nanak says: keeping the Naam in mind, I come alive, and my heart and mind grow cool and calm and settled.

Keeping the One in mind, my heart grows cool and calm.
The deeper layer

Ik til prabhoo na veesrai — not forgetting the One for an instant: always keeping the One in sight. Sabh kichh deenaa: the One has given everything. Baah pakaR tam tay kaaDhi-aa: grasped by the arm and pulled from the dark — rescue, kept warm. Seetal man seenaa: the cool, soothed mind and heart.

A Question to Sit With

What thought, kept close, calms you down when you are heated up?

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

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