Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O Guru of the world, what is Your greatness worth if the weight of my past actions is not wiped away?
Why run to a lion for shelter, if a jackal is still going to eat me?
You can pray boldly and honestly, the way you talk to someone very close.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of Sadhna's shabad.
Tav gun kahaa jagat guraa ja-o karam na naasai — what is Your greatness worth, Guru of the world, if my karam is not wiped away? Karam here means the weight of what I did before.
Then a picture: singh saran kat jaa-ee-ai ja-o jabuk garaasai. Why run to a lion for safety, if a jackal is still going to eat you? It's like hiding behind the biggest kid on the playground and still getting teased. Sadhna has come to the strongest shelter there is. So he asks, almost like bargaining, for it to truly hold him. It is the honesty of someone who feels close enough to speak plainly.
Is it okay to be completely honest — even a little bold — when you ask for help?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI