Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O restless mind, you are hard to trust; you are swept away and spinning.
A donkey's rope comes off only once its load is on its back.
The restless mind steadies once it has something to carry. Man khuthar tayraa nahee bisaas — O restless mind, you cannot be trusted. Too mahaa udmaadaa — you are swept away and spinning.
This is the "Rahao" line, the pause, the center of the shabad. Then comes a farm picture. Khar kaa paikhar ta-o chhutai ja-o oopar laadaa — a donkey's leg-rope comes off only once the load is on its back. Once it has its work, it settles.
Think of a puppy that chews shoes all day until it gets a job, like fetching the paper. Then it is calm and proud. The mind steadies the same way when it has something real to carry. The verse speaks to the mind as something to heal, not something to hate.
What helps your mind settle when it is spinning?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI